How To Cope With Stress During Exams

Exam time... one of the most dreaded periods in a student's life. We all know the feeling of being overwhelmed by exams, and we often deal with it in unhealthy ways. It is very easy to become extremely nervous and anxious about exams, but it is important to be wary of this, as it can have a significant impact on our school performance and on our mental health.

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If you need to relax but you don't know how to cope with your stress, then consider taking the following advice:

Prepare.

The best way to manage stress and anxiety around exam time is to be as prepared as possible. Study as well as you can by reading over notes, doing any review questions the teacher has given, asking your teacher questions, or even staying after school with a tutor or teacher for extra help. If you feel confident in yourself and your ability to write your exam, you will be much calmer going into it. Make plans to stay on task and you will reach your goals.

Sleep well. It might be hard to get a good night’s sleep during exam time because you are so busy cramming to study, but staying up late means that you will likely not achieve your desired result. When you are tired, you are much more likely to forget information and it will be harder to focus on your exam. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours. Eat healthy. This is when you should be avoiding those foods or drinks that are high in sugars, and in caffeine. When you are stressed you’ll likely reach for a comfort food that may be low in nutritional value, but it is proven that these foods can have negative impacts on your brain and your performance. Try to completely take out these kinds of foods, or cut down as much as possible. Try to eat foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein.

Get physical. Exercising regularly can decrease stress quite a lot, it provides an outlet for letting out the stress. Blow off steam by taking a walk, running, or getting involved in a sport you like. You can also do this with friends. You'll feel better and be more prepared to handle problems.

Make time for you. Make sure to leave time for your hobbies and interests, dedicate a few hours to doing something you love- it will definitely make you feel better. You can plan a relaxing evening, have a playlist of songs, nature sounds, etc. anything that may help to calm you down. Do something quiet that keeps your mind off of stress, like reading a book, taking a bath, and paying attention to breathing techniques. You can do yoga or stretch to help calm your body and your brain down. Develop your own relaxation technique that suits you- like progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, etc. Reach out for help if you need it. Remember, there is always someone that will be there to listen to you. Whether it be a parent. a family

member, a friend, a teacher or a guidance counselor at your school, someone wants to listen. If you feel too overwhelmed by exams and you experience problems that you don't know how to deal with, speak out about it and you will find that not only will talking about it help, but the people around you will provide you with the support you need. Try to focus on someone else. Doing something kind for someone else can make you forget about your problems and take your mind off of stress. Making others feel better will in result, make you feel better too.

Now that the big day has come, what can you do to stay calm and positive? Assure yourself, “I can do this”. Repeat this to yourself, if you keep a positive mentality and if you believe in yourself, you will end up doing much better than if you put yourself down and let your insecurities stop you from doing your best. Here are some links that you might find helpful to calm you down: A website with different sounds that may help you to calm down/focus: www.soundrown.com A website where you can let go of all of your negative thoughts: http://thequietplaceproject.com/thethoughtsroom/ A website where you can choose how long you want to spend relaxing: http://www.calm.com/ Good luck Sabres!!! ~Amanda.

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