Navigating study stress: Your guide to finding balance during this exam season
As December approaches and final exams loom, you may find yourself noticing some familiar signs as study time begins. Anxiety in your chest, racing thoughts at 2AM, or an overwhelming urge to reorganize your closet instead of opening a textbook. If this sounds like you then please, take a deep breath. You are not alone and what you’re experiencing is completely normal.
Understanding Exam Stress
Exam stress is one of the most universal experiences in university or college life. This stress feels like a bad thing, but feeling some stress before exams isn’t just normal, it’s actually helpful.
Think of stress like a volume dial. Turn it too low and you have no motivation, urgency or drive to crack open those books. Turn it too high and suddenly you can’t think straight, you’re paralyzed by anxiety and your brain feels as if it is short-circuiting.
The middle is that sweet spot where the magic happens. You’re alert, focused, motivated and performing at your best.
The goal isn’t to live completely stress-free; it’s about finding that middle ground where stress works for you instead of against you.
When Stress Crosses the Line
So how do you know when stress has cranked past “helpful” into “harmful”? Pay attention to your thoughts, body sensations and behaviours.
Do you find yourself avoiding study materials altogether? Having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much? Feeling persistent anxiety that just won’t go away, even when you are actually prepared for an exam? These are signs that things have tipped too far and sometimes just talking through what you are feeling with an empathetic friend or family member can help.
Immediate Relief: Techniques for Right Now
When you’re in the middle of this stress spiral, you need tools that work quickly and effectively to bring some immediate relief. Here are two quick techniques that work:
Box Breathing: Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, and hold empty for 4. Repeat 4-5 times. This works because slow, controlled breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system, basically telling your body, “We’re safe, we can calm down now.” You can do this anywhere: in the library, before an exam or lying in bed at 3am.
5-Minute Guided Meditation: If you have a few minutes and some headphones you can also try a quick guided meditation. There are many free options online. Meditation helps quiet the mental chatter and brings your focus back to the present moment instead of spiraling over what-ifs. Sometimes having someone’s voice guide you through breathing and quieting your mind is very helpful when you begin to feel the stress.
Building Sustainable Study Habits
Getting relief in the moment is a great starting point, but setting yourself up for success moving forward can help even more. Here are a few tips for building sustainable study habits:
The Pomodoro Method: This one is simple: study for 25 minutes then take a 5-minute break. Repeat 4 times, then add in a longer 30-minute break. Your brain is not designed for marathon study sessions. In fact, studying for too long without giving your mind a rest can lead to mental fatigue. This is why you sometimes stare at a page for a long time before realizing you haven’t absorbed a single word. Pomodoro prevents this from happening.
Set up a Study Group: Getting together with friends or classmates for study sessions can help fill knowledge gaps and foster a sense of connection. There is also emotional value in knowing your peers are struggling with the same material. Sometimes just hearing someone else say, “I have no idea what’s happening in Chapter 7, either,” can be incredibly validating.
Prioritize Sleep: Sleep is when your brain processes and stores everything you’ve studied. All-nighters might feel productive in the moment, but you’re actually sabotaging yourself. Try to keep sleep and wake times consistent and reduce blue light from screens an hour before bedtime.
Reward Your Effort, Not Just Your Results
Here’s something we don’t talk about often enough: your effort deserves recognition, regardless of how the exam went.
After each exam do something kind for yourself such as:
Watch a favourite movie or show
Take a long walk without your phone
Make your favourite meal
Sleep in
Spend a few hours doing nothing productive
These are not luxuries or indulgences, they are essentials. You just put your brain through an intense workout, and it’s okay to honour that effort.
The Silver Lining: Something to Look Forward To
After you finish writing an exam, it helps to acknowledge something positive. When exams are done, you have an entire holiday break waiting for you. Time off, time with loved ones and time to not open a textbook for a while. This challenging period has an expiration date, and rest is coming.
You’ve Got This!
Exam stress is real and it is common. Understanding where your stress level is and having some quick tools in your back pocket can help get you through exam season without burning out.
If any of this is hitting close to home, reaching out for support is not admitting defeat, it’s being smart about taking care of yourself.
At Just Us, many of our counselling interns have been exactly where you are. Our team is made up of post-graduate students who have recently finished their Master’s coursework and are doing their practicum under supervision.
They have all recently experienced their own final exams, late-night studying sessions and that specific brand of December panic. They get it, not just professionally, but personally. They know what exam stress feels like and they’re here to help you navigate whatever you are facing.
Book a free counselling session with one of our compassionate counselling interns.