7 Tips to manage exam stress

If you’re worried or overwhelmed about your exams, you’re not alone. Many students report feeling increased levels of stress or anxiety around this time.

You may feel the pressure to get high marks, fear failure, or struggle with the workload. Whilst a certain amount of stress can help us perform better, too much can impact our sleep, focus, and mood.

This article discusses exam stress and offers some suggestions on how to manage it.

What causes exam stress

This can vary from person to person, but there are some common themes:

• The pressure to succeed - This pressure may come from yourself, peers, family, or teachers;

• Fear of failure - This can be a result of feeling pressure to succeed, being a perfectionist, or struggling with imposter syndrome;

• Competing commitments - You might be juggling other commitments such as work, competitive sports, uni/college societies, or coursework;

• Lack of preparation - Procrastination, poor time management, or competing commitments can lead to a lack of preparation for the exams;

• Not prioritising self-care - It’s easy to let go of self-care when we’re stressed or have a high workload.

How exam stress manifests

Exam stress can cause a variety of symptoms. You may be experiencing one or more of the following:

• Difficult emotions - Low mood, anxiety, depression, feeling overwhelmed, angry, or irritated;

• Unhelpful behaviours - Procrastinating, unhelpful coping strategies (e.g. addictions, self-harm, avoidance), neglecting activities you find relaxing or restorative;

• Negative thoughts - For example, ‘I’m going to fail so what’s the point in studying.’ or ‘If I am not studying every waking hour I’ll fail.’

• Other symptoms- difficulty concentrating, sleeping too much or too little, physical discomfort (e.g. headache, stomach ache). This list isn’t exhaustive so you may be experiencing other things that haven’t been mentioned here.

How to manage exam stress

If you’re struggling with exam stress there are some strategies you might want to try:

1. Start studying early

Preparing for exams will likely help you feel less stressed as they approach. Being prepared can involve creating a study schedule and sticking to it as much as possible. When creating a plan make sure it feels manageable. You can always review and amend your schedule if needed. 

2. Be organised

Being organised may help you to feel more in control of your studies. Some ways of keeping organised could include:

• Use a planner to work out your deadlines, a study plan and self-care activities;

• Break large tasks into smaller ones. If a task looks big it can sometimes feel overwhelming;

• Use to-do lists and prioritise tasks;

• Set alarms or notifications to remind you to do tasks and take breaks;

• Create a have-done list. It’s easy to start focusing on what you’ve not done and forget the tasks you’ve managed to complete.

3. Self-care

Practising good self-care can often sound like a cliche. However, it’s an important aspect of stress management. Taking care of yourself often aids memory, energy levels and focus. 

Self-care can be anything that nourishes your body and mind. It can be activities such as:

• Drinking enough water;

• Eating well;

• Having a good sleep routine;

• Meeting with friends;

• Going for a walk, run or to the gym;

• Meditating.

It’s easy for self-care to go by the wayside when the workload gets high or you’re feeling stressed. However, it’s hard to be productive if you’re burned out.

Add the activities you find helpful to your study planner to try and get a helpful balance of work and play.

4. Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination is when important tasks are put off or delayed to avoid difficult thoughts and feelings. Many reasons can lead a person to procrastinate. Some examples include boredom, fear of failure, stress, and not knowing where to start.

Procrastination is a common issue that can range from mild frustration to a major problem. If procrastination becomes chronic or severe it can lead to missed or rushed deadlines and a lack of exam prep. This then increases difficult emotions and procrastination behaviours, creating a vicious cycle.

If you are struggling with procrastination I have a blog dedicated to this topic. It discusses the possible reasons for procrastinating and tips for managing it. Tips include reducing distractions, taking regular breaks and rewarding yourself for work completed.

5. Finding your ideal study space

The ideal study space varies from person to person. It’s about finding the type of environment where you can:

• Concentrate;

• Study effectively and;

• Separate work from leisure time.

When it comes to finding your ideal study space:

• You want to be comfortable:

  • Discomfort is both unpleasant and distracting. The ideal study space will have adequate lighting and a supportive chair.

