Week 7 and 8 at Newton can be the most stressful. All students have various exams to do and projects to finish before the end of the term. Every student has different ways to handle stress and anxiety but here are some tips to cope with exam week:
Firstly, manage time properly. Having so much to do in a week can be overwhelming therefore organizing tasks by priority can be very useful. One technique of management is the “Eisenhower Matrix”. The tasks are organized into four quadrants (picture to the right) which help someone prioritize their tasks.
Do some exercise. Apart from helping to maintain a healthy lifestyle, exercise releases endorphins which makes someone feel happy but it also helps to process cortisol which are the stress hormones. Being in a good mood can improve productivity. Even though we are living in conditions in which people are unable to go to a local gym due to the Covid-19 pandemic there are many online workouts available to do at home.
Eat and sleep well. In fact, not sleeping well can cause stress. During sleep the body recovers. “Following a regular sleep routine calms and restores the body, improves concentration, regulates mood, and sharpens judgment and decision-making.” (Sleepscore). Students from the ages of 6 to 12 should be sleeping 9 to 12 hours and students from ages 13 to 18 should be sleeping around 8 to 10 hours every night. In addition, eating properly is another factor that can impact stress. “Proper diet can counterbalance the impact of stress by strengthening the immune system, stabilizing moods, and reducing blood pressure.” (Explore IM). Foods with Vitamin C, complex carbohydrates, magnesium and Omega 3 Fatty acids are important to eat.
Talking to someone else. Talking to someone a person trusts like a friend, parent, teacher or professional can help them see things differently and it can distract them from their anxiety and stress they are facing.
Take breaks. A person can only concentrate for a period of 20-35 minutes and when someone takes breaks they relax and refresh their minds for another period of studying for exams. Moreover, when standing up and walking around the brain gets oxygenated which makes people more alert.
Finally, you got this! People should trust themselves and believe that they can achieve whatever is put in front of them can help you relax during very stressful moments.
Anna
Bibliography:
Medicine, UCLA Center for East-West. Eat Right, Drink Well, Stress Less: Stress-Reducing Foods, Herbal Supplements, and Teas. 2014, exploreim.ucla.edu/nutrition/eat-right-drink-well-stress-less-stress-reducing-foods-herbal-supplements-and-teas/.
Na. “How Does Sleep Reduce Stress: 5 Ways Sleep Reduces Stress.” SleepScore, SleepScore LabsTM, 14 July 2020, www.sleepscore.com/how-to-rest-your-way-to-less-stress/.
Na. “CDC - How Much Sleep Do I Need? - Sleep and Sleep Disorders.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Mar. 2017, www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/how_much_sleep.html.
Na. “Kansas State University.” Improving Your Concentration | Career | Counseling Services | Kansas State University, Kansas State University, 1997, www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/career/concentr.html.
Na. “The Eisenhower Matrix: Introduction & 3-Minute Video Tutorial.” Eisenhower, Luxafor, www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/.
Na. “Dealing with Stress - Ten Tips.” SkillsYouNeed, SkillsYouNeed, 2011, https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ps/stress-tips.html.
Clark, Maryam. “7 Tips to Help You Cope with Exam Stress.” UCL News, UCL News, 15 Nov. 2018, www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2017/apr/7-tips-help-you-cope-exam-stress.
Bhardwa, Seeta. “How to Deal with Exam Stress.” Times Higher Education (THE), The World University Rankings, 20 Nov. 2017, https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/advice/how-deal-exam-stress
Makkos, Melinda. 👉 Linking Words: List of Sentence Connectors in English with Examples! 😃. 16 Jan. 2020, www.myenglishteacher.eu/blog/list-of-sentence-connectors-in-english/.
Images:
Pinola, Melanie. “Brain on a Deck Chair.” Why Taking Breaks Is The Key To Productivity, Trello, 28 Apr. 2016, blog.trello.com/taking-breaks-key-productivity.
Na. “Eisenhower Matrix.” Introducing the Eisenhower Matrix, EISENHOWER, 2011, www.eisenhower.me/eisenhower-matrix/.
Comments