Sleep, Express, Hydrate, Meditate: Deepika Padukone To Students On Pariksha Pe Charcha

New Delhi: Actor Deepika Padukone told students that patience is very important when it comes to exam preparation and results, though marks are not every thing. She added that it is important to sleep well, hydrate, exercise, meditate and express oneself to deal with all the stress that comes with exams.

The Padmavat actor told students during the eighth edition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Pariksha Pe Charcha that it is natural to feel stress, but important to know how to handle it. While admitting that she was weak at math, she said she was lucky to have parents who did not focus much on her getting good marks. She also stressed the need importance of friends and a community in helping deal with anxiety. “Parents have to understand that a child’s interest may lie in something else, and that is ok,” she said.

As part of an interactive session, the Ms Padukone conducted an activity where students wrote their strengths on pieces of paper and displayed them on a board. “This activity helps you realise that if you focus on your strengths rather than weaknesses, you’ll see how many things you’re good at,” she said. She added that competition is a part of life, but the ultimate endeavour should be to recognise our strengths and weaknesses and challenge ourselves.

Citing her mental health journey, the Piku actor said that she started feeling free and light when she began talking about her feelings. “When dealing with exams too, expressing helps. Focus on things that are in your control. And talked to your parents or someone you trust if you feel stressed,” she said.

While stressing on the importance of not being afraid of failure and enjoying what you like to do, Ms Padukone also shared a hack with students to stay in the present. “It is is called 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Five things you can see around you, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, one thing you can taste . They bring you back in the moment,” she said.

During the conversation with students, she shared her strong inclination towards sports and extracurricular activities. “I was a very naughty child. Even today, my parents say that you will never find Deepika at the ground level. I was always jumping from sofas, tables, and chairs. I was more interested in extracurricular activities,” she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the eighth edition of ‘Pariksha Pe Charcha’ on February 10 in Delhi, interacting with students at Sunder Nursery during the first episode.

Highlighting the significance of technology, he had encouraged students to understand and make optimal use of it. “A student’s life does not stop if they fail an exam. One must decide whether they want to succeed in life or books. You should turn your failures into your teachers. You are fortunate to be born in an era of technology, and our focus should be to understanding technology and have an optimum utilisation of it,” PM Modi said.