5 ways to stress less during your HSC

There’s no getting around it, HSC year is tough. All the self-help listicles in the world can’t change that. The pressure is a LOT, and it's normal to feel the weight of it all. But whether you’re feeling stressed-out, or chill and trying to stay that way, these expert-backed strategies for improving wellbeing are worth a read. If you come away with just one tip that makes your life a bit easier, brighter, or more productive, it’s all worth it.

1. Calm your study space

A calm and inviting study space is everything. But what’s calming for one person might be the opposite for another.

Dr Bliss Cavanagh, a sensory-based artist and expert in the design of sensory spaces says that’s why it’s important to experiment with what works for you.

“Understanding your sensory preferences is an essential tool to better create external environments that can support your productivity, motivation and mood levels,” says Dr Cavanagh.

“The first place to start is to think about how you already respond to the environment around you. Do you feel more stress when things are untidy? How does background music or sounds impact your focus and attention? Do bright overhead fluorescent lights cause you to feel more fatigued?”

It's all about discovering what makes you as an individual most comfortable and able to respond well to the world around you.

2. Eat (and drink) well

It’ll come as no surprise that good nutrition is essential for overall health and wellbeing. But what we put in our bodies also has a direct – and sometimes immediate – impact on our ability to focus during studying or sitting an exam.

Even something as simple as staying hydrated can be make a real difference, says University of Newcastle Laureate Professor Clare Collins.

“People think ‘I don’t want to run to the toilet during an exam, so I won’t drink anything’, but if you’re dehydrated, even as little as 2%, it can affect your brain function and you can’t think as clearly.”

When it comes to food, there’s a LOT of info out there and it can get a bit overwhelming. Professor Collins’ (aptly named) No Money No Time website has heaps of advice on foods to focus on, and how to eat well cheaply and easily. Plus, there’s recipes and snack-hacks galore.

And when you do eat, try to take a break to share meals with family or friends. Have a chat, debrief, laugh – even if it’s just for 20 minutes.

“It’s a false economy to eat in front of the computer. Research shows that young people who eat with a household actually perform better at school, and are less stressed.”

It’s not just what we eat – the actual mechanics of eating is important too. Basically the lesson is chew, chew, chew.

Chewing increases blood flow to the brain. And what’s interesting is that the area of the brain that gets stimulated when you chew is related to information transfer from short to long-term memory.

“So eating healthy, unprocessed foods will make you chew more, which will mean you’ll be able to learn and retain information more effectively,” says Professor Collins.

Any other hacks to keep us chewing longer?

“It might sound boring, but buy a bag of carrots and a bag of apples. Throw a few in your school bag and munch on those while you study,” Professor Collins says.

And there’s another fairly obvious option.

A 2019 intervention study tested the effect of regularly chewing gum or not, on stress, anxiety, depression, attention and exam success.

“They randomised 100 final year nursing students to either chew sugarless gum for at least 30 minutes a day for 19 days, a group who chewed gum for seven days only, and a control group who did not chew gum at all,” said Professor Collins.

“They found levels of depression, anxiety and stress were significantly lower in both chewing gum groups, while academic success scores were higher in 19-day gum chewers only compared to the other groups.”

So should we all be stocking up?

“Well it’s a super cheap option. And yes, chewing gum may help students overcome exam stress and enhance exam success,” said Professor Collins.

We should add, to reduce the amount of dental plaque and risk of tooth decay, best to opt for sugar-free gum.

3. Move your body

Yep, we’re going to tell you to exercise – but maybe not in the way that you think.

While sweaty, intense activities like High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) have been shown to improve academic performance, they’re not for everyone.

So what is the most effective form of exercise?

“The one that you do,” says University of Newcastle Professor David Lubans.

“Being active helps you deal with stress. And there are short term benefits straight away. Just getting out and doing an activity session will help you feel less stressed, and eventually lower your blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol.”

There are longer term benefits as well.

“People who are fitter and more active are just better at dealing with the stresses in their lives,” says Professor Lubans. And it’s not only about reducing stress. Physical activity also supports cognitive function, attention and alertness.

“It’s actually going to make your brain fire more effectively,” says Professor Lubans.

There have been some really fascinating studies that show even just getting up and doing a walk in between study periods will help to increase brain activation in the parts of the brain that are responsible for our executive functions.

So walk, run, row, skip, swim, do an interpretive dance…it’s all good! But whatever you do, do it outside if you can.

“Activity done in natural environments, particularly natural environments like blue and green spaces, has added mental health benefits,” says Professor Lubans.

So, where you do  it matters, and according to Professor Lubans, who you do it with matters too.

“Most people will get an added mental health benefit from doing some activity with friends or family,” he says.

To recap: try to move your body every day, do it outside if you can, and do it with those you enjoy being around.

“It will support your learning, your memory and ultimately your performance,” says Professor Lubans.

4. Take breaks, creatively

We’ve all been there. You need a break, you reach for your phone and suddenly you’re in a Tik Tok vortex. Time means nothing.

It makes total sense that we look to our phones or tv when we need a study break. The problem is these sorts of ‘breaks’ aren’t really breaks at all. Not for our brain anyway.

“When you’re doing your HSC you do a lot of memory work, recall, abstract thinking etc. And it’s hard work. You’ve got to find ways to let go,” says University of Newcastle Senior Lecturer of Education, Dr Kath Grushka.

“You must step away. And that doesn’t mean step away and scroll your phone or watch the tellie, which is passive. It means step away and do something emotionally and affectively that shifts you,” says Dr Grushka.

So how do we ‘let go’ exactly? A creative project or activity is a great place to start.

“When it comes to creativity, the goal is to engage in an alternate activity long enough to reach a state where time is lost. Where you sort of enter another world,” says Dr Grushka.

It’s about engaging the body and the mind. Drawing or even doodling can take you beyond current concerns into new spaces and thoughts. In this space often new connections surface that assist your study focus.

So whether it’s an art project, design project, dancing in your bedroom, singing, making something with your hands – all that matters is that you’re fully participating in something you enjoy.

“You should be emotionally connected and using your body or hands,” adds Dr Grushka.

“In that space the brain settles and reorganises itself, and the energy is going into different places. It allows you to let go of some of those things that might be distressing you,” Dr Grushka says.

University of Newcastle student Ambassador Isabella Bywater discovered that shift through a very special textile project.

“I spent a lot of time making my formal dress. I found these sorts of projects so much more effective than just sitting there watching tv or doom scrolling,” says Isabella.

“There are some rules in this game,” cautions Dr Grushka, “and the rules are that whatever you choose, you must do it regularly. Treat yourself every day to a creative activity.”

“Schedule it, and don’t miss it.”

5. Apply for early entry to university

As if sitting the HSC isn’t stressful enough, the post-exam wait for results can feel like the ultimate punish. But what if you could receive an offer to your preferred university degree before you sit your exams?

The University of Newcastle’s Early Entry Program aims to take the pressure off HSC students by using your Year 11 results to offer early entry across a range of degrees.

Once you apply, you’ll also get access to helpful resources to guide you through your final year at school, as well as some great leadership and networking opportunities. You could also receive a guaranteed spot in our popular on-campus accommodation if you're looking for somewhere to live.

Year 12 Early Entry Program applicant Chelsea says an early offer would be a massive weight off her shoulders.

“Receiving an early offer will alleviate some of the pressure associated with the HSC exams, and allow me to maintain a healthy life balance through the exam period.”

Learn more and apply for early entry by visiting www.newcastle.edu.au/early

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