A panicky person’s guide to not panic (I know it doesn’t make sense just go with it).
The feeling of the heavy weight of exams sliding off you as you walk out of your last exam is unlike any other, you feel on top of the world, like there are endless possibilities of what you could do with your newfound free time, and you look at the summer ahead like a sailor looking across a vast sea of possibilities.
Photo Credit: rey perezoso Flickr via Compfight cc
Then after one day of spending your ‘newfound free time’ sleeping and attempting to make a peanut butter mug cake (I’m “not” talking from experience), you remember that whist you’ve finished your exams you’re not quite off the hook, results day still looms and it feel as if your life’s works hangs in the balance.
But if you’ve read this you’re probably like, ‘Yup this is what I know already, thanks for that reminder of my impending doom.’, but fear not because here are some of my very own tips and tricks to stay positive in the weeks leading up to results.
The first thing I do when I get some free time is to do nothing for a bit, this used to make me feel like I was wasting precious free time but now I realise that after the constant pressure if revision to do nothing is an utterly valid way of winding down and gives me a chance to re-boot before moving onto the fun stuff like days out.
Whilst it’s nice to just do nothing for a bit it’s also important not to exclude yourself. During the exam period, it’s easy to feel isolated because you spend so much time alone revising, results day can re-ignite that feeling because of how personal it is. Make sure you talk to the people around you, they may understand more than you’d expect and it could make you feel less alone. The people that really love you know the effort you’ve put into your work and will value that more than a grade, these are also the people that will help you work out a plan B if your results aren’t what you expected them to be.
My last piece of advice is to take care of yourself as you would take care of a friend in the same situation. I know if my friend said they were worried about results day I’d remind them of how hard they worked, make sure they stayed healthy by drinking water and getting enough sleep but something frequently overlooked is to treat yourself!
Photo Credit: Hindrik S Flickr via Compfight cc
The number one thing I would do if my friend was stressed is give them a treat, this could be a day out in your favourite chilling spot, baking a cake, picking up that hobby that got neglected during the exam period or even a movie marathon with friends. Think of the things you would do to take care of a friend an make sure you are also doing the same to take care of yourself.
Here are some handy links:
Just Chill: Here’s a list of calming sites
Need to talk?: https://www.meiccymru.org/get-help/
Cover image by: CraigTaylor74 Flickr via Compfight cc
If you would like to talk to anyone about bereavement or other things, please contact Meic, the national information, advice and advocacy helpline for 0-25s in Wales. You can contact Meic by phone (080880 23456), text (84001), instant message (www.meic.cymru) or email (help@meic.cymru) between 8am and midnight.
Related:
http://thesprout.co.uk/event/free-mental-health-and-communication-training/
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