Helping to cope with the stress of exams

It is exam season in the UK – a time for stress, anxiety, worries and, eventually, relief. Both students and parents will find the next few weeks a trying time which need not be as stressful as it usually appears to be.

The NHS says children and young people who experience stress during these times may worry a lot, feel tense, get lots of headaches and stomach pains, not sleep well, be irritable, lose interest in food or eat more than normal and seem hopeless about the future.

In its advice to parents, the NHS says: “Remind your child that feeling anxious is normal. Nervousness is a natural reaction to exams. The key is to put these nerves to positive use. If anxiety seems to be getting in the way rather than helping, encourage your child to practise the sort of activities they will be doing on the day of the exam. Help your child to face their fears and see these activities through rather than escape or avoid them.”

And support group Childline says lots of the children who contact them feel that most pressure at exam time comes from their family. It advises that parents should try to listen to their children, give support, avoid criticism and, before they go in for a test or exam, be reassuring and positive.

The NHS also advises that while some young people feel much better once exams are over, it is not the case for all young people.

“If your child’s anxiety or low mood is severe, persists and interferes with their everyday life, it’s a good idea to get some help.”

But help is available through clinical hypnotherapy before during and after exams which can help both students and parents. The National Council for Hypnotherapy is the largest not-for-profit professional hypnotherapy body in the UK with almost 2,000 qualified therapists on its nation-wide directory.

Dealing with stress and anxiety is common for clinical hypnotherapists and the NCH says at least one in seven people suffers from stress or anxiety related issues daily in the UK and while some people manage, more and more people are showing signs of over-anxiety, which leads to stress. And this can make a significant impact on the quality of life and well being.

After treatment for anxiety by a hypnotherapist people may feel more confident and more relaxed in situations that were tough or challenging. Many people say that they are calmer and that they have more clarity of thought and able to make decisions more easily, which is crucial if studying or writing exams.

“Those who have experienced side effects of anxiety such as insomnia, find that they are sleeping much better and as a result are able to work more effectively,” says the NCH. “It is as if hypnotherapy unlocks the potential you have to break free of negative thought patterns, and to react positively and confidently to situations that may have previously made you anxious.”

If you or your child needs help for anxiety and stress, the NCH directory lists all currently active NCH Registered Hypnotherapists, which is your assurance of a well-trained, ethical and insured hypnotherapist.

For the most precise results, please search using your full postcode. If you search using a town, county or partial postcode, the results will be from the centre of that area.