This is week 2 of Dr. Malie’s A Lust for Life online Exam Stress Management course for Junior and Leaving Cert students and parents. Here is Week 1 if you missed it. If you can it’s best to follow the course week by week, as like any other game, preparing for exams is best done following a step-by-step training schedule. Good luck you CAN do this!
“I will treat my body with respect and kindness. I will feed it, keep it active and listen to its needs. I will remember that my body is the vehicle that will carry me to my dreams.” – Levine and Smolak
So 5 weeks to the exams, and how are you feeling? Nerves starting to kick in? Feeling stressed before exams is totally normal. You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t a little or even a lot stressed! Stress in small amounts can come in handy for what’s ahead.
In mastering the “game” of exams, this week we are looking at how stress affects your body and how you can train your body to be “the vehicle that will carry you to your dreams”.
How stress affects your body
Stress can be broken down into what you feel; what you think; what you do; and how your body reacts when you are under stress. If you are alive, you’ve got stress. Simple as that.
ACTION: Watch this short video from the GoZen! Anxiety Relief program, featuring Tomas who learns the value of anxiety. Parts of it may be a bit cringe worthy, but apart from that it’s a pretty good summary of how we humans have been worrying since the beginning of time and have gotten really good at it!
Worry is built into your system to protect you. Worry keeps you alert and helps you to react quickly to danger. Whilst we don’t have to run away from predators anymore, a little stress can really help us to react to life’s challenges like during exam time. When you have a thought it goes to the worry command centre, which pumps chemicals into your body so you can fight or run away if you need to. Sometimes the worry command centre can get a little overactive and think you’re in danger when you’re really just fine.
There are many ways to calm your worries down and “listening to your body’s needs” is a great start. The good news is if you really take care of your body in the next weeks, you have the POWER to create the “optimal” environment for your mind to do its best, and here’s how:
Rockabye baby
Late nights, stress, missed meals and poor sleep will play havoc with your brain power. If you are stressed you won’t sleep well and if you don’t recharge your battery, you are less able to fight stress, a total vicious circle.
If you are worried about your sleep patterns, check out this handout with tips on improving your sleep. I know “sleep hygiene” may sound a little weird but it just means good sleep habits.
ACTION: Try tracking your sleep using this Sleep Diary, which will help you to identify patterns and areas for improving your sleep. Many people who struggle with sleep make negative assumptions about their sleep (for example “I never sleep more than 5 hours a night”). This worksheet can help you to check if this is really the case.
“No thanks for the rubbish” said your body!
When you are under pressure, it can be tempting to eat 4 kgs of Maltesers, drink pints of coffee and think ‘I deserve this’ as Bressie said in our radio interview! But what good will that do your body? Apart from messing with your concentration, ingesting rubbish leads to sugar spikes, low moods and poor sleep.
Bressie describes this well in his book “Me and my mate Jeffrey”: “We can be quite naive in how we assume that what we put into our body has no effect on our moods or mental health. But our gut can act like a second brain, and when we put our digestive system under pressure it can really affect our state of mind and brain chemistry. The trouble is that when we go through stressful experiences we turn to shit food and alcohol for comfort, when it’s at these times we need good nutrition the most” (p. 178).
Fuel yourself with brain food
Like training for any other game, for the marathon that is the exams you should be stocking up on special food and drinks to build up the power of your brain. Eating well is good for your mental as well as physical health. Here are my top suggestions, adapted from this “Eating for exams” article:
1. Stay hydrated
I know that whenever I feel stressed or unable to concentrate I reach for some water to hydrate my brain. Water always does the trick for me. The science behind it is that water allows many of the body’s chemical reactions to take place. So the speed at which your brain can process your study will be affected if you don’t drink enough water. The recommended amount is eight x 8-ounce glasses of fluid a day, so keep a bottle nearby and DRINK IT!
2. Reduce caffeine
Caffeine only provides a temporary lift and too much of it will leave you wired and unable to concentrate or sleep. Its effects are similar to those of stress! If you think caffeine is affecting you, wean yourself slowly off it; switch to decaf tea and coffee; replace fizzy drinks with caffeine-free drinks or fruit juice; and stay clear of energy drinks and tablets.
3. Stay off the alcohol/drugs
If you drink alcohol, try not to drink until after the exams. Don’t overdo the cigarettes either, I know it’s tempting! Don’t use drugs to help you stay awake for study. It’s not healthy and your work will suffer as you won’t be able to keep it up.
4. Food heroes
Tempted to reach for something sweet to get you through? The temporary high you’ll get from a sugar-fix will be followed quickly by crashing blood sugar levels causing a nosedive in concentration, mood and fatigue. Do your body a favour and have healthy snacks on hand. To keep your brain happy and body healthy, try the following “10 foods to boost your brainpower”.
Keep on moving!
Taking breaks from studying to exercise is vital as it relieves stress. I can’t emphasize this enough. I always feel better after going out for a walk or a run, as it clears my muddled brain and helps me to live in the moment. Physical activity releases endorphins in your brain and will help you to relax. Even just a few minutes of exercise a day will help you to feel more positive when you feel chained to the books, so have a break and GET OUT RIGHT NOW!
And RELAX…..
Next time we will look at how stress affects your thoughts and work on visualizing your success and taming your fears. When you are calm, your mind will do what you need it to do.
ACTION: For now have a look at Bressie’s “Exam relaxation techniques and tips”, and start practicing the “magic moment technique” and visualising doing well on your exams.
Also, consider downloading the Headspace App, or trying one of Reachout.com’s relaxation exercises.
A word of advice for parents and close adults
Parents this is the week where your role really comes into its own. This is a really tough time for you too as you really want the best for your child. You may feel like you have little control over what happens but believe me your role as your child’s support system is absolutely crucial. The best you can do is to get to a shop and stock up on the brain foods suggested. Get a good fish oil supplement and Vitamin B complex. Use words of encouragement (like “I think you could use a break. You always feel better after a walk. Try this snack I rustled up”!)
Listen here to Bressie and Malie’s interview on the Anton Savage Show, where Bressie shares his experience of exams and we introduce our stress management course.
For more information on my work, go to drmaliecoyne.ie or follow me on Facebook (Dr. Malie Coyne) or on Twitter (@maliecoyne)
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is intended for information purposes only and represents solely the opinions of this author. If you are seeking help with an emotional or mental health issue, we would strongly encourage you to contact your GP and / or for you to contact support services in this link.
The information on this website is NOT a substitute for proper diagnosis, treatment or the provision of advice by an appropriate health professional.
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