How to Identify Early Warning Signs of Exam Anxiety in Students

When we get confident at identifying early signs of exam anxiety, in our students, we put ourselves in a great position to offer a range of stress reduction strategies. As we recognise the signs we can teach ways to manage the feelings that trigger them. This then becomes part of a ‘big picture anxiety’ management programme.

Each student will have their own weakness to stress, just as we all have.  We each respond differently to different push points. And we all have certain areas of our physical and emotional make up that show the world how we’re managing our feelings on the inside.

It’s these inside conflicts that show up on the outside. Once we’re aware of how problems come out for different students, we’ll feel better equipped to help them handle them. We’ll them be able to look for ways to help them manage their exam stress with personalised stress reduction strategies.

An obvious initial sign of distress  can show up in our physical body.

Physical Changes

Start to be alert to how your exam cohort of students present themselves.

How are students showing their exam anxiety in their body? Perhaps they have regular headaches or stomach-aches which come on at predictable times in the school calendar.

You may notice this before a class test, or when they’re asked to do something they find challenging or overwhelming.

• What are you aware of?
• What comes up?
• Are there any patterns in their behaviour?
• Do they start to avoid completing set homework or miss deadlines?
• Are they behaving any differently – or out of the norm, for them?
• Are they avoiding study sessions?
• Perhaps they are showing signs of restlessness and there’s an increase in fidgeting or they’re unable to sit still and focussed for the lesson

As well as changes in physical patterns of behaviour, and acting differently from their usual self, you may see individuals becoming withdrawn and showing a general lack of interest in life around them.

Apathy and disinterest stem from a number of things, but often it’s because we feel any of our efforts won’t change how things are – as we see them.

Students may feel overwhelmed and figure it’s easier for them to take themselves out of the situation than to struggle and find they can’t do what they feel they should or want to.

When we withdraw, we may also stop taking good care of ourselves.

You may notice some students are sleepy – because they aren’t following a usual sleep pattern. Or perhaps they are sleeping too much because they’re taking themselves away from what worries them. And hiding under a duvet lets them do that.

They may also ease up of their personal hygiene habits or turn to other substances to help them feel temporarily better about themselves and the situation.

There are any number of ways your individual students may show their state of mind and levels of stress. Some may be harder to spot but as you know your students best, you’ll find you’re able to read the situation better.

Ability to study

Of course it’s in the area of study, learning, test preparation and exams that our students will show how things are for them ‘on the inside’.

• What about a student’s ability to focus on the lesson?
• How is their attention span?
• Are you noticing they switch off quickly and find it hard to give a lesson full attention?
• Are they finding it hard to link thoughts, make associations, remember or recall

This may be because they find a topic challenging, and hard to understand, or it could be a symptom of a bigger concentration challenge. It could be that early intervention, and some simple strategies may be all you need to help rebuild confidence.

Emotional Upset

Self-criticism is a common in exams, especially when we’re frustrated with the immediate situation. But if this is ongoing, then perhaps a student has deeper concerns of self-doubt which will affect their learning.

• Are you aware of students talking down to themselves of not believing in their ability to study?
• What are you hearing them say to themselves or to others about themselves
• Are they becoming too upset to do their exams?
• Has something triggered their emotions, making it difficult for them to manage their thinking?

Social behaviour

As well as withdrawing from study tasks, students may feel less interested in mixing within their social group.  This should be an obvious one to spot and friends and peers will soon pick up if someone is not engaging on social media, or in person.

Shutting ourselves off from comment is a natural self-protection mechanism.

Stress Management Solutions

Many of the situations suggested above can be helped with early stress management solutions.

The obvious long-term solution is to create a personalised exam reaction plan for each student.  Whilst a school-based strategy works well in general, we know we all respond to different ways of doing things.

Try all the general and best practice Mindful techniques that come recommended.

If you can, tweak your approach for each student and show them how to create their own plan,

A plan helps us move forward.  When you work with students and involve them in their own solutions, you have more chance of helping them change how they manage their exam anxiety.

Student well being is a top priority.  When you help them map out their own stress management solution, you’ll teach them lifelong ways to manage stress.  And the long term result of that is priceless.