Our Guide to Coping with Stress

Today’s blog was written by Rachel Howard, Assistant Psychologist at Headspace Guildford. 

Two words that I always see paired together are ‘exams’ and ‘stress’! 

It is only natural to feel stressed when exams are approaching, but being mindful and purposeful in how you approach this stress can make a world of difference. For this blog, I’d like to discuss how to make this exam period a little bit easier.

Firstly, I’d like to share with you some of the psychology behind stress. Interestingly, a little bit of anxiety during exam time can actually be a good thing! This is known as the ‘The Yerkes-Dodson law’. This law

 states that performance (i.e., exam performance) is best when anxiety

 level (i.e., stress) is in the middle range. This is because our brains become more alert and therefore are able to perform better. The next time you get a bit nervous or stressed before an exam, think of it as your brain starting to wake up, to help you out! 

What we do need to be mindful of is when stress becomes too much. So how can we check in on ourselves? Here are some questions you can ask yourself: 

–       Am I feeling irritable or get easily upset?

–       Am I feeling overwhelmed or unable to focus?

–       Am I sleeping too much or too little?

If so, here are some key tips you can use to deal with exam stress:

–       Manage your time:

o   Make realistic and detailed to-do lists: 

• • • To do: ‘read pages 1-5 of Macbeth’, ‘work on fractions’.
    • What not to do: ‘read Macbeth’, ‘do maths’.

o   Give yourself weekly or daily goals.

o   Don’t overwork, timetable in your downtime.

–       Breaks:

o   Timetable in your breaks. 

        o   Apps that can be useful with this:

• • • ‘Flora’ (nature inspired goal/habit tracker)
    • ‘Study Bunny: Focus Timer’ (motivational and interactive study timer)
    • ‘Focus Keeper- Time Management’ (study and break timer) 

o   Do some stretches. 

o   Get outside – go in the garden or do a loop around the street.

o   Get a glass of water or a healthy snack.

–       Self-care

o   Have good sleep hygiene (i.e., limit electronic devices, keep your room clean, have a warm shower/bath before bed, try not to work in bed).

o   Drink plenty of water and have a balanced diet.

o   Positive self-talk –> What are you proud of? What have you accomplished?

o   Make time for your hobbies.

o   Be around people that make you happy.

The team at Headspace Guildford wishes everyone luck with their upcoming exams and most importantly….

Take a deep breath and be proud of how far you have come!