How to deal with pressure and expectations

As a student, you can experience tremendous pressure to perform and excel. From exams and music lessons, to the sports field and beyond, pressure to succeed can come from many directions.

If you’re feeling pressure from an external source that’s making you feel anxious or concerned, it’s important you acknowledge that and find ways to manage it. Here are our tips for dealing with pressure.
​
Where can pressure to perform come from?

Pressure and expectations come from many different places, usually by people who care about you and want you to succeed. Parents, friends, teachers, coaches, relatives, teammates, and even you yourself can cause stress and anxiety that can cause problems in your life.

What can you do?

If pressure is causing you to worry and affecting your study, you should take action. We recommend:

• Talking to the parties involved about the pressure they’re putting on you and how it makes you feel. Explain that you want to do well, too, but their behaviour is having the opposite impact. Give them practical things they can do to help you succeed: For example, preparing healthy brain food, or letting you off certain chores during the exam period so you have more study time.
• Schedule in relaxation time. For exams and other periods where you experience a lot of stress and pressure, it’s important to ensure you get time to yourself or with your friends where you can relax and stop thinking about the pressure.
• Remind yourself that it's okay if you didn't do as well as you had hoped. Bombing one exam or missing one goal won’t impact the rest of your life, and you’ll likely forget it even happened in a few years’ time.
• Focus on your goals. If the people pressuring you won’t stop, learn to tune them out by focusing not on what they expect, but on what you want. Remind yourself what you enjoy about the activity or what goal you’re striving for. Go after your own dreams and don’t worry about what others think.
• Talk to someone you trust. Talking helps get these things off your chest. Speak to a counsellor, helpline, friend, or someone you trust about how you’re feeling.

Pressure from outside can take the fun out of your favourite activities and make studying even more difficult. If you’re being pressured, talk to someone you trust and take steps to relieve the pressure, before you burst.