  • Being comfortable also involves taking regular breaks to give your eyes a rest and to move from a static position;

• Avoid working in bed:

  • Studying in bed could make it difficult to fall asleep. A bed is meant to be a restful space but can become associated with the active state of studying and any related stress;

  • Working in bed can make for unproductive studying:

    • It may be more tempted to procrastinate through distractions such as napping or watching TV;

    • Your bed may feel initially comfortable, but it’s not an ideal position to be working from. As mentioned earlier, physical discomfort can be distracting;

    • Beds are often associated with relaxation. Studying from it may lead to lower levels of alertness, focus and productivity.

• Background noise levels may impact your studies:

  • Some people find noise distracting. If you struggle to find a quiet study space, you might find earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones helpful to reduce the level of background sounds;

  • Others find it hard to study in total silence. You might prefer the background chatter of a cafe or listening to music.

6. Keep a clear perspective

If you struggle with perfectionism, low self-esteem or imposter syndrome you will likely perceive your abilities to be lesser than they actually are.

Exam stress may also get in the way of being able to maintain a clear perspective.

If you find yourself stressing about your study/exam performance and are experiencing negative thoughts, here are some suggestions:

• Recognise your abilities:

  • Notice how far you’ve come to get to where you are now;

  • Write down times you’ve performed well in exams;

  • Write down any positive comments or feedback you’ve received;

  • You might want to keep a journal to record the above in. You can then refer back to it whenever you need a reminder of your capabilities.

• Be kind to yourself - If you get a grade lower than you’d hoped for try not to be too hard on yourself. It doesn’t reflect your overall abilities. It may be that:

  • The topic didn’t resonate with you;

  • There were questions you didn’t expect to come up or;

  • You just made an error. 

  • We can all get caught out by a question at some point or make a mistake;

• Exams are just one part of your life - Being a student can feel like being in a bubble. There’s so much focus on achieving that it can be easy to overlook other aspects of your life. Aspects such as hobbies, socialising, and physical & mental health. Remember to take breaks and schedule time to include some of these other things;

• Set realistic goals - Negative self-talk and stress can lead to setting unrealistic goals. Breaking down tasks into sub-goals may help to make them feel less overwhelming and more achievable. We can sometimes underestimate how long something will take, so you might find it helpful to add a 20% extra time buffer.

7. Seek Support

It’s not always easy to reach out for help. However, receiving practical or emotional support might help to reduce some of your stress and help you feel less alone. Depending on the source of your stress you might want to seek support from:

• Friends or family;

• Organisations offering emotional support - such as The Mix, Nightline, or Samaritans;

• Support from your university - Many universities offer a range of emotional and practical support. If you need help it might be worth seeing what they can offer. You may have access to things such as study skills sessions, academic advisors, or student support;

• Mental health professionals or the GP - If you feel overwhelmed you might benefit from seeing your GP, or a mental health professional such as a counsellor.

Exam Stress Tips in Summary

1. Start studying early so you don't end up trying to cram at the last minute or pull all-nighters;

2. Be organised. Create goals, break large tasks into smaller ones, and use to-do lists;

3. Practice self-care. Self-care can often take a back seat if we feel overwhelmed with work. Yet it’s hard to be productive if you end up burned out.

4. Overcome procrastination. Take regular breaks, study with peers, reduce distractions (e.g. app blockers like Forest), or reward yourself for completing certain tasks.

5. Find your ideal study space. Is there good lighting? Can you sit comfortably? Is this place free from distracting noises?

6. Maintain a clear perspective. Stress, perfectionism, and getting a grade lower than expected may lead to negative thoughts and a skewed perspective. Recognise how far you've come to get to where you are now and recall times you've been successful;

7. Seek practical or emotional support. Finding the right kind of help may reduce your stress levels and leave you feeling less alone.

Student Counselling

If you’re struggling with exam stress or other difficulties with your mental health you might find counselling helpful. I have ten years of experience working with students and student issues.

Sessions are face-to-face in central Durham or online via Teams on Tuesdays, Wednesday afternoons and Thursdays. If you have any questions or would like to book an appointment don’t hesitate to contact me.