It is a tough time for your exam student; however there are things they can do to reduce stress

Stress busters:

‘When I exercise, things don’t get on top of me’

Finding the half hour to exercise makes the rest of the day more manageable and improves your mood (if outdoor)

 What is your coping strategy? People who handle stress well all do –

  • They disconnect (offline and turn phone off – gulp!)
  • They sleep 7/8 hours a night
  • They squash negative self-talk
  • They Breathe
  • They Ask for Help
  • They stay positive
  • They share a worry 

Other suggestions:

  • Listen to music, cinema trip, read a book
  • Sit quietly
  • Play your favourite sport or favourite exercise activity
  • Take a long bath
  • Visit a friend
  • A guided relaxation or meditation cd 

Motivation

  • Do not overdue the pressure
  • Compete to the best of your ability; doing your best is all you can actually do. If it’s enough; that is great, if not – you have done everything you can. Move from saying ‘I need this’ to I want this’. Encourage and support and believe in yourself ‘I can do this’.
  • Take inner critic voices out of your head and put them on a chair beside you. There is no way you would hang around to listen to them is there?
  • Give yourself a pep talk
  • Play Tina Turner’s ‘Simply the Best’; listen to the music while focusing on things you have achieved and use it to get you into the right frame of mind
  • Worrying? 90% of what we worry about; never happens! 

E+R=O (Event+ Your Response= Outcome)

  • You may not be able to change the Event, however when you change how you Respond you may improve your Outcomes.

Focus on being positive

  • 5:1 Positives (Work on being more Optimistic) It’s not about the setback, it is more about how you interpret it that matters! Resilient people ‘bounce’ back from adversity