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The summer after the Leaving Cert exams are meant to be full of long, warm, lazy days, with carefree laughter and the excitement of planning your next big step, whether that’s college, travel or your first proper job. Finally you’re Free!!!Right? Well perhaps not. Many students actually find these plans to be careless and carefree are overcast and deflated,with the ever present cloud of approaching exam results and the drama of what happens now. It’s hard to reconcile this new sense of freedom with the fact that until the results are out, then really nothing has changed. This can be extremely frustrating and confusing. When you have no idea yourself what you want to do, then questions from well-meaning relatives or nosey neighbours about course applications, job interviewsand “What will you do now?” can feelharassing and badgering. Pressure to achieve, get on the ‘right course’, get a ‘proper job’ and basically keep everyone happy, mounts as the results day gets closer and so it’s a good idea to prepare for this in advance. Give yourself the best possible chance to deal with this pressure and avoid too much stress by preparing and equipping yourself with the tools to deal with making big decisions and cope with the accompanying pressure. Take care of yourself in advance of the exam results 1. Identify when you are feeling stressed! Signs you may be feeling stress Are you smoking, drinking or behaving in way you wouldn’t normally think is a good idea? Are you eating less/more than usual? Do you have difficulty in concentrating? Can you feel periodic tightness in your chest, pounding heart or breathing difficulties? Do you have difficulty getting to sleep or frequent bad dreams? Are you feeling negative, irritable, alienated or cranky with your friends and family (even when they don’t deserve it!) or have you lost your usual good mood and sense of humour? Are you having a lot of negative thoughts or are you generally feeling run down and disinterested in what’s going on? 2. Look after yourself and be nice to yourself in the days leading up to the exam results. Treat yourself!!! 3. Try to get some exercise, (exercise releases all those lovely endorphins that make us feel better)and try to allocate some time for relaxation, like listening to music and taking a time out; try yoga or breathing exercises. This can be really helpful reducing stress and can help us identify how we are really feeling 4. Acknowledge your feelings and expectations, as well as the expectations of others. It’s a big ask of you to be able deal with the results pressure as well as managing the expectations of those around you. You are suddenly meant to develop the knowledge and ability to make life altering decisions so give yourself a break and ask for some space if you feel you are being put under too much pressure. 5. Talk to your friends, family or a professional:Your friends are probably feeling the same as you are so get it off your chest, it may feel a lot better to know you’re not going through this alone. For an appointment, please feel free to call me in confidence on 087 709 7477, or email me at midwestcounselling@gmail.com Explore more about Counselling Limerick
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