The upcoming GCSE results day leaves lots of nerves in kids, but award-winning psychologist shares her top tips on how to support kids in dealing with the anxiety
Nail-biting, teeth-grinding, jaw-clenching tension, kids all over the UK will be feeling the nerves ahead of this year’s GCSE results day.
Managing stress and calming those nerves can prove to be difficult as many struggle to overcome these emotions for the big day. But students are told not to fear, as award-winning psychologist Dr Lalitaa Suglani shares how to deal with results day nerves.
Dr Suglani suggests accepting the anxiety as it is “a normal response to uncertainty – questioning whether you’ve done enough, fearing failure, or replaying past answers. It’s a psychological ‘hangover’ from weeks or months of stress.”
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She urges students to acknowledge their feeling and tells Study Dog: “Talking about your worries can also help – anxious thoughts are much louder in silence.” But she insists it’s important to keep perspective, as one exam period does not define your intelligence, your potential, or your future.
Dr Suglani encourages adopting techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing, journalling, or light physical activity, as these can ease anxious thoughts. “One that people might not know of is “sensory grounding” which is “paying attention to what you can see, hear, feel, and smell,” she adds.
“Focus on the things you can control, like your daily routine. Staying busy can help keep anxiety in check.”
Dr Suglani says that, ultimately, the best way to prepare is to recognise that results day may trigger a range of emotions – and that’s completely normal. “It helps to plan ahead,” she says. “Know what time your results will be released, how you’ll access them and who you’d like to be with when you open them.”
Dr Suglani also recommends surrounding yourself with supportive people can also help ease nerves, “whether that’s a parent, friend, or teacher – can really help.”
Finally, it is also just as “important to prepare for different outcomes. Remind yourself that no single result defines your worth or your future. Everyone’s journey is different, and your grades, do not determine your value as a person.”
So it is crucial to just keep your head up, take a moment to breathe and let the day be, as whatever will happen is going to happen and a piece of paper should not dictate how you feel and will not predict how your life will end up.
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