06 Sep 2020

With exams on the horizon you’ll hear your teacher saying things like ‘you need to study at least six hours a night’ or that you should be spending your whole weekend going over your notes. But how much study is too much study? While it’s true that you need to up the ante when you’re prepping for you final exams (especially if your formal classes are finished for the year) it’s also important to know when to cut yourself some slack.

The science on stress and tension is pretty clear cut. Work yourself too hard and you’ll eventually burn out. Here’s a couple of signs you’re getting close to pushing yourself over the edge.

1. You can’t concentrate

Even when you sit down to study you can’t focus on anything in front of you. None of your notes are sticking in your brain and you seem to be reading the same words over and over again without any of it sinking in.

2. You’re not sleeping

Not sleeping, or not being able to sleep properly is a common sign of stress. You might find yourself unable to switch off or feeling anxious about upcoming exams and deadlines. When you do finally manage to nod off you find yourself constantly waking up or tossing and turning throughout the night.

3. You’re not eating properly

After a long study session fuelled by coffee and red bulls you might just want to grab whatever is quick and easy to eat. While surviving on a diet of caffeine and sugar seems to be the norm during the exam period, constantly skipping meals or failing to get any good nutrients in you can be a sign you’re studying too much.

4. You’ve stopped getting actual study done

For a while you were able to sit down and knock over a solid study session but now you’re procrastinating more than anything. The thought of going through your notes or forcing yourself to focus on studying makes you keep putting it off but you still have an anxious knot in your stomach about doing well in your exams. It’s a catch 22, you want to study because you want to do well but the pressure of doing well stops you from studying.

5. You’ve cut yourself off

Your family only see you when you come out of your room to go to the fridge or the bathroom. You haven’t hung out with your friends outside of school in weeks and you spend most of your time in your bedroom (studying or not). You might still be messaging some of your friends but most of the time you’re just ignoring them and can’t find the energy to have a proper chat. Cutting yourself off might seem inevitable when you’re trying to focus, but it’s ultimately going to hurt you.