Helping Your Teenager Cope with Exam Stress

Exams are a challenging part of school life for young people. The pressure to do well feels overwhelming and they are often worried about exams long before they sit them.

The exam period can be a difficult time for the whole family, too. Many parents struggle to know how to provide the best support, but helping your teenager to deal with stress leading up to exams can benefit both you and them.

Teenagers aren’t always good at expressing how they feel. If you are unsure how your child is coping, look out for some of these warning signs that stress might be affecting them.

Signs of exam stress

• • They become withdrawn or disengaged

• • Changes in their eating or sleeping habits

• • Headache and stomach-ache complaints

• • Feeling irritable

• • Loss of interest in things they usually enjoy

• • Negative self-talk such as, “I can’t do this”

• • Low mood

• • Loss of perspective, thinking that their whole life will fall apart if they do not succeed in their exams