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Stress affects us all in different ways and at different times. Not all stress is bad, it can heighten our performance as it makes us more aware of our surroundings and gives us a sparkle! Just think about the actress waiting to go on stage. What may be good stress for someone may be a problem for another. Our ability to cope with stress is affected by the number of problems/issues we are trying to deal with at the one time and the support systems we have in place. We all know someone who always seems to be "in control". What makes that person different? Does he/she have a lot of friends and interests? Does he/she have a more "laid back" attitude to life? Whilst we do not want everyone to be the same it can be useful to try to develop your lifestyle in a way which helps you cope with stress better.
When talking about stress there are some things worth remembering:
- Stress is inevitable - we are faced with it at home, school, work, in our social lives
- Stress is a fact of life
- Without stress life would be very boring
- But - too much stress becomes "distress"!
Signs of stress
The most obvious signs are those everyone will have experienced at some time or another. Remember waiting to go into an exam or a job interview? Remember the need to run to the toilet, butterflies in your stomach, feeling sick, racing heart, wobbly legs and clumsiness. All these are signs of stress, and they usually disappear after the event has started.
General exam stress-busting tips
- Believe in yourself. You wouldn't have been given a place on the course if you didn't have the ability to do it. Therefore, if you prepare for the exams properly you should do fine, meaning that there is no need to worry excessively.
- Don't try to be perfect. It's great to succeed and reach for the stars. But keep things in balance. If you think that "anything less than A+ means I've failed" then you are creating mountains of unnecessary stress for yourself. Aim to do your best but recognise that none of us can be perfect all of the time.
- Take steps to overcome problems. If you find you don't understand some of your course material, getting stressed out won't help. Instead, take action to address the problem directly by seeing your course tutor or getting help from your class mates.
- Don't keep things bottled up. Confiding in someone you trust and who will be supportive is a great way of alleviating stress and worry.
- Keep things in perspective. The exams might seem like the most crucial thing right now, but in the grander scheme of your whole life they are only a small part.
Tips for the revision period:
- Leave plenty of time to revise so that you don't get into a situation of having to do last minute cramming. This approach will help to boost your confidence and reduce any pre-exam stress as you know you have prepared well.
- Develop a timetable so that you can track and monitor your progress. Make sure you allow time for fun and relaxation so that you avoid burning out.
- Make your books, notes and essays more user-friendly with summary notes, headings, sub-headings, highlighting and revision cards. Try using key works or spider charts. Get tips on other revision techniques from teachers and friends - do what works for you.
- As soon as you notice your mind is losing concentration, take a short break. You will then come back to your revision refreshed.
- Experiment with several alternative revision techniques so that revision is more fun and your motivation to study is high.
- Everyone revises differently - find out what routine suits you best - alone or with a friend; morning or late at night; short, sharp bursts or longer revision sessions.
- Take notes of important points when revising as an aid for future revision or if you need to clarify something with a teacher. Try explaining the answers to tricky questions to someone else, or look at past exam papers and try answering some of the questions.
- Don't drink too much coffee, tea and fizzy drinks; the caffeine will 'hype' you and make your thinking less clear. Eat healthily and regularly; your brain will benefit from the nutrients.
- Regular moderate exercise will boost your energy, clear your mind and reduce any feelings of stress.
- Try out some yoga, tai chi or relaxation techniques. They will help to keep you feeling calm and balanced, improve your concentration levels and help you to sleep better.
- Ask for help if there are things you don't understand. If you are feeling stressed out, talk to someone.
Tips for the exam itself:
- Avoid panic. It's natural to feel some exam nerves prior to starting the exam, but getting excessively nervous is counterproductive as you will not be able to think as clearly.
- The quickest and most effective way of eliminating feelings of stress and panic is to close your eyes and take several long, slow deep breaths. Breathing in this way calms your whole nervous system. Simultaneously you could give yourself some mental pep-talk by mentally repeating "I am calm and relaxed" or "I know I will do fine".
- If your mind goes blank, don't panic! Panicking will just make it harder to recall information. Instead, focus on slow, deep breathing for about one minute. If you still can't remember the information then move on to another question and return to this question later.
- After the exam don't spend endless time criticising yourself for where you think you went wrong. Often our own self-assessment is far too harsh. Congratulate yourself for the things you did right, learn from the bits where you know you could have done better, and then move on.
Advice
ChildLine
Phone 0800 1111 or visit www.childline.org.uk
BBC Website
Visit www.bbc.co.uk
Aware Defeat Depression
Mood Matters Project
Depression awareness for young people
www.aware-ni.org
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