Get the healthy edge during exam time

Good sleep, healthy eating and a few bottles of water will give you a hidden edge during exam time.

The Leaving Cert. A three worded sentence that will send shivers down the spine of any young Irish teen embarking on the marathon of study, stress and exams. By now the back of them are broken, you have survived the initial three days and now is the infamous weekend before the home stretch. Its no doubt that this is a stressful time for any student, whether you’ve spent the last two years preparing, or the last 20 minutes before the exam rummaging through old notes. Often our health and well-being takes the back seat during this time, which can play a big role in our mental performance, energy levels and brain function throughout the week. Below are some of my tips and tricks to keep your health and nutrition in check during these caffeine and sugar dosed days!

Eat regularly!

Missing meals or lack of preparation can have a big impact on your performance come D-day. The last thing you want is your stomach making mating marine whale sounds in the middle of the exam. Make sure your starting your day with a good breakfast, to ensure a constant supply of energy and that brain function is at its best. A great option is a bowl of porridge with some fruit, cinnamon and a tablespoon of honey. Other options like eggs and bacon or omelettes are also a great way to kickstart the day.

Also make sure to have some snacks with you throughout the day. Having pieces of fruit, nuts or any small snacks are very useful to have with you in the exams to keep hunger at bay. Nuts are a great source of Omega 3, which are fantastic for brain health and cognitive function.

Don’t reach for sugar

It can be very easy to reach for the chocolate or bag of Haribo during exams, especially in times of stress or anxiety. However having a constant spurge of sugar during the day will lead to slumps later on, and could have an impact of when your at that desks staring at those papers! Small snacks of sugar are no problem before the exam, but using some of the snacks listed above will definitely be the better option on the day!

If stress and anxiety are becoming a problem, instead of diving into a family size bag of Maltesers, try and get some fresh air. Light activity will help clear your mind, relax and improve your mood to get you back in the zone.

Sleep

Such an important factor that is often thrown out the window. I’m no hypocrite; I’ve often stayed up scrambling through past papers into the early hours of the morning, but getting a solid nights sleep will be much more beneficial than the panic at 3am! Put simply, a lack of sleep will affect our attention span, cognitive function and memory; so any quotess you memorised the night previous, forget about it. My golden rule is always ‘rest early and rise early’. Getting the sleep in and getting the last cramming session in the morning of will be much more effective then the other option. Tips for a good nights sleep: total darkness in your room, avoid any blue lights (LED screens etc.), good air flow in the room and limit caffeine to 5–6 hours before sleepy time.

Hydration

Last, but definitely not least, is hydration. If the body’s water supply isn’t replenished then it will be unable to preform tasks and functions including memory and attention. All these cognitive changes will most certainly have a negative effect when seating the exam, so make sure to have a bottle with you — and are sure you’ve gone to the toilet before you go in!

Caffeine is also something that should be addressed, as it is often the life line of many emotionally drained students. Now I’m a strong advocate of a good cup of Joe, but using it as your soul provider of energy throughout exams isn’t going to end well. Excessive consumption of caffeine can lead to restlessness, nervousness and dehydration, all of which could have an effect pre-exam (along with some gastrointestinal issues, put politely.. ) With great power comes great responsibly, so use the magic brew tacitly and with caution!

Hopefully the above tips and tricks can help the coming week a little easier, and help prevent a potential exam disaster! The very best of luck to everyone in the middle of their exams. Stay calm, be confident in your abilities and get your mother or grandmother to light a candle or two…