Tag: self-care

mental wellbeing

The Science of Weighted Blankets

Weighted blankets are becoming increasingly popular, but do they actually work? I was asked to comment on the science and research behind weighted blankets for The English Home. This was an interesting one for me as I hadn’t considered the evidence base, but I know a lot of people who swear by them for a good nights sleep, so I got stuck in! Fortunately, there are a few published reviews that have already summarised the research evidence for me.

How do weighted blankets work?

In 2024, Yu et al., explained that “deep pressure touch” may explain the calming effects and improvement to wellbeing people experience when under their weighted blanket. They suggest that these blankets provide an even distribution of light pressure on the body, which slows our heart rate and breathing, and we settle into a state of calm and relaxation. This is known as activating the parasympathetic nervous system, or entering a “rest and digest” state. It’s similar to the soothing effects of a really good hug.

How do weighted blankets help?

As well as encouraging relaxation, a review by Wong et al (2024) highlighted that, for people experiencing insomnia and mental health problems, weighted blankets can increase the amount of time they were asleep, and reduce symptoms of insomnia. In addition to this, a review by Eron et al (2020) found that people using a weighted blanket also experienced reductions in anxiety. Yu et al.,(2024) added to this by highlight people experienced fewer negative emotions and improved overall daytime wellbeing when using a weighted blanket.

Do weighted blankets work for everyone?

Dawson et al., (2024) looked at how weighted blankets helped across the entire lifespan. They found a number of positive improvements were reported for adults, much like the reviews above, they included better sleep and improved wellbeing and mood. They also reported reductions in pain for various conditions. Interestingly, people also reported reduced medication use after sleeping under a weighted blanket. This covered a range of different medications, including reduction in prescribed sleep medication. Interestingly, weighted blankets used in senior care settings led improvements in residents’ emotional and psychological expressions during the day, which meant practitioners did not need to prescribe as much medication – I think this finding is really, really cool.

This paper also looked at the effects of weighted blankest for children and adolescents. Whilst they didn’t find as much evidence for improved sleep in younger people, studies about Autistic children and those with ADHD found that after sleeping under a weighted blanket children were more relaxed, and showed fewer signs of anxiety, anger and irritability. This also led to more stable mood and better functioning in schools.

So, to answer the original question: Do weighted blankets actually work? Scientific research seems to think so. They appear to improve sleep duration and quality, and this has a positive impact on mood and other aspects of wellbeing during the day time. It’s important to remember most of the research so far has been carried out by and for people with specific diagnosis or needs, but none of the reviews I looked at highlighted any concerns related to using these blankets. So, if you’re looking to improve your sleep quality, energy levels and wellbeing, trying a weighted blanket might be the answer!

Get started with this one, which comes highly recommended!

References

  • Dawson, S., Charlton, K., Ng, L., Cleland, J., Bulto, L., Page, M., & Attrill, S. (2024). Weighted Blankets as a Sleep Intervention: A Scoping Review. The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 78(5), 7805205160. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2024.050676   (this paper is behind a paywall so I had to read the authors accepted manuscript to understand the findings in more detail)
  • Eron, K., Kohnert, L., Watters, A., Logan, C., Weisner-Rose, M., & Mehler, P. S. (2020). Weighted Blanket Use: A Systematic Review. The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association, 74(2), 7402205010p1–7402205010p14. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.037358
  • Wong, S., Fabiano, N., Luu, B., Seo, C., Gupta, A., Kim, H. K., … & Husain, M. I. (2024). The effect of weighted blankets on sleep quality and mental health symptoms in people with psychiatric disorders in inpatient and outpatient settings: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 179, 286-294.
  • Yu, J., Yang, Z., Sun, S., Sun, K., Chen, W., Zhang, L., … & Zhu, Y. (2024). The effect of weighted blankets on sleep and related disorders: a brief review. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1333015.

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mental wellbeing, mental-health, self-reflection

How to build a better relationship with social media

As featured in Woman and Home, 19.08.2025

If you’ve ever promised yourself you’d “just have a quick scroll” and found yourself still glued to your phone an hour later, you’re not alone. Social media is designed to keep us engaged,but with some thoughtful steps, you can create a healthier, more intentional relationship with it. Change isn’t about willpower alone; it’s about knowing why you want to change, using your strengths, and aligning new habits with your values.

