6 Mental Wellness Tips to Make Exam Stress Work for You

We show you how to deal with anxiety and use stress to your advantage!

It's the exam period once again, and thousands of students will hit the books, aiming to do well for their various subjects.

All through the study process and all the way up till they get their results, students will do their best to manage their stress. Some will feel slight nervousness and will be edgy for a couple of days. Others will be overtaken by their fear of failure, thus increasing their panic.

Whatever the scenario, stress can lead some people to lose sleep, over-/under-eat and neglect exercise, a combination of factors that can increase the risk of being a nervous wreck!

Follow stress management tips to get through overcome exam stress

In some extreme cases, stress can be linked to more dangerous side-effects such as mental illnesses, high blood pressure, or substance abuse.

Fortunately, the energy and the adrenaline rush brought on by stress can be controlled and even used to your advantage!

Here are six ways to do it:

1. Use the adrenaline rush from exam stress to help your performance

When faced with a stressful situation, the brain releases certain chemicals that prepare the body for the "fight or flight" response. These fight-or-flight response helped our ancestors escape or fight predators to survive.

Of course, nowadays predators aren't as much of a problem, so the fight or flight responses can be used to learn new things, face challenges, make decisions, or get ahead in everyday life.

Acknowledge the physical responses you feel under challenging circumstances! Tell yourself that it's normal, and you'll be fine.

You can then use the adrenaline rush to help you perform better, with more energy and emotional vitality!

2. Tame your fear of failing!

Fear can arise in situations like facing a phobia, navigating an awkward moment, or encountering something unpredictable, especially when we focus on uncertainties about what might happen.

The good news is, once you pause and reflect on why you’re feeling anxious, you can begin to identify the source of your fear—and realize that it might not be as threatening as it seems. To reflect, you can ask yourself: 'What’s the worst that could happen?' and 'What’s the likelihood of that happening?' This helps you put your fear into perspective and challenge any exaggerated worries.

Positive thinking can help shift your perspective, but it’s okay to still feel uncertain. Acknowledge your fear, then remind yourself that you have the strength to face it. Things might not always turn out perfectly, but you can handle whatever comes your way.

3. Redefine "failure" and "success"

Many people wrestle with the concepts of success and failure as they work toward their goals, whether in academics, career, or personal growth.

Some define success as achieving perfection, leaving no room for mistakes. Others fear failure so intensely that it feels like a reflection of their self-worth. But these definitions are not fixed. Failure can be reframed as a valuable opportunity to learn, and success can be seen as the effort and growth along the way.

By shifting these perspectives, we create space for self-compassion and resilience, making the journey more fulfilling and meaningful.

4. Turn your worries into problem-solving skills

You could be worrying about something because you're not sure how to solve a specific problem! In fact, sometimes the solution to a problem can seem so unreachable that you feel overwhelmed and start to panic.

Remember that solutions can sometimes come from the most unexpected places! Don't be afraid to ask for help, advice, or extra information. Asking for help is not a sign of failure.

Knowing who to go to for help or support is considered a great advantage for problem-solving skills!

If you're on your own, just follow these simple steps to solve a problem:

Clearly define the problem ("I have way too much homework this week!")
Brainstorm to find possible solutions ("organise my tasks", "work with friends")
Evaluate each idea, putting an X next to those that aren't possible, a question mark next to the ones that are difficult to do, and a Y next to the steps you could take right now.
Set specific dates by which you'll complete your Y ideas.
Revisit your question marks once you've completed the Ys. Are some of the question marks now possible?
Finally, go back to the Xs - are they really impossible?

5. Use the stress of challenging circumstances to learn and grow

Sometimes stress is very difficult to control or rationalise, and you'll feel like there's nothing you can do about it!

That's okay; everyone deals with such emotions, even adults! Even people who seem to have everything under control in their life are stressed about something.

The difference is that they use this stress to find out more about themselves, and they then use these lessons to grow their confidence.

Once you know which situations or events make you worry and which ones are not that much of a challenge for you, you'll be able to apply your skills to almost any scenario.

Also, remember that failing at something from time to time is not a disaster, and it does not make you a bad person! Learning from mistakes is what we call "experience", and everyone you know has gone through it!

6. Be inspired and keep a positive outlook!

Panicking over the possible outcome of a situation can transform a slight anguish into a full-blown panic attack! Being afraid of disappointing yourself or others translates into a fear of failing or succeeding, which in turn makes it seem like it's very hard to control your fear of failure!

Try to maintain a positive outlook by picturing yourself doing a great job, by imagining how proud you'll feel once you've accomplished what you set out to do. Setting positive goals helps you feel confident and energised!

Visit MindSG for more tools to take care of your mental well-being.