If you’re here, then you’ve already finished your exams – congratulations! You’ve coped with the stress of the exam period, and now might be wondering what to do after your exams to manage your worries. If this is you, then keep reading.
Remember: We can only do our best at any given time, with the knowledge and resources available to us. You’ve done all that you can do, and that’s ok!
Use some of these techniques to cope ahead of ‘Round 2’!
It can help to postpone worries about results, and what they might mean for your next steps academically or your career. There’s nothing that we can do to change our exams afterwards, so worrying about them is futile and causes unnecessary distress.
Our memories are not accurate, and can’t be relied on for the facts. The more we think about past events and analyse them (rumination), the more uncertain we become. This increases anxiety, and creates an unhelpful cycle.
When you’ve finished your exams, you may also find yourself falling into some of these ‘Thinking Traps’:
You may find it helpful to prepare for your next steps with graded exposure work. Identify any areas that you may find difficult, for example, shopping for yourself, or speaking to new people. Challenge yourself to practise these in small steps. This will make it less overwhelming than if you were to try all these challenges at once.
Spend time with your friends and family. Do things that you enjoy. You deserve a break, so let go of those worries and return to the here-and-now!
Childline has some helpful tips on how to feel calm and let go of stress.
Credit: Ernest Malimon on Unsplash