Welcome to News Mills School - Derbyshire



Top Tips for Exam SeasonEven the most prepared students can feel the pressure of exams, so here are some top tips to bear in mind over the course of exams. 1. Clear your room and your deskThe more clutter you have around your workspace, the less you’re able to concentrate on preparing for the exam. This is because your brain is being bombarded by so many distractions. Physical clutter overloads your brain and impairs your ability to think, which leads to stress. So, you need to clear your desk and your room. Do the following:Reduce as much clutter as you can around your workspace. Get rid of anything that doesn’t need to be there, e.g. photos, snacks, staplers. Move them out of sight, or out of your room completely.Use drawers. Store things away in your drawers or wardrobe. The only things you should have on your desk are the tools and books you need to complete your current revision.Clean your space. Now that you’ve cleared your space, give your desk and room a good clean.Straighten up before you go. Take 5 minutes at the end of the day to clear everything away, so you can start again tomorrow with an uncluttered desk and an uncluttered mind.2. Read something for leisureIt’s proven that reading for pleasure can reduce stress by up to 68%. Reading relaxes your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. So the next time you feel the tension rise at the thought of an impending exam, pick up a good book and give yourself a 10-minute reading break.3. Reduce your sugar intakeResearch shows that when you’re stressed, your adrenal glands release cortisol – a stress hormone – to manage it. But cortisol also affects your blood sugar level. So, the more your sugar intake spikes, the more stressed you’ll feel. Here are some practical tips to help you reduce your sugar intake and maintain a healthy diet:Don’t…Skip breakfast.Eat sugary cereals or sweets.Drink sugary drinks.Do…Eat a high-protein breakfast. Include eggs, peanut butter, oats or nuts.Eat 4 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.Eat more fish, e.g. salmon, trout.4. Reduce your phone usageWho would have thought your mobile phone could cause stress? Research shows that overuse of mobile phones not only causes stress but can also have a negative impact on your mental health. So, it’s time to get smart about your smartphone. Here are a few things you could try:Check your social media feeds just once or twice a day.Turn off all notifications.Put your phone on airplane mode, or better still, switch it off when studying and at least 1 hour before bed.If you’re still struggling, there are many apps designed to help you ignore your mobile phone and focus on studying for your exams, such as:Forest. When you want to concentrate, you can plant a seed in Forest, which will take 30 minutes to grow. But if you get distracted and leave the app, your tree will wither and die.Moment. This app tracks how much time you spend on your devices. It allows you to set daily limits and find your own balance.Offtime. Offtime lets you monitor and customise your connectivity so you can do the things that matter – like study for your exams.5. Think of a happy memoryResearch suggests that the natural chemical, serotonin, creates a sense of well-being and helps your brain to function at peak capacity. One way to produce more serotonin is to think positive thoughts. Start by thinking about a happy memory – something that makes you smile. Think of it as your happy place and go there in your mind as often as possible. When you feel stressed, think about your favourite memory from your childhood, or about something you did as a family recently that was fun.6. Get some sunlight every dayAnother way to increase your serotonin levels is to increase your exposure to sunlight. Anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes of sunlight per day will help to keep your serotonin levels in the healthy range.7. Sing your heart outResearchers have discovered that singing can soothe your tension and elevate your spirits. This reduces the effects of stress. When you sing, you release endorphins, which are associated with feelings of pleasure. The more you sing, the more you increase your endorphins and lower your levels of cortisol. So, if you’re trying to beat exam stress, sing your heart out when you’re taking a break!8. Learn and apply time management techniquesA study involving students revealed that those who had been taught time management techniques showed lower levels of exam-related anxiety than those who had not. Effective time management includes getting enough rest and a good night’s sleep, which leaves you feeling more energised so that you’re able to focus when studying. Managing your time well helps you to avoid feeling overwhelmed, so you’ll be less stressed. Take a 5-minute break after studying for 25 minutes. Repeat three times and take a longer breakComplete work at least one to two days before its due. By doing this, you’ll have time to check through your work thoroughly.Block out time for studying. Put it in your calendar and treat it as if it’s a fixed appointment.9. Write down the things you’re worried aboutIt’s been proven that if you take a few moments to write