Exams, studies and stress

1
Exams, studies and stress

• Help in Handling it!!

2
Am I Stressed?

• Are you experiencing symptoms
• Butterflies" in the stomach
• Trembling
• Palpitations
• Difficulty with sleeping
• Irritable
• Unable to concentrate
• Cry for no apparent reason

3
What is stress?

• Stress is like a glass of water
• The more you fill up, the harder it is to hold
  everything in!
• Many things cause stress
• Family issues
• Work / school
• Health issues etc..

4
How to deal with Stress

• Food!!
• Eat a sensible diet
• Dont live on just crisps, chocolate and
  take-aways. Get some fresh vegetables and fruit
  as part of your diet.
• Eat regular meals
• Don't be tempted to skip a meal because you are
  busy - your energy levels will drop
• In particular Don't Skip Breakfast

5
How to deal with Energy levels

• Avoid too much caffeine, e.g. pro-plus, coffee,
  tea and fizzy drinks
• These give you a quick 'high' followed by an
  energy slump and will result in poor exam
  performance
• Instead drink the normal amount of caffeine you
  would have in a day
• If your energy does slump, I would suggest a
  banana or some other fruit
• Fruit contains a balance of sugars that will
  improve your energy levels for a sustained period
  of time, not a quick boost like sweets, glucose
  tablets or chocolate

6
Lifestyle tips

• Build in a routine that allows time for meals,
  sleep, revising and relaxing
• You are allowed to enjoy yourself and it is
  important to have a break from study
• Take some exercise, a walk for instance
• Exercise increases the bodies adrenaline levels
  and is known to relieve stress by releasing
  natural endorphins
• 15 to 30 minutes a day is enough depending on
  what you are used to and should include
  stretching and light physical exercise (like walk)

7
How to Revise

• Don't work all night - get some sleep!
• Get the normal amount you need for what you would
  call a GOOD nights sleep
• Dont use things to help you sleep
• Allow plenty of time in the morning for you to
  wake up and eat breakfast
• EAT BREAKFAST!
• Make a timetable and try to stick to it
• Make sure you know when and where the exams
  before the day

8
How to Get Ready for Exams

• Take a drink of water in with you
• Practise breathing techniques if you start to
  feel anxious
• Example
• Try not to spend too much time analysing your
  performance after the examination.
• This almost inevitably leads to anxiety since we
  all focus more on what we have done wrong, than
  what we have done correctly
• Go home after an exam

9
Laugh!

• Alongside exercise and sleep, laughter is one of
  the best stress relievers there is!

10
(No Transcript)
11
Examination menu

• Breakfast (dont over eat!)
• Egg (without lots of bread, one slice is enough)
• Low Fat Yoghurt
• Fruit including
• Strawberries
• Banana
• Blueberries
• Milk
• Nuts (if not allergic!)

12
Examination menu

• Lunch (dont over eat!)
• Chicken Salad
• Pasta
• Baked potato
• Avoid Fast Foods!
• Fresh fruit and vegetables!

13
Examination menu

• Dinner (normal portions)
• Again avoid Fast Food
• Plenty of Vegetables
• Pasta, Rice, Potato (chips, baked, mashed)
• Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Pork (fried pork is the
  hardest to digest I would avoid it)
• Fish has high omega 3 which helps with stress
• Beans have plenty of fibre which can help keep a
  regular bowel habit!