Sanjidah Hossain, Year12
We’ve all been through it, the tight knot in your stomachs when we realize that there are only a few weeks left before exams and you haven’t even started revision yet or that cold sweat you break out into when you think about that math exam you need to pass to get that grade you need.
Exam stress, we’ve all felt it; but what is exam stress really?
Stress is the body’s natural response to something we perceive as frightening or threatening, our Fight or Flight instinct. The heart begins to beat faster in order to supply more oxygen to the body’s muscles, resulting in a higher blood pressure. The body often breaks out in a sweat to prevent overheating due to the body’s increased metabolic rate. The nervous butterflies we feel in our stomachs are caused by adrenaline redirecting the blood and energy to the most important parts of the body, like the heart and muscles, and away from the digestive system, causing the blood vessels to close around the stomach and leading to that tingling sensation.
Mild stress is nothing harmful, it keeps the mind sharp and, during exams, often motivates us to get up and study. However, if stress levels are too high, it begins to impair our ability to think as well as work efficiently, even becoming harmful at one point.
But the real question is, can stress kill us?
Despite stress being a natural phenomena, the problem with humans is that we constantly experience stress. Unlike us, other animals will go through stress but then have a period of decrease in stress hormones. However, with constant essay deadlines and upcoming tests and exams, we rarely get a moment to relax.
Cortisol, one of the main stress hormones, sometimes beings to cause more harm than good in the body under a constant level of stress. The immune system weakens and the the number of white blood cells decreases, increasing chances of diseases. Some studies even suggest that prolonged stress may play a part in the development of cancer.
A study done on macaque monkeys showed that those under more, constant stress had more clogged arteries, which prevents blood from getting to the heart more quickly during stress and can lead to heart attacks. Another study showed mice unders stress had smaller brain cells than those who were less stressed, brain cells that were particularly found in the area of the brain associated with memory and learning. This is one of the reason why that all-nighter you may have pulled a couple weeks back didn’t quite pay off. With little sleep and high levels of stress, learning becomes increasingly more difficult.
So maybe stress can kill you, but not all hope is lost.
Oxytocin, another hormone, is shown to reduce this stress response, relaxing blood vessels and even regenerating the heart from stress-related damage. It is often called the “cuddle hormone” as it is released during positive social interaction and while caring for others.
So when you find yourself stressing, don’t panic and start planning your funeral. Stay confident in your own abilities and go find a cuddle buddy. Don’t stay locked up in your room glaring at seemingly impossible math equations, take a break from time to time and spend a minute or two with the ones you love; it might just save your life.
