Exams and stress: learn how to manage them

Exams time is undoubtedly one of the most complicated times for everyone, and one of the most difficult to cope with at this stage of higher education. That is why sometimes a greater number of students deal with a stress that makes it impossible to cope with their situation in a timely manner.

In this sense, if you are one of those who find it difficult to manage stress during exam season, here are the most effective ways that we believe can work to manage this situation.

Identify the symptoms that trigger stress

First things first, and obviously we can’t deal with a situation if we don’t know what we’re dealing with. Following that reasoning, the first step in learning how to manage your stress during exam season is to identify the triggers that set off the negative symptoms.

These could range from procrastinating too much, lack of time, feeling out of control, you could even address some more personal issues such as, for example, food and tiredness.

Don’t worry, not everything is so obvious, which is why you should spend considerable time correctly identifying what makes you feel so bad during exams.

Communicate and ask for help when you need it

Here we have to be very clear, if you feel bad you must communicate it. Don’t wait for someone else to identify that you are having a bad time, call your friends, family and communicate. Don’t exclude from your personal circle of trust those who in one way or another are integrated into your life.

Give them their place and therefore respect them individually. Only then can you start to manage stress and general tiredness in a «healthier» way so to speak.

Disconnect from your study zone

In line with the above, you need to be aware of the importance of differentiating the scenarios around you.

Working from home is not the same as working from bed. So, no matter where you are, you should make sure that the study area you will use to prepare for your exams has enough peace and order for you to concentrate without too much hassle and effort.

That way, you can count on the fact that you will be productive and ready for that test you are so worried about taking.

Combine your routine with some sport

Another way to better manage daily stress is to release endorphins. You can easily do this through sport.

Whether it’s boxing, swimming, running or cycling, whenever you put in a little physical effort the blood starts flowing and you’ll end up with a favourable result in managing stress.

In that sense, find the sport that appeals to you the most, the one you are best at or even one that you already consider yourself an expert at and start training a little bit day after day. That way you can be sure that your stress will decrease. But it will, of course, as long as you don’t neglect other things to do while doing sport.

You know, work accumulates and it becomes difficult to make progress if all the things still need to be done.

Don’t abuse stimulants

Finally, we must strongly recommend that you do not use, much less abuse, stimulants while you are preparing for the exams.

When talking about stress, there are issues that are out of our hands, so it is much more advisable not to tempt fate.

Coffee, multivitamins, among many other things that increase your intellectual capacity for a specific period of time. Use them with caution, as they could lead to health problems after some time.

Anyway, these are all the tips we have for you regarding stress management in exam time. Follow them and you will surely be able to achieve great results in your day-to-day life with as little risk as possible.