1. Know Your Why
Before making changes, pause and ask yourself: Why do I want a different relationship with social media? Is it because it’s eating into time with loved ones, affecting my mood, or replacing activities I value? The clearer you are, the easier it will be to build meaningful habits you can maintain.

Try pairing a long-term aim, such as “I want to spend less time scrolling”, with a practical short-term step, like limiting social media use to a 10-minute window in the morning and evening. Tools like app timers can help you stick to these boundaries and remind you when it’s time to move on to something more fulfilling.

2. Chase the Joy of Missing Out
Goals are easier to stick to when they’re framed around what you’re moving towards rather than what you’re avoiding. If you’re cutting down on social media, think about what you’re gaining, like peace of mind, more time for hobbies, deeper face-to-face conversations. This is sometimes called the “Joy of Missing Out” (JOMO): the satisfaction of saying “no” to the scroll and “yes” to something more rewarding.

If that feels unfamiliar, think back to a time you put your phone aside. What did you do instead? How did you feel afterwards? Remembering those wins can reinforce your motivation when temptation strikes.

3. Make Your Goals Crystal Clear
Vague intentions like “spend less time on Instagram” are harder to follow than concrete ones. Instead, try: “Check notifications once in the afternoon, then log off.” This way, you can track your progress and feel a genuine sense of achievement. Over time, you can extend your phone-free periods or reduce the number of apps you check.

4. Celebrate Your Success
When you stick to your new habit, reward yourself. This doesn’t have to mean spending money,it could be making a favourite cup of tea, enjoying a walk, or spending time on a creative project you love. The key is to pause and notice the satisfaction that comes from following through. That positive reinforcement strengthens the habit and makes it more likely to last.

Remember: Forming a new habit takes patience and self-compassion. If you slip up, treat it as an opportunity to learn rather than a failure. With a clear purpose, realistic steps, and a focus on what you gain, social media can shift from a drain on your attention to a tool you use on your own terms.

emotional-wellbeing, mental wellbeing, mental-health

Getting over your to do list burnout

Make a list, tick off the chores, feel ready to relax, then suddenly the weekend is gone?!

To enjoy a relaxing and restorative weekend, rather than one full of admin and chores, healthy boundaries and self-reflection around your downtime are key. Self-care isn’t just for when things go wrong; it’s most effective when practised consistently, especially when you feel well and have the energy to form happy habits. These habits build resilience and support your ability to cope when life gets challenging.

Making Intentional Time for Yourself

Making time for meaningful activities you enjoy, whether that is being outdoors, going to gym, or more relaxing hobbies like crafting or reading, helps establish the habit of time and permission for rest and enjoyment. If you find your weekends filled with tasks that aren’t urgent or are simply part of your usual routine, consider whether they truly need to be done now. Intentionally choosing uplifting activities helps us recover more quickly from negative experiences like a long week at work, and research shows that positive emotions play an important role in recovering from stress.

Set Boundaries Around Chores

Creating boundaries between work, life admin, and personal time, helps protect your wellbeing. If there are tasks you need to do, like laundry or shopping, allocate a specific and realistic time to complete them. You can reinforce these boundaries using positive reinforcement. Try listing some simple positive rewards for maintaining your chore boundaries, which can be as simple as time doing something more enjoyable and relaxing.

Spend Meaningful Time with Others

Social connection is essential for psychological wellbeing. Making time for meaningful friendships or connecting through shared interests improves our sense of purpose, and overall improves our life satisfaction. Whether it’s a walk with a friend or making time for a hobby group, it all helps to lift your mood and create a weekend that feels more fulfilling .

The Power of ‘Slow and No’

If your goal is to slow down at the weekend, consider the joy of doing less. The Joy of Missing Out (JOMO) is the positive feeling you get when you choose to say ‘No’. This might be even easier if you are saying no to usual routine activities like chores.

If this doesn’t come easily, you can try thinking about opportunities in the past that you said no to, and what you gained when you did this. Whether it was a day to yourself, or more time for a specific activity, focusing on what you gained helps reinforce slowing down as a positive habit. Remind yourself about these wins when you find new opportunities to say ‘No’ or slow down at the weekend.

Practicing Self-awareness

Making weekends more restorative starts with understanding what you need. Ask yourself why you’re taking a break and what you hope to get from it. This kind of reflection takes practice, but it can help you make choices that genuinely support your wellbeing. Developing awareness of your habits and needs is key to a sustainable work-life balance.

