B When Exams Feel Overwhelming

Exams can stir up more than just revision timetables and late-night study sessions. For many young people, they bring waves of anxiety, pressure, and emotional overwhelm that feel hard to name, let alone manage. Whether it’s GCSEs, A-levels, university finals, or internal assessments, the stress can show up in quiet but powerful ways: sleepless nights, irritability, panic, or a sense of not being “good enough.”

Why Exam Stress Hits So Hard

Young people often carry invisible expectations, from school, family, peers, and themselves. The pressure to perform, to secure future opportunities, or simply to “not mess up” can feel relentless. According to YoungMinds, exam stress can lead to anxiety, low mood, changes in sleep and appetite, and even self-critical thoughts. And while some stress can motivate, too much can tip into burnout or emotional shutdown.

What Anxiety Might Look Like

Anxiety around exams doesn’t always look like panic attacks. It might be:

• Constant worry about failing

• Avoiding revision out of fear

• Feeling tearful or withdrawn

• Physical symptoms like headaches, nausea or heaviness around the throat or chest area

• Comparing oneself to others and feeling behind

These experiences are valid, and they deserve gentle, non-judgmental support.

How Counselling Can Help

Therapy offers a space to pause, reflect, and breathe. For young people navigating exam stress, counselling can help:

• Build emotional resilience and coping strategies

• Explore perfectionism and people-pleasing tendencies

• Learn grounding techniques for panic or overwhelm

• Reconnect with self-worth beyond grades or performance

• Practice boundary-setting around revision, rest, and social pressure

Whether online or by phone, therapy can meet young people where they are, without adding more pressure.

Gentle Tips for Coping

Alongside counselling, here are a few supportive practices:

• Break revision into small, manageable chunks

• Use calming techniques like breathwork, movement, or music

• Talk to someone—a friend, parent, teacher, or therapist

• Remember your worth isn’t defined by results

• Build in rest: downtime is not a reward, it’s a necessity

You’re Not Alone

If you’re a young person feeling overwhelmed, or a parent noticing signs of stress, know that support is available. Therapy can be a safe space to explore what’s going on beneath the surface, and to find ways forward that honour emotional wellbeing

If you or your child are feeling overwhelmed by exam stress or anxiety, you're not alone. Therapy can offer a calm, confidential space to explore what's going on beneath the surface, without judgment or pressure. Whether you're a parent noticing signs of distress, or a student navigating it firsthand, you're warmly invited to get in touch. I offer inclusive, trauma-informed online and phone counselling across the UK (Walk and Talk therapy in Manchester), tailored to support emotional wellbeing during life’s most demanding moments.