Whether in a school, college or work environment, examinations can be a difficult time for most people.
Exams can be particularly stressful for some people, depending on previous experience of exams and the level of support you may have around you.
Your own and other people’s expectations may be a source of pressure you may be feeling at this time.
You may find that your appetite has lessened, or that you are forgetting meals because of an intensive study schedule. You may also find yourself deliberately skipping meals.
Study snacks may become a source of comfort for you if you are particularly anxious about the exams. It may be that your snacking gets out of control or you may become reliant upon it.
You may find yourself exercising very regularly as a means of coping with the stress of the exam period. Again if this becomes something you are relying on to feel okay, there may be a bigger issue there.
All of the above are natural reactions to the stress that may arise around exam time. The important thing is to recognise if a healthy balance starts to slip out of your routine.
During the exams:
• Do your best to regulate meals and sleep: keeping your energy up is an important part of getting through the exams process.
• Plan your time and remember to take regular breaks
• Find ways to relax that let you take your mind off exams. Try to plan activities every week that let you unwind completely even for a few hours.
• If you feel that you are not coping with the pressure of upcoming exams, the sooner you speak to someone the better. Try reaching out to a friend, a parent or a teacher.
• Don’t allow yourself to become isolated by the eating disorder. Your friends and family members can help you to get through this difficult period.
• Do talk to someone. If you have previously received treatment for an eating disorder, it may be useful to let people around you know that the issues are arising again. Alternatively you can contact Bodywhys for confidential support.
• Don’t put pressure on yourself to confront the eating disorder immediately. Acknowledge that the issue is there, and plan to deal with it when you have the time and space to do so after the exams.
After the exams:
• Do give yourself credit for getting through the exams – no matter what the results, working towards the exams is an achievement in itself and it is important to recognise that.
• Exams are often the end of an era and the start of a new challenge. It is natural to feel apprehensive about this sense of change, but it is important that you think about how you might cope with that change.
• It’s a good idea to make plans for what to do in the days after your exams end. Try to give yourself something new to focus on – this may be a trip you are planning, or a new project to work on over the summer months.
• For those who are experiencing an eating disorder, it is very important to create a balance between relaxing and recuperating post-exams, but also keeping to some kind of routine in order to minimise the extent to which you feel out of control.
• If the exam period has brought the eating disorder to the fore, when the exams are over it may be the time to begin to think about getting appropriate help and support.
In case of relapse:
• Do reassure yourself: relapse is very common amongst people who have experienced an eating disorder at some point in their lives.
• Do try to take charge of the situation as soon as possible. Stop and think about what is happening and focus on why it might be happening.
• Don’t think this means you have ‘failed’ in your recovery. Relapse is part of the recovery process. Remember, it is important to take one step at a time and to recognise that using the relapse as something to learn from is an opportunity for a positive outcome. Going back a little isn’t the end of the world - the important point is to try to understand the ‘whys’ of the relapse so that you can begin to move forward again.
• Do seek support and reassurance from others. You may feel overwhelmed and may need help to deal with those feelings.
• Do acknowledge what has happened and try to take some positives from the experience.
Exams cause a very natural level of stress for the majority of people in schools and colleges around the country every year.
For those affected by eating disorders, exams and the pressures associated with exams can pose a particular problem.
Sometimes people who have an eating disorder find that the post-exam period is actually more difficult and stressful to deal with than the exam period itself.
The sudden lack of focus, lack of a goal to strive for, and the change in routine, can be very difficult to manage. This can often intensify feelings of being out of control and disordered eating behaviours.
In fact, often this is the time that people with an eating disorder need more support.
Tips:
• If you have not done so already, get as much information as you can about eating disorders so that you are better placed to support your child
• Remember that an eating disorder is a coping mechanism, and that dealing with the underlying issues will be vital to reaching and sustaining a recovery.
• Speak to your child, and let them know that they can speak to you. It is vital to reassure them that they have a support network available to them.
• Help your child to manage their time, including study plans and mealtimes, to remove as many stressors as possible from the situation.
• If your child has previously received counselling/other assistance for a diagnosed eating disorder, it may be useful to revisit this option.
• Support your child in making plans for the weeks and months after the exams. Having new goals and a new focus will help your child to move forward.
• If your child is moving on to a new school, college or employment opportunity, it is important to work with them in finding support to ease that transition.
• Do seek support for yourself too - if you feel fully supported you will be better placed to support your child.