Pastoral Care

Understanding Exam Stress in Teenagers

Exams can be a stressful time for both students and their families. There are a lot of different factors that might contribute, and these vary family to family. Exams are a small part of a student’s education, yet they have a major impact of their emotions and general thought processes leading up to the event. The positives are that there are many things’ families can do to help your teenager manage and thrive during this period.

What can cause exam stress?

Emotions can run high before, during and after exams. Here are some of the reasons why your teen might feel stressed:

• They feel pressure to achieve certain grades, as they believe this can determine their whole future.

• They fear failure or may get stuck in negative thoughts.

• They compare themselves to their peers. 

• They struggle with their time management skills and feel overwhelmed by their study load.

• They have a lot of competing priorities aside from study, such as work, sports or other commitments.

• They get too distracted from studying by things such as social media or socialising.

• Mental health concerns, such as depression or anxiety, can make it difficult to focus on or devote as much time to studying.

• Other health issues might affect their capacity to study.

What are the signs your teen is stressed about exams?

A bit of stress for a short period of time isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, a certain amount of stress can motivate your teen to focus and work harder to get things done. A normal amount of pre-exam stress might look like: 

• tiredness that goes away after taking a few days off studying or after exams are over

• butterflies and jitters ahead of the exam

• anxiety or irritability while studying but feeling better while taking a break and distracting themselves with something else.

The key thing is to recognise when your teen’s stress has tipped over from being a motivating force to something that impacts both their ability to study and other parts of their life. Some signs include:

• not making time for much else other than studying

• being withdrawn or disengaged

• a loss of interest in the things they usually enjoy

• changes in their sleeping or eating habits

• skin issues, such as acne breakouts or eczema flares

• nausea or stomach issues

• chest pain or tightness

• increased heart rate and sweating

• feeling grumpy or irritable

• teeth grinding and jaw clenching

• restlessness, including nail biting and fidgeting

What can you do to support your teen?

Help with time management and concentration:

• You can help your teen to focus by suggesting they set aside regular social media–free time and by creating a dedicated study space. 

• Give them some guidance or feedback on how to make a study schedule.

• Emphasise the importance of maintaining study–life balance for staying energised and preventing burnout.

• Download some free wellbeing and productivity apps together

• Make sure they’re eating the right foods to give their brain a boost while studying.

Provide reassurance around their results and future

• Remind your teen that there are different pathway options, no matter what happens, and that people who’ve had setbacks can still go on to achieve great things. 

• Help them to shift their mindset around uncertainty and about the things they can or can’t control.

Help them to unwind and keep their stress levels down

• Make sure they take regular breaks, don’t consume too much caffeine and get enough sleep. 

• If they’re struggling with sleep, work together to improve their sleep hygiene.

• Identify ways of exercising that they will enjoy.

• Slowing down can improve feelings of being more in control, stay on top of their tasks and improve time management

Communicate with your teen and get extra support

• It’s important that your teen knows you’re there for them during stressful times. 

• Talking about mental health with your teen will help you to understand when they might need extra support beyond their family and friends.

Exams can be an intense period for your teen. You being there to cheer them on and support through the ups and downs can do a lot to help them manage their stress levels and keep them feeling positive about life after exams.

You can learn about how to have great conversations here or visit https://parents.au.reachout.com/ which offers free support for parents of teens. The Pastoral Care team wishes all Y10 – 12 students the best as they prepare for Semester 1 exams. We are always here to support students and families alike.

The Pastoral Care Team