What's On

For most students, the exam period is a stressful and highly anxious time. During times of stress and high anxiety your sleep and diet may be affected. Your emotions may feel out of control and it’s hard to pay attention or concentrate effectively. As stress accumulates over the exam period, your ability to pay attention and concentrate also reduces and becomes counterproductive only adding to your stress.

Below are some practical and easy to remember tips to help you manage your stress during this time.

Firstly, it is important to recognise when you are starting to stress out, one sign to look out for may be your ability to concentrate or remain focused is impacted.

Take a (micro) break.

Walk away from the task at hand for a short amount of time to get a drink or a snack. Taking frequent short breaks can re-energise your mind and distract you from the stressful task giving your mind a circuit breaker from the activity causing stress.

Regular exercise.

Moving your body is not only good for your physical health but can help manage stress by producing ‘happy’ hormones called endorphins into your body. Additionally, a change of scenery can also cause a circuit breaker from the activity causing stress. As little as thirty minutes each day can reap significant benefits.

Do not compromise or sacrifice on sleep in order to study for longer. Your brain needs rest in order to work at its optimum capacity. Being tired makes it less likely to retain or remember any information.

Stay hydrated. Drink water to avoid tension headaches.

Eat well. Eat regularly. And don’t skip meals.

Create a study plan. Preparation is key and the ability to control your schedule during this time will help manage your anxiety. Don’t forget to schedule in blocks of time for other activities like watching an episode of your favourite TV show, going for a walk, catching up with a friend. It may seem counter intuitive, however a little time away from the work helps.

Study with others. Offer and accept support from your peers, you may not be as strong in certain areas and being a group makes it easier to ask for help (and provide help to someone else who may be struggling).

Most importantly – understand this is a period in time, don’t lose sight of the bigger picture. The exam period can be tense but it won’t last forever.

Mental Health Resources will be made available to young people at the following libraries during the month of June:
– Parkdale
– Cheltenham
– Westall
– Chelsea

If you would like to speak with one of our Youth Workers for some advice, support or information you can contact us on 1300 369 436 or send our team an email.