Top Ten Tips: Managing Exam Stress
By Chloe from the Student Team
Exam season can be an extremely stressful time, but there are ways to manage this stress and ensure you’re fighting fit to attack those all-important exams! Read on to find out our Top Ten Tips for managing exam stress.
If you’d rather listen to the Top Ten Tips, find our podcast episode here:
Top Tip 1
Caffeine is a stimulant that causes energy crashes, making you feel tired and irritable. Try to decrease your caffeine intake and use substitutes to keep you hydrated and awake.
Everyone loves a coffee in the morning, however too much coffee can cause energy crashes, making you feel tired and irritable. Instead of going for your 4th cup of the day, try drinking more water or smoothies to keep you hydrated and awake!
Top Tip 2
“Fight or flight” hormones in our body are released when we’re stressed. Physical activity can help combat this by releasing endorphines and returning your body to a relaxed state.
The build-up of the stress hormone cortisol in your bloodstream over a long period of time has been proven to cause chronic stress, which can lead to other health issues. The release of endorphins during sport can combat chronic stress, as well as help you feel more balanced and calm.
Top Tip 3
You’re more prone to stress when you’re tired. Try to distract your brain from worries a few hours before bed by doing calming activities such as reading a book or having a hot bath.
Every student knows the desire to do as much work as humanly possible in preparation for exams. Some students can also experience feelings of guilt when they are taking breaks. However, remember that your brain is a muscle — if you use it too much without giving it time to recover, it will not function properly. Make sure that you get enough sleep and allocate time for relaxing activities during the day.
Top Tip 4
A stress diary is an effective way to combat long-term stress. Note down times when you felt stressed and how you overcame them. This will help you develop long-term coping strategies.
Many things in your life are quantifiable, and keeping track of eg. your sleep or your active time can be very useful. The same thing applies to stress. You can develop a scale on which you could express how stressed you feel at different times. This could help you identify potential stressors which can then often be avoided, or can be used to help you develop long-term coping strategies for stress.
Top Tip 5
Learn to say ‘no’ and prioritise the things that are most important to you. Sticking to the most essential tasks will prevent you from feeling overwhelmed.
During exam time, make sure to identify the things that are the most important at that particular moment. For example, it would not be useful to stay up until 2AM to read that one last journal article after a whole day of studying. Instead, you could go to bed earlier, wake up refreshed and tackle the article more effectively and efficiently with a clear mind.
Top Tip 6
Save time for loved ones and people you can relax and laugh with. Taking puts problems into perspective and uncovers solutions which you may not have thought of on your own.
Human beings are social in their nature. A lack of human contact takes a toll on a person’s well-being, so make sure to keep in touch with your friends and family during exams. They can also provide a different perspective on things that you may be struggling with, and comfort if you’re feeling stressed.
Top Tip 7
Some situations that worry us are out of our control. In these cases, it’s more beneficial to be positive and focus on what you can change. By adopting this kind of approach, you’ll be better able to control your stress levels.
It’s more beneficial to be positive and focus on what you CAN change. BY adopting this approach you’ll be in more control over your stress levels, and you will have more head-space to deal with the things that you can actually have an impact on.
Top Tip 8
If you don’t already know what you want to do after graduation, exploring graduate options can give you an energy boost and a renewed drive to achieve the degree that will open up your future.
If you’re not 100% sure about what you would like to do in the future, looking at graduate options can allow you to take a break from revision, and you will still have the satisfaction of having done something productive.
Top Tip 9
Remember to eat right — have proper breakfasts and eat fruits and veg. Fuel your brain as well as your body — no one can think straight on only coffee and chocolate.
Make sure to have proper meals during the day. After all, we are what we eat! No one can think straight on only caffeine and sugar. Make sure to avoid food that causes rapid glucose spikes and drops in your bloodstream (sweets, crisps). Instead, eat food that will release energy slowly, eg. food rich in protein, fibre and complex carbohydrates (fish, wholegrain rice, leafy greens, oats, beans, berries etc.). Make sure to drink plenty of water, and avoid relying on coffee or sugary drinks as a quick, yet unsustainable energy source .
Top tip 10
Steer clear of any exam ‘post-mortem’. There’s no point thinking about what your friend wrote for Question 3(b). It’s too late to go back and change your answers, so it will just make you worry even more.
After the exam, there is no point thinking about what your friend wrote for question 4(C). It’s too late to go back and change your answers so it will just make you worry even more. Instead, choose the feeling of post-exam relief, and stay positive!
Well that’s it from the Student Team for now! We hope our ten top tips will help you breeze through exam season.
