Before

• Clean and tidy your study space
• Create a schedule to manage your study time, include resting, food and some fun to ensure balance
• Organise your modules, use different colour pens and index cards to
• Think about your support network-who in your network makes you feel calm, think about putting boundaries in with those that don’t

During

• Ensure your mobile phone is off and you have all the equipment you need for the exam
• Arrive in plenty of time, try to listen to your favorite music or have some space to yourself to prepare
• If you notice anxious thoughts, try counting down from 100 or naming an animal for each letter of the alphabet,.

After

• Leave to avoid a postmortem with course mates- this can be unhelpful
• Get some fresh air
• Rest
• Eat
• Do something you enjoy

Calming techniques

Tense and relax

• Sit comfortably in your chair
• Ideally choose a time when you will not be interrupted
• Tense one of your muscles just enough to notice what it feels like, but don’t over do it
• For example, clench your fist, screw up your face muscles, scrunch your toes, hunch your shoulders
• Hold the tension for about 3-5 seconds, then release
• Once you have done this a few times, move onto another muscle

Distraction

• If you begin to notice your negative thoughts are cycling and you are unable to focus it can be helpful
  to try some quick and easy distraction techniques
• Try counting backwards from 100 in 3’s
• Name animals, countries, foods for each letter of the alphabet
• This distracts you from those thoughts and can support you to move on and focus

Visualisation

• Close your eyes and take a deep breath
• Imagine a place that feels as calm and peaceful as you possibly can
• You might imagine a sandy beach, a woodland, a place you visited as a child, a field, your bedroom–
  whatever is your ideal safe haven.
• Visualise this place in as much detail as you can.
• Notice how you feel in this place.
• If you don’t feel calm, try somewhere else.

Wellbeing and Student Support remain open and running as usual. You can access a brief consultation Monday to Friday by submitting an enquiry on the Wellbeing Portal