It's that time of year again where lots of people are sitting GCSE's, SATs and A levels, says person-centred counsellor, Hannah Bolton.

"There always feels a high amount of pressure to achieve. That can be through placing pressure on yourself. You may have high aspirations or not want to, 'let anyone down,' she said.

"Pressure can be felt from others wanting you to work hard and do well. Even though this can come from a good place it can leave you feeling anxious and stressed."

When revising for an exam, here's an idea of some coping strategies to try:

1. Only revise for short sharp bursts – this helps to keep concentration.

2. Have regular breaks and do something completely different.

3. Keep little notes for yourself and place them around your room to have a glance at every now and again.

4. Keep your sugar levels up by eating and drinking little and often.

5. Choose an exercise of your choice to do.

6. Practice self-care – whether this is spending time with family or friends or choosing an activity of your choice to do.

When sitting the exam, try deep breathing to help you focus and concentrate, she says.

"Have a breather if needed by resting your hands or counting to 10 etc. Once you have come out of the exam it's easy to compare answers with each other, but it doesn't always mean your answer is wrong.

"Try not to come away and look at textbooks stressing over what you haven't written. Once the exam is done, you can't change the answers and you create more anxiety by overanalysing what you may or may not be marked on.

"It's easier said then done but try to be kind to yourself and remind yourself that you have done the best you possibly can."

If you or anyone you know is struggling with pressures of exams and would like some counselling/coping strategies, please feel free to contact me. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

You can contact Hannah by visiting her website, calling her on: 07768198184, or emailing: [email protected]. 

If it wasn't for our sponsors like Hannah Bolton Counselling, our news site would not be possible. Thank you. 

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