Managing Anxiety

• Anxiety is a normal human response to stressful stimuli
• Everyone experiences some level of school life / exam anxiety
• Exam and school life anxiety may be a problem if you notice you are:
  • Feeling tense or worrying a lot
  • Not sleeping well or having issues with your appetite
  • Not enjoying activities you have before
• Managing your worries happens in a series of steps:
  • Notice the worry
  • Decide if you can do anything about it
  • Make a plan and/or…
  • Let the worry go! (this is where relaxation and distraction techniques are key)
• Remember to look after yourself, keep a positive attitude and keep perspective on the situation.

Here are a few top sites to visit for information:

• Assessment stress and pressure | Childline

• Exam Stress | How To Deal with Exam Stress | YoungMinds

• Exams: how to deal with exam stress - BBC Bitesize

• 14 ways to beat exam stress | Mind, the mental health charity - help for mental health problems

There are also some good apps that you can download on your mobile phone:

• Headspace app; Mindfulness meditations.

• Smiling Mind app; Mindfulness activities – measures mood before and after activity

• SAM app; Help for anxiety now – activities including calm breathing and mood tracker

• Molehill Mountain app; help with self-managing anxiety, designed for and with autistic people.

• NHS have an up-to-date list of apps to support people of all ages with their mental health: Mental health apps - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Please see our advice and suggested support downloads.