Try my Positive Postcards to get you started making healthy boundaries and happy habits.

Psychology students, self-reflection

Reflective Practice: A Vital Skill for Every Aspiring Psychologist

Reflective practice is a core skill for any psychologist. Whether you’re aiming to become a therapist, clinical psychologist, or working in research, educational, occupational or forensic settings, it’s a good skill to learn. At its heart, reflective practice involves actively thinking about an experience, particularly one you want to learn from, in order to improve your professional approach.

This means taking the time to pause and examine what happened, your role in it, and how you felt and thought during the experience. It includes evaluating your behaviour, noticing your emotional responses, and analysing your decisions. Through this process, you can identify what went well, what could have been different, and, importantly, what you might change in future similar situations.

Reflection is a structured process of analysing, questioning, and reframing. It enables you to grow not only in self-awareness but also in skill, confidence, and effectiveness. This is known as reflective learning, and it supports continual development across all areas of psychological practice.

Why Reflective Practice Matters in Psychology

While reflective practice is often associated with therapeutic training, it is used across all branches of psychology. Whether you’re working with clients, managing a research team, designing behaviour change interventions, or consulting in organisations, being reflective supports:

  • Improved decision-making
  • Greater empathy and self-awareness
  • Ethical sensitivity and professionalism
  • Ongoing learning and adaptability

Learning to be a reflective practitioner is, therefore, not just a course requirement, it’s a core skill for growth throughout your career as a psychologist.

How Students Can Practise Reflective Thinking

Psychology students are already developing the habits of critical thinking and evidence-based analysis. Reflective practice builds on this by encouraging you to apply that critical lens to your own experiences, whether in academic work, placements, personal interactions, or your own emotional responses to what you’re studying.

Here are some practical ways to start:

Keep a Reflective Journal

Journaling helps you ‘get your thoughts out of your head’ and onto the page. This can reduce cognitive and emotional overload and often leads to greater clarity. Whether you use a traditional notebook, a digital diary, or record voice notes, the format doesn’t matter, what’s important is that you create a space for reflection.

Create a Reflective Portfolio

Over time, build a portfolio that documents your reflections, learning, and professional growth. This might include reflections on lectures, placement experiences, feedback from tutors, or challenges you’ve overcome. It becomes a tangible record of your development, useful for job applications, supervision, or future training.

I made a downloadable PDF Reflection guides for clinical placements and study skills to get you started.

Ask Reflective Questions

Try using prompts such as (adapted from Bennett-Levy et al., 2009):

  • What happened? How did I feel? What did I notice?
  • What did I learn from this? Was it helpful or unhelpful?
  • What would I do differently next time?
  • How did this affect my understanding of myself, others, or psychology more broadly?

These kinds of questions can be used in written reflections, discussions with peers, or in supervision. They are also useful in therapeutic work for practitioners and clients to enhance insight and effectiveness.

Looking Ahead: Applying Reflective Practice to Your Career

In later stages of your training, you’ll begin applying these reflective skills more formally, whether through writing about your research, presenting casework, or preparing for publication. Regardless of your specific career path, the ability to reflect critically and compassionately on your work is what will set you apart as an ethical and thoughtful practitioner.

Being reflective isn’t about being overly self-critical or dwelling on mistakes. It’s about staying open, learning continuously, and improving your practice, not just for your benefit, but for the people and communities you aim to support.

Whether you’re heading into clinical training, research, or any other psychological field, reflective practice is a key skill for professional development. Start now, and let it grow with you throughout your career.

Reflective practice starter pack:

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Reflecting on my research goals
digital boundaries, emotional-wellbeing, mental wellbeing, mental-health, self-reflection, Uncategorized

How to take time away from tech

As Featured in Woman & Home, 11th June 2025

If you’re looking to reset your relationship with your tech, forming healthier habits is possible with a bit of thought, planning, and self-compassion.

Start with a Clear Goal

Before you jump into making changes, take a moment to think about why you want a healthier relationship with your tech. Defining your goal clearly can give you direction, a plan, and improve your motivation.

Ask yourself:

  • Is this a long- or short-term goal?
  • Can you break it into smaller steps?

