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As pupils enter a busy, exciting and challenging period preparing to complete their courses and step into exam season, looking after wellbeing becomes more important than ever.
Our Head of Wellbeing, Mr Ian Morris, has developed an award-winning teaching programme and is a published author in the field of wellbeing and education. He reminds us that success in exams is not just about how much you revise, but how well you take care of yourself along the way.
You have three powerful tools in your arsenal to help you stay well so that you can do well: Physical, Psychological and Social wellbeing. Use as many or as few of these strategies as work for you.
Above all: keep perspective, look after yourself and each other, and believe in what you can achieve when you apply your mind and your effort to it.
Physical
1. Sleep
You need eight or more hours of sleep every night to process learning and prepare for new learning or an exam. Avoid working past 10pm. Avoid screens after 10pm. Avoid consuming caffeine after 8pm. If you have trouble sleeping, practise deep-breathing and relaxation techniques, such as breathing in for seven and out for eleven. There are apps available, such as Calm, Stellar Sleep or Headspace. This page has good advice too.
2. Mindfulness and stillness
In order to learn or succeed in an exam, the brain needs to be calm and focused. Mindfulness helps to achieve this. It also helps you to remain calm and focused in stressful situations. Feel your feet and draw your attention to the sensation of breathing, and gently bring your attention back to it if your mind wanders. Try counting your breath in cycles of ten. Ten minutes of mindful breathing before revision can have a dramatic effect on how well you learn. One minute of mindful breathing before an exam can help you find calm again. Look up the Headspace app, watch the Headspace show on Netflix or try this guided mindfulness.
3. Exercise
Movement helps learning and problem solving. Vigorous exercise releases serotonin, helps us feel good and undoes feelings of anxiety. Get a good forty minutes of exercise every other day. Get outside every day and have an hour of broad daylight. Walk. Run. Swim. Climb. Play something together. Keep playing sport for your team. The social element of playing for a team can build your belief in what you can achieve.
4. Diet
You need to remain well-fuelled, especially on exam days. Eat and drink well during the day. You might find eating smaller amounts more frequently is helpful. A large meal might make you feel sluggish. Try to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and include slow-release (low GI) carbs and protein. Avoid too much caffeine. Avoid alcohol.
Psychological
5. Don’t stop believing
Never stop believing in your own capability. If you put your mind to the task of smashing your exams, you can smash your exams. You are bright, capable and brilliant. You can do what you set out to achieve. Get on with it.
6. Think about thinking
Notice your ‘self-talk’: what you say to yourself as you prepare for and go into exams. Develop self-talk that is encouraging and on your side: “I can do this.” “I will do well.” “I will understand this.” “There are people who can help me.” Be kind to yourself in your own head. Think about finding solutions to the challenges you face and reach out for help. Challenge unhelpful, self-sabotaging thoughts.
Remember that your brain will change when you give it new learning. The more you do, the more your brain will develop. Remain optimistic about your capacity to learn.
7. Planning and breaks
Plan your days and be specific: “Buddhist beliefs about the afterlife” rather than “RS”. This helps reduce anxiety. Aim to work on two or maybe three subjects in one day: variety increases engagement. Avoid working for more than fifty minutes in any one hour, unless you get into a flow state (point 9). Break work up with something to relax the mind. Move: make a cup of tea. Go for a walk. Practise scales on an instrument. Do the Wordle. Give your brain time to process learning.
8. Chunk and Review
Break each subject into small chunks using the syllabus to help you. Start simple and get more complicated. If you begin with things you can achieve, this builds your confidence. Exam success depends in part on your confidence. Make a list of topics you are going to revise and tick them off when complete: this boosts confidence too. Briefly review topics you have learned to strengthen the networks of learning in the brain.
9. Flow
Do something every day that you can lose yourself in: flow is where your ability and the challenge are perfectly matched, and you lose track of time. This might be revision. If you are in a state of flow when working, don’t stop. Flow might be practising a musical instrument. It might be reading a good book. It might be chatting with a friend. If you’re feeling bored, up the challenge; if you’re feeling anxious, do something simpler or ask for help.
Social
10. Support
Ask other people for help and give help to other people. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to someone else. Work in small revision groups. Test each other. Correct each other. Help each other. The only competition is between you and the exam. You are not competing with your friends. Respect each other’s right to work.
11. Socialise
See your friends. Encourage each other. Motivate each other. Talk to them about what you are doing and talk to them about things that have nothing to do with exams. Share in successes. Commiserate in defeat. Have a laugh.
May the Force be with you.
Mr Morris.
