HEALTH When exam stress becomes unhealthy

STRESS TEST?Stress can prevent you from preparing for your exams properly.

When exam stress becomes unhealthy


Advice on how to cope with stress during exam time

Mental Health
Jannah Walshe

With the Leaving Cert starting tomorrow (Wednesday) and continuing until June 21, stress levels are rising. Study and revision time is limited now, and the level to which you have prepared may be impacting on how stressed you are feeling.
A certain amount of stress is normal and necessary. It is what propels us to do what needs to be done. So, if you’re feeling some level of stress at this stage, this is good. Use this heightened energy to focus your mind on any last-minute tasks that need to be done before the exams start. Focused stress can be a powerful tool. However, stress can also have a very negative effect if it gets out of hand.

Sings of unhealthy stress levels

• The amount of work left to do seems overwhelming and impossible to finish
• You find it hard to focus on one task at a time and complete it fully
• Your mind keeps jumping from one thing to another
• You are extremely hard on yourself for what has not got done
• Your mind goes blank when you try to focus on what needs to be done
• You are starting to panic; your heart and mind are racing; you are taking quick short breaths or you are having difficulty breathing; and/or your sleep has been affected
• You are irritable with those around you, particularly those who are trying to be helpful
• You have reached the point where it doesn’t seem worth putting in the effort and you have given up

Advice
If you can relate to any of the the above statements, stress may be preventing you from  preparing fully for the exams. As there is not much time left to study, it is important to be realistic about what you can do at this stage. Be careful not to overdo it with last-minute cramming. It is more helpful at this stage to look after yourself both mentally and physically.
Try to help your energy levels and ability to focus by getting as much sleep as you can the night before an exam. If it is hard to switch the mind off in order to get to sleep, try to have some wind down time before going to bed. Watch a funny movie, read a lighthearted book or listen to some of your favourite music. The morning of the exam, have a good breakfast with some protein, as this will help keep your energy levels up throughout the morning.
To help yourself emotionally and mentally, speak to someone you trust about how you are feeling. If you are feeling overwhelmed, say it. Anyone who has been through these types of  exams can relate and may be more supportive than you think.
If you have already given up and it all seems impossible, try to widen your focus and see these exams in the whole scheme of your life. At this stage, it is natural for the exams to overshadow everything else. Everyone is talking about them. Teachers are focusing class attention on them. Parents are encouraging you to study. Friends are talking about them. It is very difficult to not narrow your focus onto the exams, but remember that this is only one phase of your life.
No matter how these exams go or don’t go, there are always other options. These may be hard to see at the moment when everyone is talking about the points system, but that doesn’t mean that they aren’t there.
After the exams are all over and you have had time to relax and enjoy the summer, you may like to talk to someone about what options are out there for you for the next phase of your life.
As the leaving certificate exam also signifies the ending of school, this may be having an emotional impact upon you, the student. Do not underestimate this, as you will consciously or unconsciously know that when you finish these exams you will be leaving behind a familiar environment and your current group of friends. This may be leaving you with feelings such as denial, reluctance or sadness.
Be aware of these feelings, and speak to someone if you need to, but do not allow them to become overwhelming at this point. Once the exams are over, there will be more time to deal with these feelings properly.
Best of luck to all students taking exams this year.

Suggested reading: ‘Little book of exam calm’, by Anita Naik; ‘Overcome Exam Nerves’, by Glenn Harrold; ‘How to pass Exams: And how to prepare for them with less anxiety’, by Fred Orr. All of these books are available in Mayo County Libraries. Online: www.spunout.ie/health/Education/Exams/Exam-stress, www.schooldays.ie/articles/exam-stress, www.mentalhealthireland.ie/about-us/272-exam-stress-tips, www.helpme2parent.ie/Exams.html, irishpsychology.com/publications/10-tips-for-coping-with-examination-stress/

Jannah Walshe is a counsellor and psychotherapist based in Castlebar and Westport. A pre-accredited member of The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, she can be contacted via  www.jannahwalshe.ie or at 085 1372528.