There is this particular type of stress that kicks in during exam season, which, in my opinion, is the worst one. Alongside the pressure you are under, the common lack of confidence that comes with it eats you alive. Not believing in yourself and having a constant fear of being unsuccessful can lead to worsening mental health. However, the silver lining is that you do have the ability to prevent this. What is often forgotten in these moments is that this feeling does not com

To start with, what is burnout? “Burnout” is recognised by the World Health Organisation as a syndrome, meaning a collection of symptoms or signs associated with a specific health-related cause. It is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. It often stems from experiencing long-term stress and constant pressure. Exam season often requires a lot of persistence, resilience and long hours of studying, which is why it is especially important to make sure you are loo

Improvement seems to require major changes and efforts, such as getting out of bed at five o'clock every morning, following strict dietary guidelines, or being constantly productive and organised. However, self-improvement does not work quite like this. In fact, it may well come down to minor but persistent tweaks in people's everyday lives. Small steps also remove the pressure of perfection. When goals feel too big, it is inherent human nature to procrastinate or give up qui

Exams are probably the single most daunting task we as students are forced to undertake throughout our academic careers; they are bearers of misery, stress, and anxiety. Believe me, I hate them too. But what if I told you that the key to maintaining an efficient and low-stress balance (or as low stress as possible) throughout your school life consists of only three things: Pressure, priorities and productivity. These three things are the absolute necessities for a structure

You know those days where everything just…sucks. Your coffee order was wrong, your bus was late, the outfit you planned for days doesn’t fit right. The default reaction, and the one I know I am prone to, is just getting into bed, turning off the lights and beginning the endless doom scroll. It feels comforting to know that whatever happens that day, you can always just get into bed and scroll. But whilst it feels like it's relaxing you, it’s actually just making you feel wors

It’s the classic situation: it's 2 a.m., and you’ve decided to rebrand your life in a desperate attempt to feel something other than an overwhelming sense of doom and despair. All’s well and good until your alarm goes off at 6.30 for school and your reminders are flooded with deadlines, group chat spam and home responsibilities all demanding your immediate attention. We’ve all been there, when everything feels equally urgent and overwhelming. But how can you get out of it? Th

Teenage mental health is closely tied to biology, and hormones play a measurable role in shaping how adolescents think and feel. Rather than just ‘causing mood swings,’ which is the most common myth, hormones interact with brain development, stress systems, and social processing. During the onset of puberty, levels of sex hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone increase significantly. These hormones influence the development of key brain regions, particularly the limbic

Friendship is often seen as integral to an enjoyable time at school. Making those trickier days easier through communication and support. But for so many students making and maintaining friendships isn’t as easy as it should be, making the school environment feel hostile and scary. There are many challenges causing friendships to feel confusing, stressful and upsetting. According to a survey produced by Accenture Uk 24% of university students in the UK report they do not have

Why settle for good when perfect is possible? This is a thought of many teens globally and doesn’t seem like a problem. To be honest, it doesn’t have to be a problem at all. According to the American Psychological Association, around 30% of us have perfectionistic traits at varying levels. Perfectionism only becomes a problem when you inflict excessive amounts of pressure on yourself to perform the best you can, and it becomes detrimental to your mental health, affecting self

You may have heard the phrase 'comparison is the thief of joy' countless times, but have you ever taken the time to reflect on it? At its core, comparison fosters a sense of inadequacy, making us feel like we are falling short of societal and self-imposed expectations. Whether expressed in the form of belittling our appearances, undermining our academic achievements in the light of our friends’ successes, or scrolling endlessly through social media envying another person’s li