The increased stress around exams is, I believe, not related to the exams themselves, but the risk of failure. A generation ago, under-performance was disappointing but contained. Now, exam results are shared across social media and available online, massively increasing the exposure to judgement from others. Herein lies the greatest risk associated with increased exam stress.
The primary focus on our work is on YOU; removing comparison. There are always going to be people who are better than you in some things, therefore comparing yourself to them is an unfair comparison. However, when you compare yourself against yourself of yesterday, that is a fair comparison. And each time you do the best you can, that is success.
Creating this new benchmark for success also brings a greater sense of control back into life – and where there is control, there is less vulnerability, less anxiety. We then focus on what you can do to be the best YOU can be, creating a new motivation to perform, based on control rather than risk.
The number of sessions required varies from teenager to teenager but typically only 2-3 sessions are required and resources are available to support the teen in continued development of their new mental approach to exams.
For more information on supporting teenagers please access:
Sarah