Is Someone Coping with Exam Stress?
Begin by keeping a careful eye out for specific signs of stress
- these are typical:
Emotional signs:
- Angry and impatient with people?
- Close to tears over small events?
- Behaving differently from usual, including excessive drinking
or smoking?
- Isolated from people around you?
- self deprecating comments "I know I'll never pass... John's
much brighter than me..."
- calls for help such as 'hanging round' seeming to want to
talk
Physical signs:
- Sleeplessness
- Loss of appetite or irregular eating
- Panic attacks and difficulty breathing
- Tight, knotty feelings in the stomach
- Low energy and lack of concentration
- Loss of interest in anything but work
Any one of these signs of
stress should alert you that there's a problem - several signs and
alarm bells should be ringing. And be aware that it's not just the
hard workers and high achievers who get stressed out. Students with
a more moderate track record may be the ones who get most upset
because they want to achieve and fear they can't.
Find
out what you can do to reduce your stress
How
can you support someone else?