D-Day looming? Feeling stressed just thinking about what’s ahead? Being a bit anxious coming up to exams is normal but there are practical things you can do to still those tummy butterflies.

Sally O’Reilly is a counsellor based in east Cork and knows that this time of year can be incredibly stressful for students.

“The reality is hitting, no doubt bashed in by the orals and practicals,” she says. “So here are a few evidence-based and scientifically sound tips that may help.”

Do

  • Stick to your routine (studying, sleeping, eating) – now is not the time to make big changes, to anything.
  • Use summary cards to whittle down your notes to key points.
  • Eat (normal, healthy food).
  • Sleep – you’ll be tempted to pull all-nighters. Understandable, but ineffective. We need to have slept well to be able to reproduce learned material well.
  • Get out in the air and exercise – you mightn’t feel like it but if you feel too tired it may be study-induced inertia. Get out and you’ll notice your energy levels will come back up. And you’ll think more clearly too.
  • Talk – if/when you are stressed choose someone who will actually listen and be helpful.
  • Take a lot of breaks.
  • Study at a desk, not in bed or on a couch.
  • Wear the same perfume/aftershave/deodorant studying as when taking your exams. Scientists have shown a link between smell and recall. It’s a memory phenomenon called ‘state dependence’ – recreating the environment where you learned helps you recall and the sense of smell can be powerful in triggering memory.
  • Visualise yourself succeeding, getting your results and being happy, getting that college place or that job. Mental rehearsal works.

    • Don't

  • Overdo caffeine or take vitamin supplements that you’re not used to.
  • Don’t engage with relatives or adults who are pressuring you (as opposed to encouraging you) to perform well. They may well have their own regrets and are now foisting them on you – not your problem.
  • Don’t talk to your friends before the exams if there’s a chance it will make you anxious. It’s OK to avoid people now unless they are supportive and calming (this is not just an exam tip).
  • Don’t stop having fun – keep doing what makes you laugh or feel good; TV shows, Netflix, music or socialising. Just don’t do it too late at night and rest your brain from screens for 30 mins before sleep.
  • Stay as present as you can. The Headspace app is good for helping you stay in today.

    • If you feel a panic coming on...

    Sometimes a feeling of panic can seem to overwhelm those under stress but this is a breathing exercise that is worth trying.

  • Squeeze every muscle in your body including your face all the way to your toes.
  • Hold tight for three seconds.
  • Place a hand on your tummy and take a deep breath into it, past your chest, so your hand moves. Keep your shoulders low. Breathe in and out until your breath has slowed.
  • Then do the squeeze again, hold for three seconds and flop.

    • Mental marathon: eating well

    Dietitians at the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute (INDI) say that eating well is particularly important if a mental marathon is coming up.

    “When you’re studying for exams, good nutrition often slides down the priority list but eating the wrong foods can make you feel sluggish and jittery – something you don’t want happening on exam days. A long exam is like a mental marathon where endurance is critical. That’s why you need the right food and drink to energise and sustain you and improve your alertness.”

    Staying hydrated is also important as dehydration can make you feel irritable and tired – and affect your concentration.

    They advise drinking fruit juice, herbal teas and water when studying but limiting caffeine drinks like tea, coffee and colas during exams as they can act as mild diuretics making you need to use the toilet – not ideal in exams.

    Walking away from anxiety, literally

    Drogheda-based GP and author Dr Harry Barry stresses the importance of exercise, particularly for students preparing for exams who may be experiencing anxiety. “A good, brisk walk will make you feel brighter and more alive,” he says. “It literally livens up your brain.”

