Exam Stress...

Currently at my school, we're having a mock 'week' (it lasts two and a half weeks..) and the teachers are putting so much pressure on the students to do well, to revise, and to keep up with homework/activities outside of school. For a lot of people, this is no bother; "oh, it's only mocks, I ain't gonna revise" but this is the real world, and you have to at least try. 

Personally, I feel that I have even more pressure to do well. I don't think people quite understand this, but there is an immense amount of pressure on the naturally smart/smarter people, because they feel that they cannot make a mistake. 
I feel like I have to do well, in every test, because if I make a mistake, or completely f*ck it up,I think that people are going to make fun of me, and say things like "Ohhhhh, Dottie got a bad grade!" I know that people won't say this, or be rude, but it's pressure to do well. Also, I feel that I have to compete with my sister (people with siblings will understand this one), because she got amazing grades when she was my age, and I don't want to feel like a let-down. 

There are two things I want to write about in this post. The first is why it's wrong to put so much pressure on teenagers, and the second is what you can do if you're feeling stressed, or worried about exams, or anything else. 

Okay, so when teachers, and parents, put pressure on teenagers, schoolchildren, to do well and to get top grades in their exams, it does nothing to help. 

We know we have to do well, and revise, and work hard. We know it all already. Teenagers give themselves a bad time an awful lot, we beat ourselves up over little things. You, keeping on at us, does not help. At all. 

Secondly, putting pressure on teens makes us even more stressed. We're already worried about things like our appearance, and just small things, so to worry about school makes it all 100 times worse. Our emotions are little all over the place,  so small things can tip us over the edge. 

I know that I can end up crying hysterically after a brilliant day, because I'm tired and just feel like small things are piling up around me.

Pressure makes it waaaayyyy worse. 

But what I do when I'm stressed out are the following: 

• Listen to music (it really, really helps).  
• Social media. Just scrolling through news feeds, seeing other people's lives makes me feel, if not better, then distracted. 
• Clean your room. 
• Cry it out. It feels crappy, but you will feel better. 
• If you're not super-stressed, then do the work you need to get done. It will help you feel better to know you'll have less to do nearer the deadline date.
• Talk to someone. 
• If you can't talk to someone, write it all out on this site: http://thequietplaceproject.com/thethoughtsroom/ everything you write is anonymous, and not saved, and it's strangely satisfying to watch your thoughts disappear. 
• Finally, I cannot stress how much music helps (I put it already, I know), because we all have a feel-good song. Put it on, dance around and just forget. It helps. 

If you need any more ideas, then take a look at the following blog post: http://highlyfunctioningblogger.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/10-things-to-do-when-youre-feeling-low.html

That's all for now, I guess.. 

- Dottie.