How to survive exam season - and thrive!

What to eat

When you’re stressed, your body’s demand for vitamin B intensifies. “Add more whole grains to your diet, as well as porridge, brown rice, wholegrain breads, wholemeal cous cous, muesli and even healthy muesli bars,” says nutritionist Zoë Bingley-Pullin from Nutritional Edge in Sydney.

To lower your levels of the stress hormone cortisol, vitamin C is also a goodie, she says. Top up on this vitamin with coloured fruit and veg like oranges, kiwi fruit, capsicum, lemons and limes. 

And don’t forget your brain-boosting good fats. “Omega-3 and omega-6 fats flaunt pretty good credentials,” Bingley-Pullin says. 

What to drink

Two words: stay hydrated. According to Nisa, a law student and exam-veteran who writes for the Victorian Government's Youth Central portal (a web-based initiative for young people aged 12-25), “Not being able to fall asleep the night before an exam drives up your stress levels, so avoid beverages like coffee, or high energy drinks unless they’re decaffeinated.”

Naturopath and author Penelope Sachs recommends also winding down with an organic chamomile tea.

Sleep on it

Ah, sweet sleep—it refreshes the mind and helps you turn over ideas faster than you can say ‘Usain Bolt’. To boost the quality of your slumber, try Sach’s best tips:

• Avoid a heavy meal before you hit the hay. “Rich sauces and alcohol will stimulate digestion and the mind. If you are eating these foods, have them at least four hours before you go to bed.”
• Calcium relaxes the nerves. Magnesium does, too. So if you’re can’t shake feelings of tension see your healthcare professional or naturopath and find out whether a supplement is for you.
• Go zen. Meditating before bed or simply doing something supremely chilled will be a big help during times of stress—this will quieten your mind and prepare your body for sleep.

The night before…

If you can avoid cramming, your mind will thank you for it. As Nisa says, study up until the afternoon (or night before if you’re at work during the day), then relax your brain in the evening: “The best way to reduce anxiety is by taking the night off before an exam: watch TV, talk to a friend, read a novel.”

Before you slip off to sleep, make sure you know where you’re headed for tomorrow’s exam (triple check the location) and have all your equipment in order—pens, calculator, water bottle, tissues, watch…

And as youth mental health initiative, Reach Out, says: “There's always a light at the end of the tunnel.  Exams have a beginning and an end, and the stress that goes along with them should end with the exam.  Once the paper's in, there's nothing more you can do to (legally) influence the outcome—which means it's now time to chill and enjoy the summer.”

Good luck!

References available on request