How to manage exam stress without burning out

We all remember that one person in class who never seemed stressed about upcoming exams or, even if they were, managed to hide what they felt. But the fact is that it’s normal and natural to be stressed before an exam, whether it's a class test, your SATS, your driving test or defending your PhD thesis, and, honestly, I’d be much more worried if you weren’t.

Why? Stress is the body’s natural response to pressure and, when at manageable levels, can help you get on task, keep you focused and get things accomplished. The problem comes when your reaction to that stress stops being helpful, and instead, you become overwhelmed and incapable of functioning.

Exam stress can affect anyone, and it shows up in different ways for different people, including:

• feeling anxious
• getting irritable, angry or depressed
• not being able to get to sleep or stay asleep
• losing your appetite or over-eating
• causing worry about the future
• bringing on intrusive, unsettling thoughts 
• losing interest in things you usually enjoy
• not being able to concentrate
• feeling unwell: nausea, fatigue and headaches

So, is there anything you can do to avoid that pre-exam burnout?

Tips to avoid pre-exam burnout

Thankfully, there are lots of recognised strategies that can help and here are some that I have found useful.

Create a study schedule

One of the most effective ways to manage your workload is by writing a study schedule as a predictable routine will help improve efficiency and reduce anxiety. Sticking to the schedule means you don’t have to waste cognitive energy making daily decisions because they have already been made. So, instead, those valuable resources can be focused on your revision.

Take regular breaks

One of the biggest mistakes people make when studying is to keep on going and keep on going: just to the end of this chapter, just for another hour, just till I deserve a break. By that time, it’s too late; your focus will have gone, and you won’t be taking anything in. So set a timer and stop when it goes off and, ideally, take a movement break. Take regular breaks to reduce stress, improve your memory, increase productivity and conserve your energy.

Prioritise sleep

You have to sleep: your body needs it, and your brain needs it. Pulling an all-nighter never works in the long run. If you’ve set up and acted on steps one and two, you should be building good study habits and, hopefully, feeling the benefits. But if you don’t get enough good-quality sleep, then those benefits won’t stick.

Sleep is crucial to maximise your cognitive abilities (focus, attention and memory) and decreases levels of stress hormones, restoring balance and reducing anxiety. So give yourself permission to go to bed at a sensible time and maybe take a ‘power nap’ during the day.

Stay physically active

With exams looming, you may feel that something has to be dropped from your schedule, and the easiest way to create more study time might be to drop that gym session, swim or yoga class. Don’t do it! Studying is all about quality rather than quantity. Exercise helps to oxygenate the brain and releases those all-important feel-good endorphins, then an exercise session will help keep you calm and improve your attention and focus. So make sure you write exercise into your schedule.

Eat nutritious meals

Your brain needs feeding as it is the most energy-demanding organ in your body, and that demand for fuel increases further during intense study periods. So, eating well provides the necessary energy to maximise concentration and cognitive function. Make hydration a priority to optimise your focus, attention, mood and motivation. 

Practice mindfulness or relaxation techniques

If you have some experience with mindfulness techniques or breathing exercises, there couldn’t be a better time to use them regularly. These techniques can help calm your nervous system, reduce anxiety and improve concentration. If these are new to you, then it’s well worth finding time to learn about them and make them part of your study routine. 

Stay connected

You may have locked yourself away in the run-up to an exam, but that becomes a room full of stress with no outlet and the pressure in there is only going to build up. So make sure you find time for your friends even if it’s for a mutual moan about the upcoming exam. It might be even better to spend some time with someone who isn’t sharing that experience, as a brief exposure to normality will help release that tension and keep you more grounded.

Stay unconnected

We are surrounded by electronics linking us to pretty much everything and we can easily become addicted to checking our socials or clicking on notifications for fear of missing out. But if your schedule says it’s learning time, then make sure your phone is off and your laptop is in airplane mode so those intrusions don’t break that precious concentration stream. Don’t worry - you can check in between sessions.

Planning the day

You can only sit the exam if you get to the right place at the right time and can get into the right room. If you have any individual educational needs or issues with access make sure you have raised those issues with the powers that be well in advance.

• Do you need to be in a separate room if you struggle with noise or other people?
• Do you need a laptop or a scribe?
• Is there wheelchair access?
• Are you sure you know where the exam is being held?
• Do you know how to get there and have you got transport organised?

Make sure you have all the stuff you need ready so you aren't rushing around on exam day morning trying to find your lucky socks or a biro that works!

You’ve done all the work; you’ve got a strategy for getting your head back on track when you suddenly think you’ve forgotten everything. Now, take a deep breath because you’ve got this.