[Caller] Hi, um… My name's Selena. Um, I didn’t know who else to call so
I’m just, I’m really stressed and anxious about school in September
It may seem a bit silly but I’m stressing so much over the fact I’m going into year nine
And my teachers have said it’s the ‘most important year’
I’m so anxious about how I’m going to do on my tests and what options I’m going to take
I try not to worry, but it’s all I can think about right now.
Am I stressing over nothing?
[Katie] It can often feel like you are the only person experiencing that stress and anxiety
and that everyone else around you appears to have it all under control,
but trust me you aren’t alone in experiencing what you are feeling.
I’ve been through what you’re going through and it made me feel anxious and stressed too.
I used to get really stressed about school and actually particularly at this stage in life
I found year 8 really tough for some reason, I felt really worried about my exams
Choosing my options, all the extra homework I thought we were going to get
I would get so stressed about my exams I’d wake up in the middle of the night to revise.
I’d go downstairs and start working, and my mum would wake up and come down and say
‘What are you doing awake at 3am?’
And I would have so much adrenaline running through my body
My heart would be beating so fast that I’d be like, I’m just going to have to revise now
And sleep later because I can’t sleep
It made me feel really anxious and like I was the only person going through that
I think it seemed like everyone else at school was either really smart
And they just didn’t have to worry about revising or about their homework they could just do it
Or they were just really carefree and they didn’t really care, and I felt like
I was the only person that had these thoughts going round my head
This continued for me when I got a job and I got into the competitive field of presenting
it all came to a bit of a head when the stress and anxiety built
and led to me suffering with depression.
This was the turning point when I realised it was really impacting my mental health
And I had to look at managing my workload
I got some support and I talked about it, which was one of the biggest things
that helped me to realise that I needed to put some steps in place to help me to deal with the stress.
The most important thing I did was go and see my doctor whenever
My mental health was really bad because they were always able to tell what the next step was
Whether that was counselling or something else
If you feel like your workload is becoming a bit too much,
Then try and break down everything that you feel like you need to do into a ‘to do list’.
I love a ‘to do list’. Sometimes having all these things whizzing around in your head
Can be so daunting. So seeing them written down in a list
and being able to tick them off, and see what you’ve achieved so far can really help.
It’s also important to remind yourself about all the other things you care about
and enjoy in your life because there are loads of things that are important to you
Not just your school work or your job, so focus on those
Why not write down all of the things that make you happy?
And try and distract yourself by doing some of those things when you’re feeling stressed
There are lots of other steps and exercises you can try to help you deal
with your work or school related stress and our expert, Alex is going to share some with you.
[Alex] Not talking about any stress you may be feeling and trying to deal with it on your own
can make things feel worse. It can really help to talk about it.
Exams can feel like a lot of pressure. You might need certain grades for a course or a job.
It might not feel easy to talk to a teacher if you are struggling with your assignments
but they are there to help you.
Write down how you are feeling and how you would like to be supported.
No matter where the pressure is coming from, there are always ways to cope.
Try to think positively.
When we feel anxious we can start thinking things like ‘I can’t do this’ and ‘I’m going to fail’
It can be difficult but try to replace these with positive thoughts
such as ‘this is just anxiety, it can’t harm me’ and relax and concentrate - it’s going to be okay.
It can really help to plan your time
Try to keep a list of the revision you’ve done
That way you can see just how much you’re achieving
It is important to release any stress that's built up
And a good way to do this is to write a mood journal
to describe how the pressure makes you feel
and identify positive things you might be able to do to counter these feelings.
for example taking time out to do the things that you enjoy
It’s important to take lots of breaks when you’re revising
drink lots of water and make time for a treat or an activity that you enjoy.
[Katie] I know that school and work can cause you stress and it’s really important to you
But remember, the most important thing is you and your wellbeing
That always comes first
So take some time and relieve some of that stress and do something for you.
And remember you are not alone.
There are also links to helpful organisations on the BBC Action Line website.
The film begins with a young person, Selena, describing her experiences with stress. Selena is played by an actor and her story is a reconstruction based on a real call to Childline. Selena is worried about going into Year 9 and having to decide which exams options to take. The more she worries about it, the bigger the problem seems and she struggles to talk to anyone about her concerns.
BBC Radio 1 presenter Katie Thistleton shares her own experiences of worrying about exams and school work, and how anxiety about school work became overwhelming. She also talks about how people experience worry about work problems in the same way and how this can lead to depression. Katie talks about having a toolkit of techniques such as making lists and focusing on the positives, which help overcome those worries.
Expert Alex from Childline advises trying the following steps to help with stress:
- Talk to someone about your worries
- Write down how you are feeling
- Try to think positively
- Keep a list of the revision you have done
- Write a mood journal
- Take lots of breaks
The reconstructions are based on real calls from Childline service users, but are not necessarily direct quotes. All names and potentially identifying details have been changed to protect the identity of the child or young person involved.
Before watching the film
Set up a working agreement or set of group rules before watching the film. Make it clear that there is no pressure on students to share any personal experiences. They can talk about the characters in the phone call reconstructions and the contributors’ experiences instead. Remind students that the classroom is be a safe space to discuss and share thoughts if they wish to, and that they should be aware of and respect others’ opinions and experiences. Remind them also that you cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality but will talk to individuals if you have any concerns. The agreement should include how and where to access support if needed.
People of different genders, backgrounds and cultures may approach their mental health in different ways. Talk about the pressures on young people and whether gender makes a difference. Be sensitive that young people from some cultural backgrounds may not find it easy to talk about mental health and remind them they don’t have to talk about themselves. Use the distancing technique to ensure that the students feel safe and comfortable talking about the issues in the films. Talk about what the contributors say or talk about ‘someone who.’
Open up a general discussion about mental health and as a group come up with words they associate with the topic of the film. Remind the students that if they need any support at any point they can ask, either during or after the lesson.
After watching the film
- Talk about the pressures that young people face with schoolwork and exams and how this affects them.
- Make a list together of techniques for managing anxiety about exams and school work. Add in practical tips like making a revision timetable or studying with a friend, and emotional techniques like taking regular breaks and finding time to have fun too.
- What three pieces of advice would you give to someone who was feeling overwhelmed with schoolwork?
As a group, talk about ways that everyone can support each other with their mental health. You may even want to create a class charter around more positive mental health or encourage each student to make a list of three practical things they can do to support their own positive mental health.
Make sure that students are supported in their own mental health and wellbeing by signposting support that is available in school, locally and nationally. Remind them that they can always speak to their GP or local services.
Remind students that if they or someone they know has suicidal thoughts then it is important to get help immediately. This is not something they should have to deal with alone.
More resources in this collection
Time to talk about... anxiety with Tom Grennan. video
Tom Grennan discusses his own experiences with anxiety, alongside real-life testimony and expert advice.
Time to talk about... self-esteem with Zara McDermott. video
Zara Mcdermott discusses her own experiences with self-esteem and self-confidence issues, alongside real-life testimony and expert advice.
Time to talk about... mental wellbeing with Wes Nelson. video
Wes Nelson discusses his own experiences with mental wellbeing issues, alongside real-life testimony and expert advice.
Time to talk about... depression with Roman Kemp. video
Roman Kemp discusses his own experiences of depression, alongside real-life testimony and expert advice.
