'Tis the season for exam stress - or does it have to be?
By Raeanne Nightingale

Both teenagers and parents are feely edgy at the moment due to the fearsome annual exam season.
As desperate cramming sessions begin mums and dads start tearing their hair out but what everyone should know is that help is out there in the form of advice service Connexions and, strangely enough, a healthy diet.
A new survey by Haliborange Omega-3 questioned 486 mums with teenage children and found one in four worry their teenager's concentration levels aren't good enough to absorb the amount of information needed in the time available in the run up to exams.
Plus mums find it difficult to think of ways they can actually help their children's revision habits.
However UK mums are now making the link between diet and concentration, with nearly one in three (29%) understanding and strongly believing that what they eat has the greatest effect on their children's concentration.
Dr Ray Rice, Omega-3 expert and author of Clinical Guide to Omega-3 for Children's Brain Development, said: "Teenagers' brain health is significantly affected by the level of Omega-3 intake and it has to be taken through dietary sources.
"Supplements like Haliborange Omega-3 TeenSense are good for teenagers because they deliver a guaranteed dose of Omega-3, they appeal to children more than oily fish tends to and deliver a daily intake."
The Haliborange survey shows teenagers are trying their hardest. While many parents worry that children are more occupied by television, relationships and spots, the teenagers rank further education/career (48%) and finding time to revise for their exams (32%) as two of their top three worries.
But if f you're facing exams in the coming weeks, help is at hand as Connexions Direct, the online youth advice and support service, has some useful tips on how to cope.
Connexions Direct has helpful advice on revision, and how to plan your work. There's advice on how to prepare for exams as well as links to useful revision sites.
"Young people who feel stressed or overwhelmed by exams or revision shouldn't try to bottle it up or keep it to themselves," said Connexions personal adviser Mike Miles.
"They should talk to a parent, carer or teacher, or to their Connexions Personal Adviser at school or college, about how they can plan their revision better and try to reduce their feelings of anxiety.
"Exam time is a very stressful time for young people but there are strategies that can help you cope."
Connexions top tips include:
· Get started! You might think your exams are miles away but it'simportant to plan revision time in advance. Leaving it to the last minute will only make it more stressful.
· Plan your revision carefully and draw up a plan for all your subjects.
· Think about what's the best way of revising for you. Are you better revising by yourself or with a friend? Do you prefer doing lots of short revision sessions or longer sessions?
· Never leave your revision to the last minute and try testing yourself and your friends by looking at old exam papers.
· Try to find a quiet place to work, with no distractions.
· It's good to write yourself reminders, make notes and highlight important facts when you are revising. Try putting fact notes and dates somewhere you can see them. Good places are on the fridge, in your bedroom or even in the bathroom. The more you look at them, the more you should be able to remember the information.
· Summarise different subjects on to cards or an A4 sheet of paper which you can use as a revision guide.
· Record information and play it back - listen when you are in bed just before you go to sleep or while you are travelling.
· Take regular breaks. Make sure that you eat and sleep well and don't spend all your time revising. Exercising is a great way to clear your mind and will make you feel a lot better and more refreshed.
· When you go into an exam, stay calm, breath slowly and try not to worry. Read all the instructions carefully and keep an eye on the time. Remember that you can only do your best.