Exam stress can start when you feel you can’t cope with revision, or if you feel pressure from your school or family. You might be worried you’re going to fail or that you won’t get the grades you need for the course or job you want.
It can seem scary to talk about stress or anxiety. You might feel like nobody else is feeling this way. But bottling up stress and trying to deal with it on your own can often make the stress worse.
So it can really help to talk.
When we feel anxious, we often give ourselves negative messages like: I can’t do this, I’m useless and I’m going to fail.
It can be difficult but try to replace these with positive thoughts such as: this is just anxiety, it can’t harm me and, relax, concentrate – it’s going to be okay.
Picturing how you’d like things to go can help you feel more positive. Try to imagine yourself turning up to an exam feeling confident and relaxed. You turn over your paper, write down what you do know and come away knowing you tried your best on the day.
Where can I get help?
In school you can talk to the following people:
In the community:
Phone lines:
Childline (Free) 0800 1111
York Mind 01904 643364
Samaritans 116 123
