Put one hand on your chest and the other on your abdomen, below your ribcage. As you inhale, you should feel your abdomen expand along with your chest. Inhale slowly through your nose. Try to inhale for a count of 4. Hold the breath for 1-2 seconds. Release the breath slowly through your mouth. Repeat this process 6-10 times per minute for ten minutes. [3] X Research source
Find a quiet place free of distractions, if you can. Loosen any tight clothing and take a few deep breaths. Begin with the muscles in your face, starting with your forehead. Raise your eyebrows as high as they will go, and hold this tension for 5 seconds. Release the tension. Furrow your eyebrows together as hard as you can for 5 seconds, then release. Enjoy the sensation of relaxation for 15 seconds. Move to your lips. Purse them as tightly as you can for 5 seconds, then release the tension. Smile as widely as you can for 5 seconds, then release the tension. Again, enjoy the relaxing sensation for 15 seconds. You want to learn what “relaxed” and “tense” truly feel like. Continue holding tension in each muscle group for 5 seconds, releasing, and relaxing for 15 seconds for the other muscle groups: neck, shoulders, arms, chest, stomach, buttocks, thighs, lower legs, and feet. If you don’t have time for a full-body PMR, focus on your facial muscles, since they can hold an incredible amount of tension.
Going over the exam immediately afterwards is also a bad idea because your brain does not perform well under stressful conditions. You will likely not be thinking as clearly or rationally about your performance right after a stressful exam as you will be once you’ve had a while to cool down. You’ll probably feel like you performed much worse than you actually did. [7] X Research source Don’t go through your notes looking for the answers to the exam. You can’t change what you’ve written now. If you find yourself nit-picking over a small part of the exam, stop and put things into perspective. It is only in the rarest cases when one small mistake means the difference between a pass and a fail.
Regular aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall feelings of stress and tension, improve your sleep, and elevate your mood. Even if you aren’t a huge fan of exercise, getting some on a regular basis will help you feel better. [10] X Research source
Studies have shown that spending time with friends and loved ones is an excellent way to bust stress and promote a sense of calm and well-being. [12] X Research source One study even showed that spending time with a person you consider a “best friend” lowers the levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in your body. Make a plan to go out with your mates or see your family after exams.
Go see a funny film. Watch your favorite comedy show. Look up pictures of funny cats on the internet. Whatever makes you laugh will help you sort out your post-exam stress.
Try problem-solving instead. Worrying about whether you did badly on your exams can’t change how you performed in the past. It could, however, keep you from performing well in the future. If you’re worried about how you did, try to identify a few concrete things that you can do for the next exam you take. This keeps you focused on positive action for the future. Figure out what you’re really worried about. Often, stress over exams is actually stress over something else, such as failing a course or worry that you will look foolish. Identifying your real fear will help you face it – and realize that you can handle it. Schedule a “worry break. ” Take 20-30 minutes to worry about your exam. It’s often helpful to allow yourself scheduled time to acknowledge negative thoughts, rather than trying to simply ignore them. Set a timer and indulge in your worries. Once the time is up, move to something positive and productive. [15] X Research source
If you aren’t around on results day, make sure you have arranged to have the results sent to your house or the address you will be staying at. Don’t obsessively check for results if they’re available online. Refreshing your browser every 5 minutes won’t make results come out faster, but it may up your stress and worry levels.
Try hanging out with people who are handling their stress well. Don’t talk about exams or worries when you are together. Focus on positive thinking and fun with each other instead.
Try making a list of things that you know you do well, and things that you can be positive about. For example, if you have studied and revised carefully, acknowledge that as a strength.
For example, if you have just finished your GCSEs and want to go on to sixth form, Plan A would be to go on to sixth form. Plan B might be to still go on to sixth form but to take different courses with lower entry requirements. Plan C might be to try to get a part-time job whilst arranging re-sits. If the exam is for a single course, rather than something like GCSEs, Plan A might be to continue on with your other required college courses. Plan B might be to see if you can re-take the exam or make up your grade with extra credit. Plan C might be to re-take the course after getting some tutoring or taking a remedial course. You should also talk this plan over with your parents and friends to get an objective view of things - sometimes, when you’re nervous or upset, you can start to make silly and illogical choices! Considering the worst-case scenario can actually help you bust stress if you do it rationally. Think about what the worst thing is that can happen. Can you handle it, really? The answer will almost universally be “yes. ”[19] X Research source
Make sure to take a complete break from schoolwork before going back to it, though. Give your brain time to refresh itself, or you could face burnout.
Make sure that you do actually face your results, even if you expect them to be unpleasant. It’s natural for people to want to avoid unpleasant experiences, but you need to know how you performed on your exams. Don’t let yourself procrastinate out of fear. [22] X Research source If you really can’t face opening your results on your own, ask someone else to do it for you and share the results with you. Sometimes, it can be helpful to share the experience with a friend.
