It's all a bit too much.

Chloe234

I don't know I feel like everything is just alot right now. My mental health is awful but it's not the worst it's ever been. And the stress is coming in small waves and massive ways it's all just alot.

I've done 2 of my exams for my gcses and I've just realised how much my mental health is impacting my performance in them. Both exams I've come out really disappointed in how I feel I've done and yesterday after I come out the exam I just completely broke down. Everything's just too much and I couldn't cope. I couldn't stop crying and I've not cried in so so long that now I just feel defeated and destroyed and painfully numb.

I'm finding it hard to find any motivation to revise but then I know that if I don't revise I'll have the same outcome as I have my first exam. But alongside all that I feel obliged to act okay. I'm supposed to be happy...I'm leaving school next month. But I'm not. I'm not happy.

ella

@Chloe234 It's perfectly valid to feel overwhelmed when juggling your mental health, exam pressure, and the expectation of happiness during a major life transition- there is a lot on your plate right now!

While your mental health may not be at its absolute worst, acknowledging the impact it's having on your performance shows an amazing level of self-awareness and it sounds like you could be experiencing a bit of a burnout and the the breakdown after your exam was most likely a natural response to the built up stress I read a great article about burnout which might resonate with you:

https://kidshelpline.com.au/young-adults/issues/coping-burnout

I want to explore ways we can support you through this period, though. Would it be helpful to discuss techniques for managing exam stress or do you jus need a place to vent and we can listen?

We are here for you Chloe- you are doing so well and we are all so proud of you

Chloe234

Thankyou @ella

I guess yeah I could be, I'll take a read thankyou

It could be helpful to discuss techniques but then i don't really know if anything will work. I think tmmr I might get dad to drop me in town so I can have a beach day as a break and then I've got an online Google meet revision session 7pm-9pm for English Lit on Monday which I'll do.

Sleep was a bit all over the place for a bit so I think that made things a bit worse but I spoke to my old dt teacher and she suggested downloading a podcast app and listening to a sleepy bookshelf thing bc it's what she does and I tried it and I was asleep in like 5 mins lol.

I just wish I was coping better with it because now I've not had the best 'experience' with the first 2 exams I'm nervous for the rest

Former Member

Hey dear.
It's ok to cry. Tell that to yourself.
Yes it's normal. Taking exams is really stressful and overwhelming.
Sending love.
Take it at ur own paste.

Orchid059

Hi @Chloe234 it sounds like you are going through an incredibly tricky time right now. It is perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed and anxious in this incredibly stressful exam period. It sounds like you are in a bit of a vicious circle where your mental health feels low which influences how you perform in your exam and as a result of that, this negatively impacts your mental health- it can sometimes feel like it is difficult to break free from that cycle. Can I just say though, that it takes such courage to come onto this platform and acknowledge how you are feeling and to seek support, and the fact that you have attended all your exams to date is such a huge accomplishment and you should be proud of yourself!

I feel like school puts so much pressure on students to achieve good grades but at the end of the day, you also need to prioritise yourself and your mental health. Have you had a chat with the school to see if there are any adjustments that could be put into place to make you more comfortable? For example, could you be placed in a separate room or be granted extra time?

I would also suggest talking to your fellow peers at this time as building a support network of people who are also sitting exams might provide reassurance for you and make you feel less alone in how you are feeling.

Regarding your sleep I would recommend the Calm app (https://calm.com/) which guides you through useful meditations that can be specialised for sleep as well as just general day to day anxieties.

Keep reaching out to us and let us know how you get on with your exams.

We are always here for you