    Advice for parents

    Parenting at this time is often challenging but here are some tips to keep your cool from Sheila O’Malley of Practical Parenting:

  • It is counterproductive to criticise your children doing exams.
  • Getting up earlier ensures that you are relaxed.
  • Your calmness creates a calm home.
  • Treat them well and have the food they like (healthy).
  • Ask them, ‘Is there anything I can do for you?’
  • Notice effort and you will get more in return.
  • Encourage, support, praise and affirm.
  • Remember that it is their exam and their responsibility.
  • Encourage adequate sleep and fresh air.
  • Preparation (following a study plan) and active relaxation are key to coping with exam stress.
  • Most teens take exams seriously and get quite anxious so do not add to the pressure they feel already.
  • The most important ‘A’ is an ‘A’ in emotional health. CL

    • A student’s view: Sophie

    Eighteen-year-old student Sophie lives on a farm in the southeast. She is sitting her Leaving Certificate in June and wants to be a teacher.

    How is she coping coming up to the exams, though?

    “I’m taking breaks by getting outside often – running helps me and yoga and I’m making sure I get enough sleep. I like getting time away from the study situation too, obviously in balance, but it’s good just to remove yourself for a while and do something you enjoy.”

    Going in to the exams she says she will have her hair up and will have water and chewing gum with her.

    “I like my hair out of my face and chewing gum because I am quite a fidgety person when I’m nervous. It helped me during the Junior Cert.”

    If Sophie feels panicky in exams she tries to breathe slowly for a while.

    “Either that or I go to the bathroom and come back and start again. I wouldn’t be meditating but I’d just remove and re-evaluate.”

    Does Sophie find that talking about the exams makes the stress worse?

    “Before the orals it was stress central, but it’s not so bad now.”

    There is a lot of support in school for those finding the pressure overwhelming if it’s needed, she says, but everyone copes in a different way, she says.

    “You have to find what works for you and what doesn’t.”

    A mammy’s view: Sophie’s mother

    Sophie’s mother believes that for parents it’s about keeping calm and the balance right. She found that her daughter relaxed a lot after the oral exams were over.

    “In the case of Irish (the oral exam) counts for 40% of the exam and in music the practical is 50% so it’s a big part of your exam over so that’s a relief. At this stage Sophie would nearly rather the exams had started. For students, it’s a case of doing the best you can and hoping that on the day what you’ve concentrated on comes up. It’s a bit like a lottery in ways.”

    Sophie’s parents organised a loft space for her to study in so that she would have peace to work.

    “Farms are busy places but you try to keep things as quiet as possible.”

    When Sophie is home it’s about having food on the go and a supply of pens and A4 pads – whatever she needs for revision.

    Prior to the orals wasn’t easy, she admits, with things being a bit fraught sometimes and Sophie not feeling physically well also.

    “She developed sinus problems and sore throats but I’m sure a lot of that was brought on by stress,” says her mother. “The points system is crazy. It puts so much pressure on young people.”

    Pharmacist’s advice

    A bout of ill-health, however minor, is the last thing anyone wants affecting their last-minute revision or exam performance so what can students – and their parents – do in order for exam candidates to stay well?

    Pharmacists often see students coming in seeking medication for stress-related minor ailments like stomach upsets, diarrhoea, cold sores and tension headaches around this time – and help with managing other more serious conditions like eczema in times of stress – so the Irish Pharmacy Union has this advice:

  • Promote good health during exam times – eat regular, well-balanced, healthy meals and get sufficient sleep. Consider taking multi-vitamins.
  • For headaches – drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Study in a well-ventilated room and take regular breaks.
  • Stomach upsets – try to eat well, eat small amounts regularly. Avoid junk and spicy foods.
  • Eczema – keep the skin well-moisturised with ointments and lotions. Avoid products with a high alcohol content as these can irritate sensitive skin.
  • Asthma – use inhalers as advised by your doctor or pharmacist. Preventative inhalers should be used regularly. Carry an inhaler with you at all times so that it can be used during an exam, if required.
  • Hay fever – keep doors and windows closed when studying and avoid going outdoors when the pollen count is at its highest. Students who need to take antihistamines should make sure to take tablets that don’t cause drowsiness.
  • Insomnia – avoid products containing caffeine. Take some light exercise or a bath or shower in order to relax before bedtime. Don’t study in bed as the brain will become over-stimulated.