Exam time worries and how to take care

It’s that time of year when those of us who have teenage family members might be seeing the effects of the stresses of approaching exams.

Mood swings, changes in eating and sleep patterns and withdrawal from family life are behaviours many of us may recognise in young people who are anxious about exams, and it can be a real worry.

The team at the Borders Resilience for Wellbeing Service works in all nine secondary schools across the Borders, and at this time of year they run exam stress workshops to help young people cope better. They have put together some top tips to share with young people.

Three tips for the night before an exam

Positive imagery

Spend some time visualising a good exam experience. Just imagining that everything could go all right can boost confidence.

Focus on yourself

Don’t compare yourself to others. It can make you feel stressed. Instead, think about you and what you can control.

A good night’s sleep

You have done all you can now. It’s time to give your brain time to rest and to make the most of a good night’s sleep. It’s much more important than lastminute cramming.

And one top tip for parents... just listen!

Angela Freeman, Service Co-ordinator, says

“There are so many expectations of high achievement at exam time. For many young people the feeling is ‘My future starts now. It all rests on this.’ Take a moment to imagine how that feels. It’s not surprising it can be overwhelming for them. If your young person is anxious, don’t dismiss them with ‘ocht, it will be fine’ and don’t try and fix it for them. We really just need to be there and listen to young people. That means not listening while we’re thinking about what we’re going to say next, but listening in order to really hear young people.”

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For more resources from the team in the Borders visit, quarriers.org.uk/ borders