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17 Things To Get You Through That Exam Stress

Don't freak - you got this.

Emily Hooley
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Friday, May 11, 2018 - 17:46

Trying to revise for upcoming exams RN? We feel your pain. Exams are the living worst.

Why not watch Anna Akana opening up about mental health online?

When it seems like pressure is coming at you from every angle and everything is shrouded in uncertainty, it’s natural to feel hella stressed. It's not a nice feeling.

What you need are some short and long-term stress antidotes... and you’ve come to the right place.

1. Get to know

Read all about stress and how it works here. There’s no point feeling overwhelmed and trying to struggle through by yourself if it’s getting you down. Knowing the causes, symptoms and other facts about stress will help you to reclaim some of that power back.

2. Go easy on yourself

Are you convinced you’ll never manage to pass all your exams and have no future? We’re often our own worst critic, and our negative thoughts can convince us we’re going to fail. But they’re just thoughts, not facts.

Remember that no-one’s perfect. Try to reward yourself when you’ve tried your best with a hot bath, a catch-up with a friend or a film at the end of the day, instead of criticising yourself for not doing well enough.

Which brings us to…

3. Don’t overdo it

There’s a point where revision stops working – when you’ve sat trying for hours and hours without taking a break.

Schedule in time for short revision breaks every 45 minutes, and try to do things like going for a walk or a run in your longer breaks. Exercise and fresh air will clear your head and get you pumped for the next sesh.

4. Stop comparing

So what if people around you seem to have the whole revision/ exam thing in the bag? This isn’t to do with them, it’s about you.

Comparing yourself to your friends isn’t helpful because you have different needs and a different work flow. You do you.

5. Stare at this calming gif for a moment

Thanks for your time.

6. Listen to soothing sounds of nature

Sometimes (ok, a lot) it’s hard to concentrate on revision, and the noises around you can be a real distraction culprit. Try plugging yourself into the soothing sounds of nature while you work, to keep the sounds you're hearing consistent and help you focus. Try this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5OSRpRyl6g

Or if you think that may make you need the toilet constantly, there's always this... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNN7iTA57jM

7. Breathe along to this for a full minute

Your breathing can really affect your mood and stress levels, so when you're tense try breathing slowly and deeply for a while. Lots of meditation exercises use focusing on the breath to settle and ground you in the present moment too. Speaking of which…

8. Download a mindfulness app

Mindfulness can help you stay in the present without worrying too much about the future, and can boost your concentration and memory skills. It will give you those feel-good positive vibes, which we could all be doing with RN. Headspace and Calm are popular ones you could try.

9. Eat well

When you’re feeling sorry for yourself it’s tempting to numb the pain by immediately stuffing a chocolate bar in your mouth. This feels amazing in the short-term, but it’s not actually the best thing for stress as it gives you a sharp rise in energy but then may cause a sharper dip in your mood afterwards where you feel more irritable and depressed.

Instead, focus on healthy food that releases energy slowly like pasta and rice to keep your mood consistent and help your body out.

10. Turn off your phone

Buzzing notifications and social media feed updates are the worst for your concentration so turn your phone off, hide it, or even (controversial) ask someone else to hide it.

You can do a mini-binge in your next revision break. Being phoneless can deffo quieten your mind for a while.

11. Convince a loved one to give you a massage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xDZmMqK0l8

Ease that exam tension.

12. Do a clear up

If you’re going to procrastinate for a half hour, do a full tidy up of your room and throw out (or recycle if you can) all the junk you don’t use or need. This procrastination exercise has the added benefit of a) making your room look nicer b) decluttering your thoughts c) making you feel more invigorated and positive.

13. Make it manageable

Plan detailed revision schedules broken up into manageable chunks of studying. This will make you feel more on top of things and less stressed, because you’ll be able to smugly tick off several tasks per day.

14. Hydrate

Water, water, water. It improves your memory and concentration.

15. Have an orgasm

Genuinely helps to alleviate stress. You’re welcome.

16. Put it in perspective

Although exams may make you freak, always try to put things into perspective. There’s the option of re-taking if things really go pear-shaped, and remember that exams are a measure of your knowledge via basically a memory test. Some people just don’t work well under that pressure, so even if you don't do as well as you'd hoped it doesn't mean anything about your overall intelligence.

There’s also much more to life than exams. Not doing well at them doesn't mean you won't go on to succeed - check out this list of celebs who never went to university for proof.

17. Speak to someone

If you feel overwhelmed, reach out to someone close to you and talk about it. Feeling stressed about exams is the most natural feeling in the world, and they will probably have some great advice and be able put everything in perspective.

