Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

It’s normal to feel worried about exams.  You may also feel under pressure – from family, from school, or from yourself, to do well.  Find out what you can do to help yourself through this.

Tips for managing exam stress:

• Prepare.
• Find what works for you. What works for your friend, or what worked for your parent, may not be the way that best helps you to remember
• Break it down. Small steps add up to big steps and can help it seem less overwhelming.
• Look after yourself. Look after your physical and your mental health. This includes taking regular breaks and doing something you enjoy, eating well, drinking lots of water, and getting enough sleep.
• Remember you’re not alone. Very few people don’t get nervous or worried before an exam, but you can’t always tell how someone is feeling. You may find it helpful to revise with others, share tips, share how you are feeling, keep each other motivated, and help each other to keep things in perspective.
• Keep things in perspective. You are so much more than your exam results and we can all do no more than our best.
• Ask for help. If you are feeling overwhelmed or struggling reach out and ask for help.

There’s lots of information available to help you to prepare and to get through exam day.  We’ve listed a few of these below.

• Young Minds guide to coping with life & exam stress
• Mind information about exam stress
• NHS UK tips
• Childline
• Revision support at BBC Bitesize
• DiAS information sheet on support for children and young people with SEND

Practising your 10 a day can also help.

If you suffer from hayfever, asthma, eczema, allergies, or any other health condition,  it’s important to find a treatment that best manages your symptoms while reducing any side-effects.  You can speak to a pharmacist or you GP if you are struggling with this.