Exam Stress
As part of our whole school approach to mental health and wellbeing, the Healthy Minds Team deliver Exam Stress workshops for both primary and secondary aged children and young people. The workshops aim to support children and young people to understand and normalise anxiety associated with exams and to introduce self-help strategies. They focus on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) techniques which look at the link between thoughts, feelings and behaviours and relate these to exam stress.
In primary schools, we deliver this via a one-session workshop. In secondary schools, this is a four-session workshop which covers:
Week 1 – Introduction to the course and what stress is
Week 2 – Physical feelings caused by stress and an introduction to relaxation techniques
Week 3 – Thinking Differently
Week 4 – Acting Differently
Ways you can support at home:
At home, you can support your child to identify and challenge any unhelpful thinking patterns. For example, challenging a thought such as ‘I will fail everything’ to ‘I will try my best’.
You can also support your child to develop a personalised revision timetable, ensuring your child still participates in their usual hobbies and interests alongside revision. It is important that your child is encouraged to have a balance of activities across the week, to prevent feelings of stress and pressure.
