A teacher noted what four students do when they feel stressed before…

A teacher noted what four students do when they feel stressed before the board examinations, as shown in the table. Which student is NOT following a principle of rational thinking?

Student	What the student does when stressed
Ritu	Questions her belief that one poor result means she will fail in every subject
Karan	Pushes out the anxious thoughts that keep coming into his mind
Meena	Draws up a timetable and spends her time on the subjects that help her reach her goal
Tarun	Tells himself, 'I have prepared well and I can do this'

Answer & explanation

Correct answer: option 3

The correct answer is Option (3) → Meena

Option (1) Ritu — Following a principle of rational thinking. Questioning the belief that one poor result means failure everywhere is challenging distorted thinking and irrational beliefs.

Option (2) Karan — Following a principle of rational thinking. Pushing out anxious thoughts that keep coming back is driving out intrusive negative anxiety-provoking thoughts.

Option (3) Meena — Not following a principle of rational thinking. Planning her time and spending it on what helps her reach her goal is time management, a different life skill. Its central principle is to spend time on things you value or that help you achieve your goals. It does not work on her thoughts.

Option (4) Tarun — Following a principle of rational thinking. Telling himself that he has prepared well and can do it is making positive statements.

NCERT (2026-27): “Life Skills …
Rational Thinking : Many stress-related problems occur as a result of distorted thinking. The way you think and the way you feel are closely connected. When we are stressed, we have an inbuilt selective bias to attend to negative thoughts and images from the past, which affect our perception of the present and the future. Some of the principles of rational thinking are: challenging your distorted thinking and irrational beliefs, driving out potentially intrusive negative anxiety-provoking thoughts, and making positive statements.”

“Time Management : The way you spend your time determines the quality of your life. Learning how to plan time and delegate can help to relieve the pressure. The major way to reduce time stress is to change one’s perception of time. The central principle of time management is to spend your time doing the things that you value, or that help you to achieve your goals. …”