Middle Years 

Feeling good and functioning effectively during exams

Taking care of your wellbeing during stressful and challenging times is a great skill to have and develop. For our students the lead up to and during the examination period can certainly be a stressful and challenging time, so now is the time to plan for and implement some strategies to help support their wellbeing.

I like to see wellbeing as “feeling good and functioning effectively,” which comes from Professor Felicia Huppert’s definition of wellbeing.

Feeling good revolves around the balance of positive emotions vs. negative emotions being tipped in the positive emotions favour. It is not about the absence of negative emotions, rather the balance between positive and negative emotional states and being able to deal with the inevitable negative emotions when they arrive. 

Functioning effectively is about how individuals can deal with and respond to the ups and downs of everyday life and being able to identify and productively respond to painful, unpleasant, and unwanted situations.

Some tips to help feel good and function effectively during exams:

1. Keep your normal/regular school routine. 
2. Exercise as you normally would – sports trainings and games are important even during exams.
3. Drink plenty of water – keep your brain hydrated. 
4. Eat a nutritious breakfast each day – keep your brain energised.
5. Embrace the uncomfortable feelings associated with stressful situations but focus on the nicer feelings once each exam is over. Stop and savour these times.
6. Strengthen your friendships during recess and lunchtimes. 
7. If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed – stop and focus on your breathing. I’m a big fan of “box breathing,” so you might like to try that. 

Hopefully some of these tips may be useful for our Middle Years students to help them function effectively during the exam week next week.

Ben Hawthorne

Head of Middle Years