Q "My 15-year-old daughter's just finished her exams, yet she still seems very stressed because of other things going on in her life, like the way she looks, her results, and the future generally. What's the best way I can help her?"
A Shelley Davidow, author of Raising Stress-Proof Kids, says: "Being 15 isn't easy. Couple that with exam stress and your teen could be at the end of her tether.
"Chronic exam stress means that it could be hard now for your daughter's body to turn off the fight-or-flight response. The result? Everything in her life can elicit an overactive stress response.
"Getting her nervous system back into balance is the first step. To do this, tell her to focus her attention on the area of the heart, and to breathe regularly and evenly for a few minutes each day, even adding a feeling of gratitude to each breath.
"This is the Institute of HeartMath's Quick Coherence Technique and it will re-set her autonomic nervous system. Next, it's important that you're not feeding her anxiety about her results and future.
"Instil in her your belief in her capacity to achieve her goals, regardless of a one-off test. Your perception of your daughter and your reactions to her can have a profound impact on her sense of self.
"Also, since recent research indicates most people will have several careers in a lifetime, it's highly unlikely that she'll have a single vocation.
"So help her build a picture of a fluid, open future, rather than one predetermined by current exam results.
"This will help to re-establish her sense of trust in the future. Finally, ask her what she'd love to do now, short-term, post exams. This shows you value her and her needs.
"Chat about how her dream might be realised. If she knows that you care about what she wants and she's motivated by the possibility of doing it, her confidence will grow.
"Insecurities about looks, friends and future will likely diminish as her focus turns to doing something significant that matters to her."