How to prioritise your mental health during exam period

With exam season getting closer and closer, most students, whether at A-Level or GCSE, have begun to feel the pressure and stress of upcoming mocks and assessments. Although revision is vital at this stage, it is also important to prioritise your mental health, in order to stay happy and healthy, even during this stressful period.

Take regular breaks

It’s vital to take regular breaks whilst studying, especially in order to allow your brain to take a rest. Remember our brains can only focus for 20-30 minutes at a time, so build up this tolerance by using methods such as the Pomodoro technique, wherein you study for for 25-30 minutes, then take a 5 minute break; after you have done this 4 times, take a longer break of 15-30 minutes. Although taking breaks can feel unproductive, it is important to remember that constant studying doesn’t increase the brain’s ability to retain information, so you’re improving your own efficiency by resting!

Schedule things to do other than revise

By organising your time, your can ensure that you reduce exam stress and pressure by relaxing through doing things you enjoy. Whether that's going out with your friends or simply staying home and catching up on your favourite shows, it's important to give yourself some time not thinking about exams. By scheduling your days and revision, this will become a lot easier, as you will be able to fit in regular leisure periods, whilst also revising.

Stay motivated

Although this seems basic, what most students struggle with at this point in the academic year is having the energy and motivation to revise. By getting a good night's sleep, not staying up to cram, exercising and eating healthily, you can provide your body with the energy to study. As well as this, revision can become tedious and seem like a chore, so a good way to motivate yourself is to procrastinate productively i.e. clean your room if you don’t want to revise, or study another subject if you’ve become tired of one.

Overall, although exams can be very stressful, it's important to remember that this is a brief period in your life - so stay motivated to get into the sixth form college, or university you aim for!

In order to gain more specialist help ensuring success, contact The Education Suite:

Website: www.theeducationsuite.co.uk

Email: Hello@theeducationsuite.co.uk

Tel: 07818022590