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What is exam stress? 

Stress is natural part of being human. It's your body responding to changes in the world around you. It changes how your body works and puts your mind into different moods. When you're getting a bit stressed about an exam - it just means that you really care about the result you will get. That can be a good thing if it pushes you into working extra hard as you try to get a good score. But it can be bad if you get too worried and the effects of the stress stop you doing well.

Stress helps keep us alert, motivates us to face challenges, and drives us to solve problems. Stress is a very natural and important part of life. Low levels of stress are manageable and can be thought of as necessary and normal stimulation.  'Distress' however results when our bodies over-react to events producing a  "fight or flight" reaction. Blood vessels and the digestive system contract, heartbeat increases, the liver releases more glucose into the muscles, the mouth feels dry and muscles tense. Prolonged distress is very damaging to both our physical health and mental well-being.

How to spot if you're stressed 

When exams get too much, the stress can show in your body.  You could be showing signs of stress if you're:

• feeling tired
• ache all over
• cry and feel sad
• have panic attacks
• have broken sleep
• suffer from stomach upsets
• have itchy skin rashes
• more likely to get colds and 'flu

General Exam Stress-Busting Tips 

These are some top tips for dealing with stress:

1. Get plenty of sleep
Try to keep your sleep routine as regular as possible

2. Take a break
This is really important, you should give yourself plenty of short breaks as you revise, this keeps you fresher for longer, so you will learn more. Even if the break is only five  minutes of daydreaming, do it. Studying with no breaks for long periods of time is not as  productive as studying with small breaks every  hour or two.

3. Time for yourself
Try to leave enough time in your revision for some fun. You will need to put your books down and do something you enjoy for a while if you want to stay in a good mood.

4. Be realistic  

• The most effective tools in waging your battle against short-term or exam stress are knowing and accepting your limits, and trying to keep everything in the proper perspective - your life will not be worthless if you don't get every question right on the exam.
• Don't try to do too much work each day. If you overdo it you won't take in the facts you're revising.

5. Eat and drink properly

• Make sure your diet includes plenty of fruit and veg. Drink juice or water, avoid too much tea or coffee. Some people just forget to eat when they are stressed. Make a point of observing meal times, even when you don't actually eat very much.
• 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.

6. Get some exercise
It's a fantastic stress buster. Go running, skateboarding, play a sport, or just take a walk around the block. You will feel more relaxed. If you're not sleeping very well exercise can make a real difference.

7. Be positive  

• Don't beat yourself up about things, instead be nice to yourself. Make a quick list of five things you've done that you are proud of. This will put you in a good mood and you will learn more.
• SMILE - it will trigger the release of feel-good chemicals (endorphins) in the body, reducing your stress levels.

8. Chill out
 If you are starting to lose it, and feel that the studying is getting on top of you - take a bit of time to:

• Breathe deeply.
• Tell yourself how well you are doing.
• Remind yourself that everything is going to turn out alright.
• Stand up straight and smile, you will feel a bit better straight away.

9. Don't worry

• If you dwell on a thought that is making you anxious, you will get associated physical symptoms. Replace it with thoughts of a time when you were happy and anxiety-free.
• Keep a pen and paper on your bedside table. If worry is keeping you awake, write it down with any quick solutions then lie down again.
• Talk to people about your worries. Friend will often reassure you that you have nothing to worry about and stressing about nothing!

10. 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.

11. 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.

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.
• On the exam day, plan to get to the exam with at least five minutes to spare, find a comfortable seat, and take a minute to relax. Don't try to cram during the last minutes before the exam; put away those notes, because whether or not you studied enough for the exam, those extra two minutes of studying are not going to make any difference. Your time is much better spent taking a few deep breaths and getting into the proper mindset.
• 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.