Exam season is here and we know just how overwhelming it can be, especially when you are doing multiple subjects or qualifications. Feeling overwhelmed isn’t just a state of mind – it has physical consequences too. When we feel overwhelmed our bodies go into survival mode, which means that blood is taken away from anything our mind considers less important in order to focus on our heart, head and muscles. This can make us feel jittery, short of breath, like our heart is racing or like our head is fuzzier than usual.
This half term we know many of you will be revising, and feeling all the nervous tension that exams bring. However, we hope you can also find ways to relax and nourish your bodies and minds. Qualifications are only one part of who you are, and exams don’t measure everything that you are good at – never forget how proud we are already of all that you have achieved!
We have been sharing tips with our students for ways to remain balanced and not feel overwhelmed by stress. In this article, we are sharing further strategies for managing the kind of anxiety associated with exam stress. Our thanks go to Emotional Logic for these 7 ways to cope with exams:
- Know who the helpful people are. Can you identify the people who help you to relax the most? Try to connect with them even if it is just a few quick texts.
- Go to your favourite physical safe place. Close your eyes and think about where you feel most calm. Is it the woods, the beach, your bed, the bath? Try to find time to go there and DON’T take a revision book with you!
- Consider what mental state cheers you up. This might be a favourite song, game, film or book. have them to hand when you need them.
- Use your senses. Did you know the area of your brain associated with smell is near your memory storage? Try having a smell you enjoy, such as a perfume or aftershave, near you while you revise and then with you in your exam – you can pop it on just before you go in or pop some on your pencil case!
- Reduce distractions. Music with dominant lyrics and rhythm can be distracting. What music can you find that is calming? Aim for something that soothes in the background as a way of keeping your mind stable and blocking out other family noise.
- Tidy workspace, tidy brain. If your workspace is organised it helps your brain to organise the information going into it. This can be as simple as stacking books when you take a break, a BIG pot for all pens and stationary or even a cork board for sticky notes instead of all over the table.
- Feed your body. Have regular snack breaks and try to mix up your favourite treats with healthy ones to keep your body fuelled. Your brain will be using so much extra energy to make sure you have it ready to go! A good suggestion is to keep the snacks elsewhere and have a movement break at the same time!
If you are finding it hard to stay regulated during this period, do talk to us. We are here to help all our students.
