Examinations are fast approaching for all young men and this is likely leading to an increase in levels of anxiety.

Exam Stress and Anxiety

Experiencing stress and anxiety around examinations is common, although some people are more affected by it than others. Below are some suggestions for dealing positively with that stress and anxiety and this is certainly an area where parents/guardians can help their sons.

Do you know that feeling of your heart beating faster in response to a stressful situation? Or perhaps your palms get sweaty when you are confronted with an overwhelming task or event. That’s anxiety, our body’s natural response to stress.

Identifying your triggers is one of the most important steps to coping and managing anxiety and stress. With examinations just around the corner this may cause some stress, anxiety and a feeling of being overwhelmed by what is in front of you. Some signs and symptoms:

· Physical: hot and cold flushes, racing heart, tightening of the chest, quick breathing, restlessness, or feeling tense, wound up and edgy.

· Psychological: excessive fear, worry, catastrophizing, or obsessive thinking.

· Behavioural: avoidance of situations that make you feel anxious which can impact on study, work or social life.

Here are five strategies to help cope with exam stress:

1) Question your thought pattern - Negative thoughts can make you distort the severity of a situation and underestimate your ability to handle it. One way is to challenge your fears, ask if they are true and see where you can take back control.

2) Focused, deep breathing - When you’re feeling stressed or have anxious feelings your breathing becomes faster and shallower. Try deliberately slowing down your breathing. Count to three as you breathe in slowly, then count to three as you breathe out slowly. You will slow your heart rate which will help calm you down.

3) Exercise - Taking some time to focus on your body through exercising regularly, eating balanced meals, getting enough sleep, and staying connected to people who care about you, are great ways to relieve stress and anxiety symptoms.

4) Writing your thoughts down - Writing down what’s making you anxious gets it out of your head and can make it less daunting. This also gives you an opportunity to devise ways in which to positively approach what is in front of you.

5) Stay in the present moment – Anxiety and stress can make your thoughts live in a terrible future that hasn’t happened yet. Try to bring yourself back to “the now” and focus on what you can do at the present moment.

How you think, affects how you feel, which affects the quality of your actions.

Further on in this weekly update is information to assist young men with their revision, We encourage you to be working with your son to ensure that he is on track and organised in his preparation for these important upcoming examinations.

Managing Examination Stress

The NZQA website includes advice and resources to assist young men and parents to deal with the stress caused by examinations - click here to check out the information. 

 NCEA Examination Timetable

A copy of the NCEA Examination timetable is attached to this article.  Please ensure it is displayed in a prominent place at home so that your son knows when his examinations are on.