Dealing with exam pressure

Dealing with exam pressure

Dealing with exam pressure can be overwhelming. Whatever age you are taking exams can cause anxiety and stress. This blog looks at some tips for managing the pressure so that you don’t become overwhelmed and burnt out. Next to each tip are links to other blogs on this website that you might find useful.

  1. Exercise – building exercise into your daily routine is one way that you can take care of your physical and mental wellbeing throughout exam season. Make sure that you do something that you enjoy whether its going to the gym or simply going for a walk around the block. Exercise has an incredibly positive effect on your mental health and doing something daily that moves your body will help to keep you grounded, reduce stress levels, help you sleep and make you more resilient. Exercise and Mental Health – Developing a Practice
  2. Take Breaks – Taking a break from studying may seem counterintuitive, you might feel driven to revise as much as possible, but studies have shown that taking regular breaks throughout the day can help you be more productive. The Benefits of Taking a Lunch Break
  3. Sleep – Getting enough sleep is imperative to how we function on a day-to-day basis. Not getting enough sleep can affect our focus, memory and concentration, it can make us less able to manage stress and more likely to suffer from illness such as colds and infections. During exam season getting enough sleep is vitally important in aiding your performance.
    Insomnia and Better Sleep – World Sleep Day 18 March
    Better Sleep Better Mental Health
    Tips for Better Sleep
  4. Keep Hydrated – our brains depend on proper hydration to function properly. When you don’t drink enough water your brain cells do not operate efficiently. Studies have shown that being dehydrated even a little impairs your memory and focus. When taking exams having your brain working optimally is vital, making sure that you drink enough is one way that you can support yourself to work better and feel better physically and mentally.
    Are you drinking enough water? Hydrate for better mental health
    Keeping Hydrated for Better Mental Health
  5. Keep things in perspective – When we are in the middle of a stressful situation it can sometimes be hard to see the wood for the trees. Everything can feel overwhelming and very big. Things can become out of proportion and we can feel that if certain things don’t happen, for instance gaining certain exam grades, our lives will be over. At times like these it can be important to not merge with our spiraling thoughts and keep the situation in perspective. Below are some tips on how you can do this. These can be applied to many stressful situations not just exam stress and pressure.

    *Try and do the tips listed above. The tips above will help you to support the natural functioning of your body and brain. Through supporting yourself through exercise, rest, hydration and sleep you will naturally think more clearly and feel less stressed.

    *Practice Self-compassion – Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect?” Kristen Neff. Self-compassion encourages us to see ourselves in relation to other people. It encourages us to step back and gain greater perspective and encourages greater emotional resilience. Self-compassion would encourage you not to catastrophise a situation and get caught up in anxious thoughts. To find out more about being self-compassionate please take a look at this blog on our website. Self-Compassion – Fostering a Practice

    *Talk to someone – Often when we are stressed and anxious we can get very caught up in our own thoughts, it can be easy to be swept along with feelings of anxiety and worry. Sometimes the simple act of talking to someone else about what we are thinking and feeling is enough to keep things in perspective and stop ourselves from spiraling. You might want to talk to a friend, a family member or a professional. Alternatively, you might want to use an app like Woebot.

    Woebot is an anxiety, depression and mindfulness tool, aimed at reducing stress and helping you to feel better. Woebot is an automated Cognitive Behavioural Therapy coach that can help you think through situations or problems with step-by-step CBT guidance.  For more information about apps that can support your mental health please see this blog. Apps for your mental well-being

If you would like more ideas on how to manage exam stress please have a look at these online resources.

Samaritans – Coping with exam stress

Young Minds – Exam Stress

Mind – Exam stress

The Open University – Coping exam stress

Paul offers Psychotherapy and counselling, EMDR and Clinical Supervision. If you are struggling with any issue and would like to make an appointment with Paul please call Paul on 07843 813 537 or fill in the form on the Contact Page, if he doesn’t answer he is probably in a session, please leave him a message and he will call you back as soon as he can. For more information about Paul please take a look at the About Paul PageFrequently Asked Questions Page and The Counselling Services Page.

Dealing with exam pressure