Short-term goals help you stay on track and build confidence, while long-term goals provide something to strive for, which is linked to better wellbeing. For example, your overall goal might be to ‘Stop checking emails after work’. A useful short-term step could be setting a 10-minute window for emails, then putting your phone away for the evening, then muting notifications. You can make your tech work for you by using screen time limiters on specific apps after work.

Photo by Tyler Lastovich on Pexels.com

Focus on the Positive

When setting goals, try to frame them as something you want to move towards rather than something you’re trying to avoid. Instead of a goal of ‘Stop using tech’, try ‘Spend more time doing things I enjoy in the evening’. Research shows that goals based on positive outcomes, rather than avoiding negatives, are more likely to improve your wellbeing and help you stay motivated.

Be Specific and Measurable

A vague goal like ‘Spend less time on my phone’ is hard to stick to. Instead, be specific: ‘Put my phone in another room for 10 minutes after dinner’. That way, you’ll be able to measure your progress and feel a sense of achievement as you stick to your goal. If you want to increase your time away from tech, you can set new goals as time goes on. Increasing your tech-free time to 20 or 30 minutes will help build the habit over time, and show how far you’ve come!

Photo by Esra Afu015far on Pexels.com

Picture Your Progress

A simple but effective way to stay on track is to use mental imagery. This means imagining yourself in the future, and the possibilities available to you as you work on and achieve your goals. Picture the steps you took to get there, what decisions you made, what challenges you overcame, and how you will feel when you’ve done it. You could visualise one week from now, then two weeks, a month, and so on. This process helps build belief in yourself and maintains motivation.

Make It Practical and Doable

A goal like ‘Spend more time on activities I enjoy’ sounds lovely, but what does that actually look like? Start small: even just 10 minutes focused on your interests can lead to big changes in your wellbeing, and build long-term habits around your tech use. Consistency is key. Choosing behaviours that you know are manageable regularly are more likely to lead to lasting success.

If you want hints and tips on how to make new, Happy Habits, try the Happy Habits Box or Positive Postcards; science-backed tools for everyday happiness.

emotional-wellbeing, mental wellbeing, self-reflection, stress

Navigating the ‘quarter-life-crisis’

As featured in The Mirror 01.02.2025

Increasing numbers of young adults are experiencing what they call a ‘quarter-life-crisis’.

Forget the mid-life-crisis stereotypes of a middle aged man buying a sports-car in his 50s. Now people in their 20s are struggling with life transitions and understanding world, and who they are within it.

Culturally the concept and transition to adulthood has changed and become longer than for past generations. Emerging adulthood is now not a transition stage but a full developmental phase that lasts from18 years to about age 29 years of age. Whereas in say the 1970s, people were in full time work, married and having their first child by 25, these traditionally ‘Big’ life events are happening up to 10 years later than in the 1970s.

In the present day, people in their 20s are still learning about their identity – who are they, what is their place in the world, what do they want to do with their life.

It is also a stage of great instability in terms of their environment, as people figure out who they are they are also navigating an ever changing employment and economic landscapes.

It is no surprise then that more half of emerging adults often experience anxiety, and a third report often feeling depressed. Even if this is not a clinical diagnosis, more complex living environments twinned with expectations that do not align with changing society can lead to more stress and negative impacts on mental wellbeing.

Emerging adulthood can bring opportunities

Though this period of life seems defined by uncertainty, it can also present a lot of opportunities. Having more time as an emerging adult allows for exploration, learning, and self-understanding, that can ultimately lead to more intentional life choices. Rather than viewing this stage as a crisis to be fixed, it may be more helpful to recognise it as a normal part of modern development.

A good way to navigate this new season of life is to ensure you have good social support, realistic expectations, and have open conversations with people around you. Ask for advice, help and support. Take time to make decisions and reflect on their outcomes.

By acknowledging the challenges of emerging adulthood and reframing them as part of a longer journey toward self-understanding, society can help reduce negative views of emerging adulthood and empower young people to find meaning and resilience in the face of change.

burnout, emotional-wellbeing, mental wellbeing, mental-health, stress

What Is Burnout?

As featured in The Mirror US 15/04/2025

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged and excessive stress. It’s not just “being stressed” or “having a bad week”—it’s a sign that our body and mind are saying, “I can’t keep going like this.”

People experiencing burnout often feel drained, cynical or detached, and may struggle to find motivation or meaning in tasks they once enjoyed. It’s a signal that our usual ways of coping have been exhausted.

