Expert advice on how to deal with Results Day anxiety

Fear, stress, worry and excitement – just some of the emotions you may be feeling in the lead up to one of the biggest events in a student’s summer calendar. Yes, it’s almost Results Day.

“It’s completely normal to experience stress and anxiety in the time between exams and results day, especially as results day draws closer,” said Hugh Viney, CEO of Minerva’s Virtual Academy. “It’s important to remind yourself that exams and results are a very normal part of school life and help you to prepare for further education and, to an extent, the working world, but they’re certainly not the be all and end all.”

Mr Viney founded the virtual school in lockdown to help youngsters who don’t thrive in traditional educational settings, and now has more than 200 students from all over the world learning online.

“We regularly judge the progress of tens of thousands of children with the same standardised-testing yardstick,” he added. “This is an inherently narrow evaluation of learning and achievement – and doesn’t take into account so many of the talents and abilities that create happy, well-rounded kids.

“There’s no one way to succeed in life – and education should reflect this.”

Hugh said that while worry and anxiety are normal, there are some easy to follow tips and tricks to help keep them in check so they don’t become all-consuming.

1. Keep busy – find an activity that you love and can completely absorb yourself in such as playing sport, music, watching your favourite film or art. It helps to distract yourself and keep your mind focused on other things rather than worrying about your impending results.

2. Understand that worrying really will not change the outcome. What’s done is done and neither worry nor stress can do anything to change your results. Try to remember this if you start to feel overwhelmed.

3. Make plans for after you’ve collected your results. Regardless of the outcome, whether it’s all you hoped for or not, make sure you have plans for the rest of Results Day – something that will help you to relax and de-stress.

4. Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is so important – it gives us energy for the day ahead and helps us to keep our emotions in check.

“But most important of all, we need to remember that each of us is different, with different needs, and will respond differently in any given situation,” he explained. “You wouldn’t judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree and you wouldn’t judge a peacock on its ability to hide.

“What may work well for you may not work for your peers so try not to worry if you and your friends are approaching Results Day with different feelings. Use this time to find what’s right for you, try new things, and support others to take positive steps towards good mental health.”