Feeling tense before an exam is normal and even useful — it sharpens attention. It stops being useful when it interferes with sleeping, eating, or thinking clearly.
What helps, and is actually supported by evidence
- Sleep before revision. A tired brain cannot store what it read. All-nighters reliably lower marks.
- Short blocks with real breaks — around 40 minutes of work, then 10 minutes away from the desk and the phone.
- Testing yourself instead of re-reading. Closing the book and writing what you remember is far more effective than reading the page again, though it feels harder.
- Moving. A 20-minute walk lowers stress hormones measurably.
- Eating regularly. Skipping meals to study makes concentration worse, not better.
Things that feel like they help but do not
- Studying with the phone nearby, even face down
- Long study sessions without breaks
- Energy drinks and heavy caffeine late in the day — they cost you the sleep that consolidates memory
- Comparing your progress with friends'
Talking about it
Telling a parent, a teacher, or a friend that you are struggling is not a failure and it does not make the pressure worse. Most people find it lifts noticeably.
When it is more than exam stress
Please tell a trusted adult, or a doctor, if you have:
- Trouble sleeping for more than two weeks
- Lost interest in everything, including things you used to enjoy
- Panic attacks — a racing heart, breathlessness, a feeling of dread
- Been eating far more or far less than usual for weeks
- Any thought of harming yourself
If you are thinking about harming yourself, tell someone today. Tele-MANAS, India's national mental health helpline, is free and available 24×7 on 14416. This is exactly what it is for, and calling is not an overreaction.