And while it’s commonly associated with the workplace, burnout isn’t exclusive to the office. Parents, students, carers, volunteers—anyone facing chronic stress without sufficient relief or support can experience it.

What Causes Burnout?

Burnout arises when long-term stress exceeds our ability to manage it. That might look like constant workload with no downtime, lack of control or support in a role, emotional labour without recognition, or high self-imposed expectations with little margin for error.

Over time, when rest, social support, or meaningful breaks aren’t accessible or effective, our mental and physical resources reduce. Eventually, we stop coping.

How does it differ from stress? 

Stress and burnout are related, but they’re not the same. Stress occurs when we feel a situation requires more of what is required than our current circumstances allow – such as time, energy, or more practical resources. There is often a sense of urgency, or anxiety. Burnout, on the other hand, feels empty, and people become detached from the task at hand 

While stress might make you feel overwhelmed, burnout can make you feel like your tank is completely empty.

Photo by Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels.com

How can we recognise symptoms of burnout in ourselves? 

Common warning signs include emotional exhaustion, cynicism or detachment from from work, relationships, or responsibilities, reduced performance, as well as physical symptoms like geadaches, insomnia, stomach problems, or a sense of being unwell.

How can we spot signs of burnout in others?

People experiencing burnout may not always say so outright. But you might notice they are more withdrawn, more irritable, missing deadlines or being more disorganised than usual, or they have a general sense of hopelessness or apathy.

How can you recover from burnout? 

Recovering from burnout isn’t a quick fix—it’s about rebuilding balance and meaning in your life, as well as energy.

Genuine rest is really important – not just sleep, but time to be free from responsibilities and relax. Setting boundaries and ensuring work-life balance is maintained will help support this. Prioritising joy and indulging in things you enjoy and value can also help. There is also a lot of support available, whatever the reason for your burnout, so asking for help is a great step to recovery.

Photo by Mateusz Dach on Pexels.com
emotional-wellbeing, mental wellbeing, mental-health, science communication

Why you should pick up a cosy hobby

Featured in Good Housekeeping here and here

Research has shown that there are several pathways to happiness and good mental wellbeing. One of the most effective is simply doing activities that bring us joy and a sense of fulfilment. But this becomes more effective when we combine our favourite hobbies with other key ingredients for happiness. 

Take knitting, for example. Engaging in activities we truly enjoy helps build resilience—the ability to adapt to challenges and manage stress. When we are fully absorbed in a creative task, we can enter a state of “flow,” where we focus entirely on the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. This level of engagement leads to greater life satisfaction and productivity. 

Social connection is another key ingredient. Feeling supported and a sense of belonging helps us manage stress more effectively. Hobbies like knitting and crochet provide wonderful opportunities to build friendships based on shared interests, and doing so strengthens our social network. Even better, helping others is another way to achieve happiness, so supporting your network adds to the personal benefits as well!

Having a sense of meaning and accomplishment are other great ways to boost wellbeing. Setting personal goals to work towards in any area of life, including cosy hobbies, provides purpose to our pleasures. Whether you’re learning a new craft or challenging yourself with a new pattern, working towards goals and feeling accomplished boosts self-esteem, positive emotions, and overall wellbeing.

Photo: Emma Palmer-Cooper

The joy of cozy hobbies is that they naturally incorporate many of these ingredients. You can enjoy them alone, or as part of a community. Whether you connect with others in person or online, the benefits remain the same: a greater sense of joy, engagement, purpose, accomplishment, and shared connection support your wellbeing.

So, if you’re looking for a scientifically-backed way to increase your happiness, picking up a cozy hobby might be the perfect place to start!

 

emotional-wellbeing, mental wellbeing, mental-health, self-reflection

3 Good Things a day can improve wellbeing

As featured in The i Paper 07/03/2025

20 life skills you can learn in under 20 minutes

How to improve your mood

Paying attention to the positive aspects of life is a simple exercise that can lead to immediate and lasting change in mood. People tend to focus more on the negative, and while negative emotions are important for growth, this focus can be draining and impact wellbeing. Taking just 10 minutes a day to consciously acknowledge positive moments can help shift our mindset towards a more optimistic outlook. Even during difficult times, noticing the good can strengthen our ability to cope. 

