Resilience and Motivation During Exams – Looking After Yourself
Looking After Yourself – Eating and Sleeping Well During Exam Periods!
In the run-up to exams, sometimes you can forget to look after yourself. Ensuring you are eating and sleeping well is essential to ensuring that you stay fully focused on your exam preparation and you perform to the best of your ability!
Eat to fuel your brain:
- It may be tempting, but don’t skip meals! Try to have regular meals to keep your energy stable throughout the day, with breakfast, lunch and dinner as a minimum.
- Choose brain-friendly foods, which are whole grains, fruit, veg, oily fish, nuts, and seeds. These can all help with concentration and memory!
- Snack smart – Swap sugary snacks for things like fruit, yoghurt, or a handful of nuts. They’re not only better for your brain and help avoid energy crashes, but they can be better for your teeth, as long as you don’t constantly snack throughout the day.
Prioritise sleep
- Aim for 7–9 hours a night, this will prevent you from wanting to nap throughout the day.
- Keep a routine and try going to bed and waking up at the same time each day to keep your body clock in check.
- Avoid screens before bed, as the blue light from phones and laptops can make it harder to fall asleep. Maybe try reading or listening to music instead.
I hope I have reignited lots of resilience and motivation into everyone around this challenging time, but remember: progress isn’t always linear—what matters is that you keep going and respond positively to setbacks, however big or small they may be!
You can read more in my series of Resilience and Motivation Blogs here:
- The Power of “Why?” and “What?” – Connecting exam success to your future aspirations
- Personal experience of resilience and motivation
- Managing Time in Exams – Strategies for pacing yourself to avoid rushing or running out of time
- Bouncing Back: Dealing with Disappointments and Moving Forward
If you have any further questions, or would like to chat to me further about staying focused during your exams, please feel free to email me and I will be more than happy to assist and share experiences!
Jessica 😊
