So it is coming up to that time of the year again where (un)lucky students have to sit their end of year exams, junior cert, leaving cert, etc. I think even the smartest students can get stressed out and start to panic when it comes to taking exams. Now I have never been the sister with the natural brains, for some reason they skipped the middle child of the family, so I have always felt more pressure than my two sisters when it comes to exams. I am the type of person who can study for weeks on end and still feel like I know nothing and just scrape a pass, unlike my younger sister she can not do any study and come out with straight A's! Now there are a few things I do to try and cope with the stress of my exams, and as I am writing this I have just come home from my Integrated Accounting Systems exam and I thought that it was time for a post like this. Stress is something that effects the performance of every student in one way or another so it is important to have some stress relievers in your day to day life. Now some of these may sound stupid and like you do them every day but they really can help you avoid the stress related meltdown I am sure we have all had at one time or another!
1. Talk It Out With A Pet. Okay this one may sound crazy but from experience talking to my cat can make me feel a little better about the situation. Sure she does not talk back she just looks at me like I am a crazy cat lady having a conversation with a cat, but sometimes walking away from everything and cuddling her can help take my stress levels down a notch or two.
2. Take A Long Hot Bath. This one may not seem like a stress reliever because it could be something you do all the time, but it can really work! I love to draw a nice hot bubble bath, usually with the stress relief Radox, some bath salt and episode of my favorite TV show on my tablet and some candles, talk about relaxing!
3. Take A Nap. Now anyone who knows me knows I am a big advocate of the afternoon nap it seems to be my solution to more of the problems I face in life. Have a headache.... Take a nap. Someone is annoying you.... Take a nap. Have ten million definitions to learn for Monday..... Take a nap! If you sleep on it for an hour or so you will come back feeling refreshed and ready to take on the world.
4. Get Pampered. If you leave the house and go to get your nails done or a massage then that is time that you are taking fro yourself and not worrying about the amount of work you need to get through. Sure get through it but remember you need some time for yourself too.
5. Colour. This is something that is very therapeutic as it is methodical in a way. I don't understand how but it can help you de-stress and it is like you are putting all the pent up frustration and energy down onto that piece of paper.
6. Organise Your Room. This is something I enjoy doing. I think I may have a mild form of OCD as I love to have everything in order and it bothers be with thongs are out of place so all this can stress me out at times. Once I reorganise the likes of my dressing table or my bed side locker it is like the stress shrinks in me and I am more able to focus and not stress out as much.
7. Talk To Friends About It. I think sometimes it is easy to forget that there are others in the exact place and frame of mind which you. Sometimes all that is needed to ease your mind is to talk to someone in the same situation. You don't have to talk about the exam or how the study is going just chat about anything, sometimes knowing that you have been able to help one of your friends can help you feel better about the whole situation.
8. Talking Out The Problem. Talking about a topic you are having problems with can help in the same way as talking to someone to take your mind off of everything. The thing with learning is everyone learns things in different ways and at different times, so if you can talk it over with your class mates they may be able to expain it in a new way in which makes it easy for you to understand.
9. Chill Out With Some Netflix. Okay we all do this all the time but just watching a movie or a few episodes of a TV show can take your mind off of everything. Take me for example I know I should be studying at the moment but I am writing this post and binge watching Grim with my Nanna!
10. Cliche. Sometimes the old cliche that you are told by people are the things that get you through the day of the exam. Things like 'You can only do the best you can' or 'Worst case scenario you fail and have to repeat' can really help, they helped me today!
I think you just have to remember that the results of this exam, whether you fail or pass it is not the be all and end all. There are back doors into every job and every college course out there so just remember that it is not the end of the world. Believe me I know, I have repeated my leaving cert to get the points I wanted, I have changed my mind as to what I want to do with my life more times than I can count. You are never going to know everything you want with your life and exams are not the big deal they are made out to be.
Just remember to breath and do the best you can, no point freaking out over something that is not going to define the rest of your life!
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