3 Good Things Positive Postcard – Emma Palmer-Cooper

A great way to start is with the 3 Good Things exercise! At the end of the day, perhaps as you are getting into bed, you can:

1. Think about three things that went well for you today. 

2. Write them down. 

3. Reflect on each thing. How this make you feel at the time? How you feel about it now? Why you think this good thing happened?

Your 3 Good Things can be anything that brought you happiness – whether it’s a big success at work or a great cup of tea.

Practising 3 Good Things daily will bring the most benefits. To help make this a happy habit, you can pair it with a small but meaningful reward after each day of reflection. Over time, this simple exercise can help you focus on the positives, improving both mood and overall wellbeing.

3 Good Things in under a minute – YouTube @dr_emmaclaire

You can try this and other Positive Psychology activities with the Happy Habits Box.

emotional-wellbeing, mental wellbeing, mental-health

Exams: seven tips for coping with revision stress

pio3/Shutterstock

Emma Palmer-Cooper, University of Southampton

Exam season is underway across the UK. If you’re sitting exams this summer, you might be feeling stressed and a bit overwhelmed as you try to prepare.

You’re not alone: stress is a normal part of the human experience, and this is a particularly challenging time. But there are ways you can manage this stress and maintain your wellbeing. Developing healthy habits to cope with stress will improve your psychological and emotional wellbeing, and ultimately support your academic achievements.

Here are seven tips that you might find helpful.

1. Take a breath

The first thing to do when experiencing stress in the moment is to take a deep breath.

When you start to feel stressed, your heart rate increases, your palms get sweaty and your blood pressure rises. If you take a few deep breaths when this feeling sets in, you can regulate your heart rate and the physical experience of stress can be reduced. This can help focus your mind and create space to decide how to manage this stress.

Once you have taken a breath, there are other things you can do to help you feel less stressed.

2. Set goals – and be realistic

It is really important to remember that you can’t “complete” revision. Instead, you can set achievable goals that you feel comfortable with.

Don’t write so many things on your to-do list that you feel anxious just looking at it. Think about what is realistically achievable in the time you have, and set goals for revision tasks that lead to steady progress. Don’t forget to factor in time for self-care, and remember to congratulate yourself on your achievements.

3. Take a break

No one can maintain complete focus on a task like revision forever. Over time, concentrating makes us feel tired and actually reduces our ability to complete a activity well. It can also mean we need more energy to complete our task to our usual standard, and increase the chance of mistakes.

So, taking regular breaks really will improve your ability to work hard. If it’s all getting too much, do something else for a bit.

4. Get active – and go outside

Regular physical activity is really important for improving wellbeing and reducing stress. This can be whatever suits you: go for a walk or a run, or take part in a sport you like. Don’t avoid it because you feel you should be revising instead.

Two young women walking in park
You could arrange to go for a walk in the park with a friend. Antonio Guillem/Shutterstock

If you can get outside to a local park to exercise, even better. My research with colleagues has shown that during the pandemic, even without the usual levels of social interaction and social support, the simple act of spending time in green spaces like parks had a positive impact on student wellbeing.

5. Find your people

Social connection is a really important source of wellbeing for young people. You might be chatting to friends online throughout the day, but lots of social media use may also have a negative impact on wellbeing. It’s important to maintain connections offline, too: organise hangouts with friends during revision periods, and enjoy time in other people’s company during your rest time.

Your regular breaks from revision are the perfect opportunity to bring some of these ideas together. Perhaps meet up with a friend for a walk in the park.

6. Make healthy choices

It might be tempting to reach for an energy drink so you can keep on revising late into the evening. But drinking energy drinks can lead to poorer academic performance – as can drinking alcohol and vaping.

Instead of an energy drink, just go for water or a nutritional alternative like a fruit smoothie. And instead of staying up late to revise, prioritise your sleep. Disrupted sleep can increase our experience of negative mood, in a similar way to experiencing jetlag – and getting a good amount of sleep is linked to doing better in exams.

7. One size doesn’t fit all

The tips here are backed up by evidence and are a good place to start when it comes to managing exam stress. But you should also think about what you know works well for you. Think about what makes you happy and helps to calm you down if you feel overwhelmed: maybe writing in a journal, or listening to a favourite album. Combining healthy habits and favourite activities is a recipe for success, both in terms of exam performance and stress management.

Emma Palmer-Cooper, Lecturer in Psychology, Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, University of Southampton

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.