How To Stay Healthy In Exam Season 2024

When the scary time of exam season creeps up on us, it’s often easy to throw healthy habits out the window, focusing on studying and spending more time with our heads in a book.

But did you know that a healthy body usually equates with a healthy mind, and looking after your health can be just as important as studying and can have just as must effect on your performance?

So if you’re wondering how it’s possible to get the perfect balance to give you the best chance of success, take a look at these top tips for staying healthy in exam season.

Top Tips For Staying Healthy In Exam Season

Exercise Is Your Friend

Many people view exercise as a ‘chore,’ but its undeniable benefits. Doing as little as 20 minutes of light exercise daily (such as walking, swimming, or dancing) can improve circulation and mental health.

Sitting down for long periods, such as when studying, can seriously impact your physical and mental health, meaning those hours and hours of studying aren’t as beneficial as we thought.

It can lead to weight gain and high blood pressure, leading to health problems. Cramming huge amounts of information at a time has been less effective than doing small revision sections.

Try breaking up your revision with small periods of exercise, such as going for a walk around the block and stretching your legs, giving your mind and body a break.

Watch What You Eat

Eating the right diet is essential for ensuring you’re in top form during this stressful season. It can be easy to grab comfort food when you’re feeling pressure or choose quick and easy ‘fast’ food when you don’t have time to cook a nutritious meal.

But how much can this impact your overall result? Probably more than you realize! Food high in omega 3, such as oily fish, is proven beneficial for the brain and has a huge range of other health benefits.

Ensure you’re eating plenty of fresh fruit and veg to ensure your body gets the necessary vitamins to perform at its best. Don’t forget to treat yourself every once in a while!

Stay Hydrated – Drink Water

Staying hydrated is one of the most important things to remember during exam season. Drinking plenty of water ensures your body and brain stay hydrated and have abundant energy.

Ensuring you have a reusable water bottle with you wherever you go means you don’t have to worry about buying water while out or going thirsty.

Try choosing water over options like soda and juice, as these drinks contain huge amounts of sugar and caffeine, which can seem like a good idea at the time, but after a short while, it will cause you to have a ‘sugar crash and leave you feeling groggy.

On top of this, an increase in soda consumption is directly linked with weight gain, which may cause extra stress during exam season. By choosing water instead, this can be easily controlled.

Happy Mind = Higher Grades

Whilst studying, many of us are guilty of pushing our mental health to one side, as it’s no longer a priority. This can lead to many students feeling down, anxious, and overstressed.

This can directly impact our exam performance but can be avoided or reduced by taking time out and talking about how we feel.

Did you know that poor mental health can affect memory and concentration, directly impacting your overall grade? If you become more anxious or depressed around exam season, speak up!

You can talk to many people, such as friends, family, teachers, or health professionals, and it can take a huge weight off your shoulders. Make sure you take time out of studying to focus on yourself, whether by meditating, reading a book, or even something as simple as taking a bath.

Conclusions

Make sure you stick to these important tips to perform at your best in exams. But remember, exam results don’t define you, and your physical and mental health is more important than your final grade!

If you feel that the pressure of exams is getting unbearable, speak to someone immediately, as they will be able to help more than you realize.