TIPS & tricks by Teesside University Student & Library Services

Stress and its Symptoms

Everyone is affected by stress differently and everyone will have their own warning signs of stress.

It is useful to be aware of your own warning signs and able to identify when you are experiencing them so you can implement stress management strategies early.

Some common warning signs experienced around exam season are:

Behavioural

• Avoidance of work
• Procrastination
• Overworking
• Changes in appetite
• Changes in sleep

Physical

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Increased heart rate
• Shortness of breath

Manage your Revision effectively

Try making a weekly revision planner to manage your time by adding when you’ll revise certain topics. This way, you can keep track of what has been done, giving a sense of direction when revising.

Try to stay away from distractions such as your phone when you are revising by downloading a productivity app (e.g., the Forest app available at https://www.forestapp.cc/).

Make sure to include breaks for food and relaxation! Regular breaks from revision reduce the risk of burnout.

Forcing yourself to revise while your mind is not focused is unproductive. If your mind is distracted repeatedly, try reducing the time you are revising to something that feels manageable, or take a break and come back to it later.

Prioritise Sleep

Try not to stay up too late revising. It might be tempting especially when you’ve got an exam the next day, but it’s counterproductive.

Instead, try to unwind by avoiding screens which emit blue light at least an hour before bedtime as this can interfere with sleep.

Move your Body

Physical activity is scientifically proven to relieve stress and can help to reduce the risk of becoming over-stressed in the run up to exams.

You could try going for a quick walk, yoga, running up and down the stairs or dancing in your room to your favourite music.

Give Mindfulness a go

Mindfulness is described as the act of purposely bringing one's attention to the present-moment experience without evaluation or judgement.

Practicing mindfulness daily has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety as it can help a person become more of their stress warning signs are and help them to deal with these issues more productively.

Being mindful does not have to take up a lot of time, spending just 5 minutes a day can be more than enough.

Follow this link to find some mindfulness exercises you can try https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/drugs-and-treatments/mindfulness/mindfulness-exercises-tips/

Use Positive Self-Talk

Anxiety can produce a lot of negative chatter. If you begin to have negative thoughts, say STOP to yourself and remind yourself of past successes or USE “positive coping statements”.

Here are some examples of positive coping statements and self-talk below but try to see if you can come up with your own:

Positive self-talk to think about just before the exam:

• ‘I’ve done this before so I know I can do it again’
• ‘I’ve done my best to study for this test and am well prepared’
• ‘This will pass, and I can help myself by concentrating on my breathing and imagining a relaxing place’.

Positive self-talk to think about during the exam:

• ‘I can be anxious and still focus on the task at hand. As I focus on the task, my anxiety will become less’
• ‘I can control my breathing and stay calm during my exam.’

Use a Calming Visualization

Picture yourself somewhere/something that brings up a positive feeling i.e., a holiday, a special person, an event.

Try to visualise using all your senses; how did you feel? What could you smell? What could you see, touch and what sounds could you hear?

This can help to reduce your anxiety and help you to re-focus on the exam.