Examinations

For some people, the biggest source of exam anxiety is not knowing what questions will come up. But in addition to this, many pupils are unsettled by the examination process itself. Set aside time to ensure that you are clear on simple things like when your exams actually are and what the focus of each paper is; simple facts about time allowances, available marks and assessment objectives will go a long way to helping you feel prepared.   

Experiencing anxiety during exams is perfectly normal and can even enhance performance. However, if you feel too much anxiety your performance can begin to suffer. Below are some practices to help you reduce your anxiety during the exam period.

Breathing is perhaps the most powerful tool we have to regulate our anxiety level, and to restore calm and composure. Taking control of your breathing gives you a crucial element of control over your body’s physiological response to stress. Try doing 5 - 10 minutes of breathing exercises twice a day, and whenever you are conscious of rising anxiety levels.

Apps like BreathingZone can help you to slow your breathing rate gradually over a specified time interval.

As anxiety levels rise, we have a tendency to become pre-occupied with our own thoughts, and are much less aware of what is going on outside in the physical world. By consciously directing our attention to the world outside us, we can bring about a significant reduction in anxiety levels. For example, absorb yourself for 10 minutes in a jigsaw puzzle or some mindful colouring.

Sports psychology teaches us to frame anxiety as anticipatory excitement. When we recognise and accept that this is our body’s way of helping us to mobilize our resources to perform in a situation that really matters to us, it actually facilitates performance.

In an exam context, visualisation might mean imagining yourself walking into the examination hall looking, feeling and thinking in a particular way. Or settling at your desk in the exam schools, feeling relaxed. The fact you are allowing yourself to engage with these images will help you to feel more confident.

‘Trigger words’ can motivate you as you perform. To be effective, trigger words must not only be short and vivid but must also emphasise positive targets (what to aim for) rather than negative ones (what to avoid).  In an exam setting, trigger words like ‘slow and steady’, and ‘focus’ may help.

Anxiety is often unhelpful because it encourages focus on what might go wrong (possible negative consequences) rather than on what you need to do (the immediate challenge of the situation). For this reason, a good way to counter anxiety is to ask yourself: ‘What exactly do I need to do right now?’ Form a clear intention from within and focus on seeing it through.

Pre-event rituals like listening to certain music, eating certain foods the night before or having a particular breakfast can help give you a sense of control.

It is very common for pupils to neglect their physical needs, for example to fuel late night study with sugar and caffeine, and to ignore a growing sleep-deficit. This may be survivable short-term, but it comes at a high cost—not only in terms of general health but specifically in terms of anxiety level and brain function.

Having a sensible, well thought-through routine which involves sleeping enough, eating regular healthy meals and exercising will help you get the most out of your studying and help you to feel safe and secure.

Getting too little sleep doesn’t just leave you tired, it also increases anxiety. One major study concluded that reducing average sleep from 7-8 hours to 6 hours/night over a 7-day period caused stress hormones adrenalin, noradrenalin and cortisol to rise 50-80%. If you spend a significant amount of time in front of screens/digital devices, it would be a good idea to switch on ‘night shift mode’ install blue-light limiting software, as exposure to blue light can make it difficult to fall asleep.

Caffeine is disruptive if your base level of anxiety is elevated. Caffeine consumption raises anxiety by blocking the action of the chemical adenosine which slows down neural activity and enables us to relax. If you are feeling very anxious, reducing your caffeine consumptions could help.