School Stress (and how to manage it)

If you live in the UK you either have, or will have, the great joy of experiencing GCSE’s or A-Levels. And by ‘the great joy’, I mean usually months and months of crying yourself to sleep and shoving mouthfuls of chocolate in your face(if you say you can’t relate, you’re lying). If you live in a foreign country, you will most likely have to go through some other form of examination; as most of the world has decided that exams are great fun and the perfect idea!!!!!!!!!!!!

As much as I would love to tell you all how to avoid taking them altogether, or how to cheat on them, I have sadly not learnt these wonderful secrets yet so we’ll all just have to wait. However, I do have my own little helpful tips and tricks to enable you to slightly, somewhat stay on top of your stress.

Although a little bit of stress can be a good motivator, if your stress levels get too high this could have a negative repercussion on your schoolwork; or even worse, could lead to anxiety, depression etc.

63 (43%) of the 145 suicides among those aged under 20 in 2014-15 were experiencing academic pressures of different sorts before their death. Almost one in three – 46 (32%) – had exams at the time, or coming up soon, or were waiting for exam results.

The Guardian.

My top tips for managing exam stress

1) Timetable!

I genuinely cannot stress this enough. It seems boring and annoying and trust me, I’ve been there and I know you just can’t be bothered. But once you do it, it’s SO worth it. Find out what works for you: how can you motivate yourself and reward yourself? How long can you work before a break without procrastinating or daydreaming? The average person can only take in what they’re learning for 40 mins, but I prefer to work for 30 mins and then allow myself a 5-10 minute break. Once you’ve plotted out your extra curricular clubs and enough time for homework onto your timetable, add about 10 mins of revision time for subjects you struggle with. 10 mins may not seem like a lot, but over the course of 1-2 years thats a LONG time! Get your highlighters and and make it look pretty- I find that aesthetics really help me find the motivation. Make sure it’s realistic though- give yourself breaks and don’t do anything too extreme as that will only end in procrastination.

2) Stop comparing!

Seriously. Been there, done that and bought the t-shirt and I can promise you, hand over heart, that it’s so not worth it. I’m sure it sounds like a good plan to ask your friends how well they did on the test and how much they revised, but trust me it’s not helpful at all. All it does is stress you out and we’ve already established that that is not good. Everyone is different and approaches revision differently; so if your method works for you there is nothing to worry about.

3) Eat well and exercise

“How on earth will diet and exercise impact my revision- that’s dumb”. You see, that’s where you’re wrong. Fuelling your brain and body with nutritious foods have been proven to increase levels of concentration and they give you energy to learn! Foods high in omega-3 help build and maintain myelin which boosts concentration, and serotonin which reduces anxiety is found in leafy greens, mushrooms, sunflower and pumpkin seeds and many others. Make sure you get a balanced diet in order to make sure you are learning to the best of your ability. Exercise is absolutely quintessential, not only to keep your figure on fleeek but also to stimulate endorphins(making you happy) and to reduce the levels of your body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol.

4) Don’t let the bed bugs bite!

A good sleeping pattern is the key to A*s. Teenagers should aim for about 8-10 hours sleep, however the average is 7-7:30 hours! Sleep especially imperative during exam periods, as it helps you retain information and perform better on memory tasks. Sleep and mood are very closely connected, so sleep deprivation may lead to an increase in irritability and stress, and may even result in a mood disorder such as anxiety or depression

5) Good habits, good grades

Quit bad habits like smoking and drinking alcohol. Stress may lead you to these unhealthy alternatives, but look long term: it’s not worth it. Although cigarettes alleviate stress in the moment, nicotine addiction causes stress in the long term.

6) Take a break

(If you noticed the Hamilton reference, I love you). Know when you need a rest. If you overload yourself, you will most definitely have MAJOR repercussions in the future. It’s not lazy, it’s smart. Put things into perspective and remind yourself that there is life after exams. Rest is absolutely necessary.

Just be kind to yourself and remember that GCSE’s are NOT the end of the world. Life’s too short to stress out about a number on a paper; put in the hard work and just enjoy yourself. Have a great week xxx

Elena x