Stressing About Exams!!

Stressing About Exams!! Taking the edge off Student Support -Student Advocacy Service - A Webb-Heath A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

Is stress bad for you? Not necessarily! • Certain levels can help motivate us • Give us energy • Focus us Maybe, • If it becomes a problem and is difficult to manage or if you feel overwhelmed, it can have a negative affect on your life. • If it starts to have a physical impact on your life There is so much help we can give ourselves…. A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

Stress?Take the edge off by being well • Sleeping well – You think you can’t sleep or have not got time, put more effort into sleeping and remember HUMAN beings perform better having slept. And NEED sleep! • Tip: A tired brain is a stressed brain • Sleep can be aided by a light supper • Eat Well – Healthy foods can improve your brain and help your wellbeing. Too much caffeine and junk food will stress your body and brain out, it is a FACT  • Tip: Being hungry makes the brain pop with emotion  A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

being well…. • Be nice to people  Arguing with friends and family increases stress. • Tip: Being happier helps reduce stress  Try to timetable in fun with your family and friends! • Try to keep some exercise in your life, regular is great but something as quick as skipping for 5 minsa day. • Tip: Exercise stimulates us and eventually prompts the body to relax; use exercise to fight fatigue and help you chill out later!! • Drink plenty of fluids  Hydration is good for the brain as it helps reduce inflammation  which makes managing stress worse. • Tip: Being thirsty and dehydrated is emotional! A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

Take the edge off and act…. • Prepare well: plan your revision with breaks and some flexibility. • Attend revision and catch up sessions, talk to staff. • Think about an exam strategy and plan your attack! Talk to staff if you are struggling to come up with an exam plan. • Time out - try not to feel guilty. It might seem like a ‘waste of time’ but this will give you time to process the information and your brain a bit of rest. • Use known strategies either from yourself and or others. • For example Mindmaps; Revision cards or anything that works for you  • Talk about your stress/anxiety; bottling it up will keep things the same. Basically letting it out will offer some relief. • Identify your stress triggers and avoid them, you can always revisit them after the exams. A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

Take the edge off and think…. • The way we think is linked to what we feel and then what we do • Hear your worried thoughts “I will fail” “I will forget it all” “I don’t know what I am doing” • Then beat them with HEALTHY HELPFUL thoughts: “I have revised well and will do my best” “I have thought this before and remembered enough” “I will find answers for the things that are confusing me” • Think positive thoughts, trying to focus on solutions! • Believe in yourself!! • Imagine your worries floating down a river, being kicked in a football far from you or released in a balloon, watch it all disappear. Repeat if they are stubborn and return. A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

Still need a few jagged edges smoothing off? • Try mindfulness • Free apps for androids and tablets; Websites that offer support. • Try breathing, even when panicking/losing it, breathing can help as oxygen helps calm you. Try deep breaths for 6 seconds in and out, several times. • Focus on some positive things the other side of your exam timetable…there is life after exams  • Distractions help. Try absorbing activities for short timed periods when you feel the stress building up. (Use your phone as timer) A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

Remember… • The night before: • Plan well and organise everything you need for the next day. • Be realistic about going to bed, not too early and not too late. • In the exam: • Read the instructions carefully • Plan your time • If you start to feel yourself panicking in the exam, mentally take some time out, breath and try to remember a nice memory and then quickly return to doing your best! • There are always solutions – still jagged? Talk to your PPT A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

Wisdom on exams and anxiety! • The bbc: • Don’t cram just before the exam and avoid post mortems (especially if you have more exams)  • Childline: • You could help exam stress by dealing with any other problems this could improve your concentration, phone childline if you need to talk. • Jodi Picoult – Writer • “Anxiety's like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you very far.” • Swedish Proverb – Saying • “Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow” • John Lubbock – Some man • A day of worry is more exhausting than a day of work. So get to it and revise, healthily  A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

Still edgy? The web can help: • http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/advice/factfile_az/exams_stress- Exam stress advice • https://www.childline.org.uk/Explore/SchoolCollege/Pages/exam-stress.aspx- exam stress advice • http://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/#.U26tjoFdWuI– Download leaflet on stress and anxiety • http://www.freemindfulness.org/download - mindfulness downloads • www.thecalmzone.net – supporting young men manage their emotions • http://www.bigwhitewall.com/landing-pages/default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f - Proper peer support If you need a professional: • https://www.readytochange.org.uk/suffolk/HowtoAccessSupport/Pages/default.aspx - some people who can help when things feel very difficult to manage. • http://www.papyrus-uk.org/ - young peoples 24 hour support by phone/email or SMS.  A centre of excellence for 16-19 year olds

Stressing About Exams!!