By Tom Swarbrick, Content Team contributor

It’s a daunting feeling approaching exams. Time begins to feel heavy, minutes weighing in the reminder that you are un-prepared, it feels like September was only weeks ago. Studying used to be a thrilling test-of-wits, an excitable little challenge, but now the contents of subjects once loved only give rise to dread, stress and anxiety.

Fortunately, exam-related stress is not a challenge anyone will face alone, it’s extremely common and widespread affecting up to 85% of students (1). It’s important to learn and implement healthy routines and practices for coping with this anxiety before it lays dormant long enough to have lasting impacts on one’s quality of life (2). But how exactly should you go about managing exam anxiety?

1 – Routine

Sadly we cannot just ignore studying to help reduce anxiety, exams are imminent and revision has to be done, but there are certainly more progressive ways to approach studying that lead to less anxiety. By having a routine each day, and finding a well-suited time slot to factor in revision, we become perceptually ready to take on the task and it begins to feel much more manageable (3). It is also suggested that having consistency in other habits (beyond studying) can help prevent and reduce general anxiety (4). A simple example is a healthy morning routine, which can include: waking up at the same time each day, drinking water, sunlight exposure and minimal screentime (5). And following such routines, we often feel a sense of achievement, which may translate into greater self-confidence in our future exam abilities (6)

2- Exercise

“If physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure”  – UK Chief Medical Officers, 2019

The benefits of exercise are immense and impact on many areas, one of those being our mental health. By incorporating some exercise into our lives on a regular basis, our capacity to cope with exam anxiety should hopefully see some improvement (7). Many people shy away from exercise however as they’re quick to assume they need to start running half-marathons before the sun is up, or embark on their professional football career. This is not the case. Walking is considered exercise, and is demonstrated to reduce symptoms of both depression and anxiety across numerous studies (8). So if the idea of dedicating a fair few hours a week to a sport is beyond your reach, all it takes is a few less car journeys to begin reducing anxiety symptoms. In more severe experiences of anxiety however, more intensive exercise may be beneficial for reducing panic-related symptoms (9).

3- Socialising

When preparing for exams, time is often not on your side, and it becomes rather easy to convince yourself that every moment needs to be utilised for study. Whilst this dedication is admirable, it’s unrealistic, and no set of exams is worth turning your social life completely upside-down. Studies report that maintaining friendships is key for accessing emotional support and reducing our stress levels, which can lead to improved concentration on studies (Fleming & Baum, 1986). It may also be advisable to revise alongside friends, especially if they’re achieving well, as you can relay ideas and potentially see topics from newfound perspectives (10; 11). Perhaps you may want to re–frame studying entirely, turn it into something fun (within reason). You can visit your local cafe and spend a few hours sipping fresh coffee making most of that focus-enhancing background noise whilst you’re at it.

4- Reducing intra-exam anxiety

The exam itself is likely when anxiety will be at its worst, this is expected and can be prepared for. One of the most effective methods is mindful breathing. This involves slowing your breathing and focusing attention on the present moment – yes, even under time-restrained exams. The positives of taking a moment’s break from chronic writing will almost certainly be worth the lost time, compensated by the improved quality of work. Mindful breathing may also be used in advance of exams, not just to prepare for the stress, but to increase positive thoughts, permitting greater confidence on the day of (11). And mindfulness is beneficial beyond it’s calming effects, it can help you focus on the present rather than worrying about exam failure or undesired outcomes. This can be done by deliberately changing how you frame your thoughts towards exams, e.g. instead of thinking “I’m going to fail this exam” you could say: “I am nervous because I have worked hard for this” (12; 13).

The Bottom Line

Exams are unavoidable, anxiety will unfold, but that is natural. Fortunately there is always time before to adjust your surroundings and study in more mentally healthy ways. Finding the appropriate balance between focus and leisure is different for everyone, but neither should be rejected or over-permitted. Not all anxiety-reducing techniques are guarenteed to work, it is again about finding that which is best suited for you.

References

1. Undrell, J. (2025, January 2). 85% of UK Students Experience Exam Anxiety. Save My Exams. https://www.savemyexams.com/learning-hub/news/exam-anxiety-survey-results/
2. Scott, A. J., Bisby, M. A., Heriseanu, A. I., Hathway, T., Karin, E., Gandy, M., … & Dear, B. F. (2022). Understanding the untreated course of anxiety disorders in treatment-seeking samples: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of anxiety disorders, 89, 102590.
3. Brown, K. (2022). The Rhythm of Your Life: The Effects of Daily Routine on Mental Health.
4. Northwestern Medicine. (2022, December). Health Benefits of Having a Routine. Northwestern Medicine; Northwestern Medicine. https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/health-benefits-of-having-a-routine
5. Tatarintev, D., & Rudenco, I. (2024). Best morning routine for boosting motivation, productivity and health.
6. Srivastava, S. K. (2013). To Study the Effect of Academic Achievement on the Level of Self Confidence. Journal of Psychosocial Research, 8(1).
7. Păduraru, M. E. (2018). Coping strategies for exam stress. Mental Health: Global Challenges Journal, 1(1), 64-66.
8. Xu, Z., Zheng, X., Ding, H., Zhang, D., Cheung, P. M. H., Yang, Z., … & Wong, S. Y. S. (2024). The effect of walking on depressive and anxiety symptoms: systematic review and meta-analysis. JMIR public health and surveillance, 10(1), e48355.
9. Machado, S., Telles, G., Magalhaes, F., Teixeira, D., Amatriain-Fernandez, S., Budde, H., … & Sa Filho, A. S. (2022). Can regular physical exercise be a treatment for panic disorder? A systematic review. Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, 22(1), 53-64.
10. Fleming, R., & Baum, A. (1986). Social support and stress: The buffering effects of friendship. In Friendship and social interaction (pp. 207-226). New York, NY: Springer New York.
11. Shin, H., & Ryan, A. M. (2014). Early adolescent friendships and academic adjustment: examining selection and influence processes with longitudinal social network analysis. Developmental psychology, 50(11), 2462.
12. Cho, H., Ryu, S., Noh, J., & Lee, J. (2016). The Effectiveness of Daily Mindful Breathing Practices on Test Anxiety of Students. PloS one, 11(10), e0164822.
13. Sun, Y., Lv, K., Xie, W., & Wang, Y. (2025). The effectiveness of brief mindfulness training in reducing test anxiety among high school students. BMC psychology, 13(1), 205.
14. Wolfe, E. C., Thompson, A. G., Brunyé, T. T., Caroline Davis, F., Grover, D., Haga, Z., Doyle, T., Goyal, A., Shaich, H., & Urry, H. L. (2023). Ultra-brief training in cognitive reappraisal or mindfulness reduces anxiety and improves motor performance efficiency under stress. Anxiety, stress, and coping, 36(5), 555–576.