about your fears just before you take an exam, it will help to reduce your anxiety and improve your grades. In the experiment, students were asked to complete a brief expressive writing assignment right before taking a test. The results showed that doing the writing assignment significantly improved the students’ exam scores, especially those who were habitually anxious about taking tests. Simply writing about your worries before an exam can boost your grades – so do this before your next exam!10. Listen to quiet, calming musicThe comforting power of music is well established, which makes music an effective stress management tool. Listening to music has a relaxing effect on our minds and bodies, slowing our pulse, lowering our blood pressure, and decreasing our levels of stress hormones. So, set aside 10 minutes a day to tune in to some classical music and tune out your exam stress.11. Don’t multitaskMultitasking is bad for your health; it increases your heart rate and blood pressure and causes stress. Doing several tasks at once may seem like an efficient use of your time but multitasking wastes time and reduces the quality of your work. Here’s how to avoid multitasking:Get rid of all distractions before you start work Close all the unused tabs in your browser and minimise all other windows on your computer screen.Make a list of all the tasks you need to complete for the day; work through the list one item at a time.Set a realistic deadline for every task on the list.12. Get enough sleepStudying long hours is tiring. When it cuts into your usual hours of sleep, research shows us that stress levels will increase. Stress and sleep have a two-way relationship. Stress can make it more difficult to fall asleep. It can even lead to sleep disorders. At the same time, getting a good night’s sleep reduces the effects of stress. Practise these tips to get a good night’s rest every night:Try to go to sleep and get up at the same time every day. This helps to set your body’s internal clock and optimises the quality of your sleep.Avoid sleeping in, even on weekends. Aim to keep your sleep schedule as regular as possible. If you have a late night, try taking a short nap the following day, rather than sleeping in.Keep your electronic devices out of your bedroom. The blue light emitted by your electronic devices (e.g. phone, tablet, computer, TV) is especially disruptive to sleep.Wind down before you go to bed. Turn off all your devices an hour before it’s time to sleep. Read a book, listen to some calming music or think of a happy memory.13. Use positive affirmationsRepeating positive affirmations is a powerful way to calm down and banish those exam butterflies. In fact, research has shown that positive affirmations can help reduce exam stress by reducing adrenalin levels. Some positive affirmations you could try the next time those stress levels begin to rise. Repeat them out loud several times a day:I’m becoming more focused.I’m continuing to work hard.I’m getting better at taking exams.I’m enjoying the process of learning.I’m going to perform well on this exam.Learning is meaningful.I’m developing self-discipline.I love the challenge of taking exams.14. Be kind to yourselfIt’s easy to become anxious when all you can focus on is the fear of failing the exam. Stress weaves its way into your life when you’re too hard on yourself. So, ease up and give yourself a break. It’s time to practise self-compassion. Research indicates that self-compassion reduces your stress levels and improves your sense of well-being. These are some ways to practise self-compassion:At the end of each day, write down 3 of your achievements. It doesn’t matter how big or small these achievements are, e.g. completing your maths tricky question, reading your history revision notes. What matters is that you acknowledge these achievements.Talk to yourself kindly. Speak to yourself as if you’re your own best friend.Do something fun every day. Life doesn’t have to be serious all the time.Set realistic goals. Don’t set yourself up for failure by setting impossible targets.15. Exercise regularlyResearch has shown that high-intensity aerobic exercise has positive effects on well-being. It’s time to get moving! This doesn’t mean that you must start training for a marathon, but it does mean that you need to introduce some regular exercise into your life. Here are some suggestions:Do some form of exercise (jogging, biking, walking, callisthenics) 3 to 5 times a week for 30 minutes each time.Set small – even tiny – daily goals and focus on consistency. Scientific research indicates that frequency is more important than intensity when it comes to forming new habits like exercise.Do exercise that’s enjoyable for you.If you simply don’t find any form of exercise enjoyable, distract yourself with music, audiobooks or podcasts while you’re exercising.Find an “exercise buddy”. It’s easier to stick to a routine when you have an exercise buddy.16. StretchEveryone knows you should stretch to improve your flexibility, but did you also know that stretching is proven to reduce tension and blood pressure too?17. Practise mindfulnessMindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is scientifically proven to be an effective treatment for reducing stress. Although it was initially created to help hospital patients, MBSR is now used by a broad range of people, including students. Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of your mind and body. For example, to practise mindfulness, close your eyes and focus entirely on your breathing. Be aware of every breath and “follow” the air as it goes from your lungs and out through your nose. You can also try lying with your back on the floor while keeping your eyes closed. “Move” your focus through your body, focusing on one area at a time. You don’t have to be sitting or lying down to practise mindfulness. You can do it while you’re walking. Focus on the sensations in your body as you walk. Notice the feeling in your feet as they touch the ground, and the movement of your hips with each step. The more you practise mindfulness, the more fully present you’ll be wherever you are, and the less stressed you’ll be.18. Take a short walkIf mindfulness isn’t something that comes naturally to you, it turns out that taking a walk has similar beneficial effects on your stress levels. Walking gives you time to think, as well as time to get away from studying for a short while. Going for a walk with your family or friends for 10 or 20 minutes a day is a great way to unwind.19. Do deep breathing exercisesScience has proven that deep breathing reduces your cortisol levels. There are many deep breathing exercises you could try, but here are a couple of them to get you started:Belly breathing: Sit or lie in a comfortable position and place one hand on your belly. Breathe in deeply through your nose, and feel your hand being pushed outwards as the air fills your lungs. Now exhale through your mouth, and feel your hand moving inwards. Repeat 5 to 6 times.Morning breathing: When you get out of bed, stand up straight, bend your knees slightly, and bend forward from the waist. Let your arms hang limply towards the floor. Breathe in slowly, returning to your original standing position as you do. Your head should be the last part of your body to straighten. Exhale slowly, returning to the bent position by the end of your breath. Repeat 5 to 6 times.20. Try aromatherapyResearch has shown that aromatherapy has the power to evoke emotions and memories and can impact your body through your nervous system. This makes aromatherapy an effective tool to help you deal with exam stress. Here are 6 scents or oils to help you relieve stress and improve your sleep quality:LavenderLemonBergamotYlang ylangClary sageJasmineVarious studies have shown that these aromatherapy oils can lower your blood pressure, heart rate, and even skin temperature, as well as soothe anxiety by calming the nervous system.21. Get enough vitamin CStudies indicate that vitamin C (ascorbic acid) helps to reduce blood pressure and cortisol, which are both signs of stress. The human body doesn’t produce vitamin C, so it’s vital that you consume plenty of it in your diet. Here’s a list of fruits and vegetables that are rich in vitamin C:GuavaPepper/capsicumKiwifruitStrawberriesOrangePapayaBroccoliTomatoKale22. Drink teaA study has found that black tea has health benefits linked to stress relief. Other teas that anecdotally aid stress relief are peppermint tea, because it’s a natural muscle relaxant; chamomile tea, which helps insomnia and reduces irritability; and lemon balm tea, which reduces cortisol and improves sleep. Enjoy a soothing cup of tea every day, and it will help you to prepare more effectively for your exams.23. Eat small amounts of dark chocolateResearch has shown that eating a small amount of dark chocolate every day reduces stress hormone levels. This is great news for chocolate lovers! But remember, the chocolate must be dark (with 70% or more cocoa). In addition, dark chocolate is a calorie-dense food, so it’s not recommended that you eat more than 40g to 60g a day.24. Write down 3 things you’re thankful forStudies have found that expressing gratitude can lower your blood pressure, improve your sleep and boost your immune system. So, when you’re taking a break from studying, why not write down 3 things you’re grateful for? It could be something you take for granted, like the invention of the Internet, or something like the fact that you get to attend school. Your body and mind will thank you for cultivating a habit of gratitude.25. Focus on progress, not perfectionTrying to be perfect is another way of being too hard on yourself, which means that you need to focus on the progress you’re making instead of your perceived failures. Being a perfectionist may sound ideal, but it often causes undue stress. These are some ways to deal with it:Set realistic goals instead of trying to achieve the impossible.Celebrate small and big successes.Make sure you take time out from studying to do things you enjoy.Invest in the relationships that matter the most to you.Find ways to contribute at home and at school, because this will shift your focus toward the needs of others.Learn to use words like “acceptable” and “good”, because if you always aim for “perfection”, you may not even make progress.Other useful thoughts and ideas can be found at: ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download