If you don’t feel like you have a close relative or friend you can talk to, you can call Supportline on 01708 765200 - a confidential counselling helpline offering emotional support to any individual on any issues. If you’re under 25 you can also call The Mix’s free helpline on 0808 808 4994 or speak to their trained helpline supporters on their one-to-one chat service.

18 Inspiring Celebs Who've Spoken Out About Their Mental Health

  • "I suffer from depression and was a model during a particularly rough patch of self-hatred...I'm focusing on filming and trying to learn not to pick apart my every flaw" - Cara Delevingne
    Getty
    1 of 18
  • “If there’s anyone out there going through [depression], I think for them to see that I went through it, it would help… for a long time I used to think...strong people in life... they just get on with it” - Stormzy
    Getty
    2 of 18
  • “I really felt like I was dying – my light completely out. I said to myself, ‘Whatever is left in there, even just one light molecule, you will find it and make it multiply’… I learned that my sadness never destroyed what was great about me” – Lady Gaga
    getty
    3 of 18
  • “Anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of; it affects millions of people every day. I know I have fans out there who have been through this kind of thing, too, and I wanted to be honest for their sake, if nothing else” – Zayn Malik
    Getty
    4 of 18
  • “I had to stop because I had everything, and I was absolutely broken inside. And I kept it all together enough so that I’d never let you down but... I let myself down… if you are broken you do not have to stay broken” - Selena Gomez
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    5 of 18
  • “My anxiety and depression have ruled my life for as long as I can remember and I never leave the house because of it... I’m tired of being held back in my life. I deserve to have peace. I deserve to be happy and smiling. Why not me?” - Kid Cudi
    Getty
    6 of 18
  • “It’s so normal. Everyone experiences a version of anxiety or worry in their lives, there’s nothing wrong with you. To be a sensitive person that cares a lot, that takes things in in a deep way, is actually part of what makes you amazing” – Emma Stone
    Getty
    7 of 18
  • [About his OCD] “I remember my makeup artist and assistant walking me to the set and going, ‘Oh God, we’re going to need 10 minutes... he has to walk back and step on that thing, touch the door and walk in and out again" - Leonardo DiCaprio
    Getty
    8 of 18
  • “You can’t let panic or anxiety change the way you do things because you get one life… I’m never going to get back the years that I’ve wasted being too terrified to ever leave my house” - Zoella
    Getty
    9 of 18
  • "Mental health disabilities are an illness, not a weakness. They are an issue, not an identity. It’s ok to suffer from a mental illness, but it’s not ok to not talk about it" – Jack Harries
    Getty
    10 of 18
  • “[My fans] know that I've struggled with depression, and [they tell me that I] helped them get over theirs. That gives me a big purpose—a reason to wake up in the morning” - Miley Cyrus
    Getty
    11 of 18
  • “I’m struggling just to get through the days. I think a lot of people are. You get lonely, you know, when you’re on the road. People see the glam and the amazing stuff, but they don’t know the other side. This life can rip you apart” – Justin Bieber
    Getty
    12 of 18
  • “Not being able to leave the house [because of panic attacks] was so debilitating… I couldn’t go to the studio unless I was lying down in the car with a pillow over my face. I used to beat myself up about it” – Ellie Goulding
    Getty
    13 of 18
  • “[When filming Deadpool] I never, ever slept… The expectations were eating me alive… Blake helped me through that. I’m lucky to have her around just to keep me sane” – Ryan Reynolds
    Getty
    14 of 18
  • “[My eating disorder and self-harming] was a way of expressing my own shame, of myself, on my own body… There were some times where my emotions were just so built up, I didn’t know what to do” – Demi Lovato
    Getty
    15 of 18
  • [About a documentary in which he cried] “It scared me that people were going to see me at my most vulnerable… but that conversation changed everything… everything was out in the open and I was able to then talk to my friends about it” – Professor Green
    Getty
    16 of 18
  • “I had to reprogram myself to see the good in me. Because someone didn’t love me didn’t mean I was unlovable. That’s what the break-up of my marriage reduced me to. It took away my self-esteem. It beat me down to the lowest of lows” – Halle Berry
    Getty
    17 of 18
  • “Antidepressants help! If you can change your brain chemistry enough to think: ‘I want to get up in the morning; I don’t want to sleep until four in the afternoon. I want to get up and go do my s**t and go to work’. Reset the auto-meter" - Jon Hamm
    Getty
    18 of 18

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