Itâs easy to get caught up in exam stress, especially if everyone around you is panicking. But stress in general is not a positive thing to be experiencing, so if you can get it under control you will find the coming months much easier.
First things first, what stresses you? This can be people, the number of exams, feeling unprepared, feeling like you donât have enough time. Make a list and then mark next to each thing what you can influence and what you canât. The things that you canât influence itâs important to let go of; can you remove them or avoid them? The things you can influence are the things you need to create a plan around and take control of.
Remember that when youâre stressed it can have a negative effect on other areas of your life. When youâre stressed youâre more likely to make a bad decision or judgement. There are some really easy things you can do to de-stress like exercise; this suppresses stress hormones, and meditation to calm the mind; there are some great free apps available. Below are some tips and advice to really take control and get through your exams with as little stress as possible.
Go on a digital detoxMore than one in three Brits (36 percent) suffer from âtech hangoversâ â according to research by Rescue Remedy. Their recent survey shows that the average Brit now spends a staggering 15 hours (14 hours and 54mins) a day attached to their mobile phone, laptop or computer. And worryingly, half of those polled (45 percent) admitted over-use of tech leaves them âexhaustedâ â with 26 percent complaining it makes them feel âdrainedâ.So give yourself tech free times or zones to make sure you are switching off on a regular basis â this is especially important before you go to bed. Make a rule that you will have a 30 minute tech break before sleeping, to ensure a good nights rest."Louisa Valvano, Chief Marketing and Magic Officer at Stress Management Society.
Get organised and make a list of everything you have to get done. Also mark which tasks are reading, which require thinking creatively, which require memorising etc. Think about how much time should be spent on each subject and start to break that down into manageable chunks of time. Writing âRead Pride and Prejudiceâ isnât a great way to do this as itâs a daunting task and likely to cause some stress. Break it down into chapters and designate a few chapters per day. Think about when the best time of day for certain tasks will be, for example, a lot of people have a clearer head in the morning, so thatâs a good time to work on memorising dates or equations.
Once youâve built a revision plan it should all look a lot more achievable and youâll have a clear structure to follow, now you need to build in reward. Create small rewards for completing each mini-goal and then a larger one when fully completed. Celebrating success is so important because it will encourage you to keep going, and stop that inner critic from rearing its head.
Rewards can be anything from a break in the garden with a magazine to a trip to the cinema with friends. Think of something that will really feel like a treat, follow the plan and you will really feel like youâve earned it.
You will know what is likely to distract you while youâre learning. Social media? Music? Friends? A busy place with lots of people coming and going?
Get real with yourself and decide how you will learn best. Then create that space. Iâd recommend a bright and airy room with everything you need to hand. Prepare some snacks in advance so you donât use that as a distraction. If a friend wants to revise with you but they are naturally a âstress headâ then say no! Emotions are infectious so you wonât want their stress impacting on you. If you want to have music playing then choose something designed to help you focus; Spotify has some great ready-made playlists like Deep Focus and Atmospheric Calm, they tend to be free of too many words so you wonât get pulled in to the music. Finally, turn the social media notifications off on your phone. If you see or hear the notifications then youâll be more tempted to check them and thereâs nothing that canât wait a few hours.
If you are stressed give yourself a belly rubIf you are mid-revision or about to go in an exam and can feel stress bubbling up, here is a small exercise you can do to try and relieve the stress. Our bodies have certain pressure points that alleviate stress when we message them â one of the most powerful is in the gastric point. To find the optimum point feel two or three finger widths down from your bottom rib, in line with your belly button. It should feel quite sensitive. Then message this area using two fingers. The more you do it, the more stress you will relieve."Louisa Valvano, Chief Marketing and Magic Officer at Stress Management Society.
The following is useful, not only for revision (especially when having some to test you), but also just before and during the actual exam. If you can learn and put into practice state management techniques then they will help you through. These techniques are not just useful for exams, top athletes use them to prepare for events like the Olympics, and they can be used at other times in life, when studying at university or having to deliver a presentation in work.
1. Relaxation
Relaxation is key to relieving stress, especially if you turn over an exam paper and see a question that you donât feel confident you can answer. Take a few deep breaths and then take one large breath in whilst counting to 5 in your head. Whilst counting slowly tense your arms and legs until they are at maximum tension on â5â. Hold for a second, and then count down from 5 whilst slowly relaxing. This technique is known as âSpeed Relaxationâ and was devised to help the womenâs GB hockey team take penalties whilst under pressure.
2. Visualisation
If I ask you to go outside and not look at any red cars that go past, all you will see if red cars. In revision, negative thoughts will stay in your sub-conscious and drive a negative attitude and behaviour. Start to visualise your best result (use your imagination!) because our sub conscious finds it difficult to tell the difference between something that is imagined and something that is actual. Visualise yourself feeling relaxed and comfortable in the exam and your mind will believe it.
3. Mental Rehearsal
Prepare for what is to come. If you rehearse the exam in your head, when you are there the brain will get straight into gear because it will feel like itâs done this many times before. This technique is especially great for practical exams. You want your brain to think âah yes, I recognise this situation, there is nothing to worry about, I can handle this!â
Itâs important to rehearse and mentally prepare yourself for anything, also known as âwhat if?â and this isnât a negative, itâs just working out solutions in advance which can only benefit you.
4. Positive Self Talk
This might sound strange, but talking to yourself with encouragement will make a difference! Think about how you talk to a child when you are trying to soothe them, you tell them about all the good things that are going to happen. Do that to yourself (and yes you can do this in your head!) and this is great to do just before an exam. The best way to do this is to keep saying your name in your head whilst mentally talking to yourself. Youâll find that youâre naturally reassuring yourself and this is great to reduce stress.
Above all, learn how to relax and chill. Itâs just like learning a sport or training for a marathon, you need to build your revision slowly and find the best fit for you.
Afterwards, when you review how the revision has gone donât just think of the end result! Review the whole process, considering every aspect both positive and negative. If the result is good, then celebrate but remember to learn from the process. Donât dwell on a bad result, again, review the whole process. Take control of your revision plan and you can really achieve.
Sophie Coulthard, Associate Director of Judgement Index.
The Judgement Index is a tool used for highlighting potential barriers to performance, including stress, and the team work with lots of young people, including apprentices and young sportspeople. The advice included here is part of their State Management programme. They also have a sister website V Is For Values which focuses on personal development for beginners.