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Helping Your Teen Combat Performance Anxiety During Mock Exams

Feeling the Heat of Mock Exams? Combat Performance Anxiety with These 5 Strategies

Introduction

Mock exams can be a stressful time for both teens and their mums. If you’re feeling the tension rise at home—snappy moods, late-night cramming, or total avoidance of revision—you’re not alone. The pressure to perform can wreak havoc on your daughter’s mental health, turning the lead-up to exams into an emotional minefield.

But here’s the good news: there are practical strategies you can use to help her navigate the overwhelm and regain her calm and focus. As mums, we can’t remove the pressure altogether, but we can give our daughters the tools they need to manage it in healthier ways.

In this post, I’ll walk you through five simple, physiology-first strategies to tackle performance anxiety—not just for her, but for you too. Let’s dive in.

What Does Performance Anxiety Look Like?

Performance anxiety can show up in surprising ways:

• Behavioural Changes: She may bury herself in revision but become snappy and tearful or, conversely, avoid studying altogether.

• Physical Signs: Headaches, tummy aches, or trouble sleeping are common.

• Emotional Turmoil: Outbursts of frustration, self-doubt, and “I’m going to fail everything!” moments are all signs of overwhelm.

Does this sound familiar in your household?

Why Does This Happen?

Performance anxiety isn’t just “in her head” - it’s a full-body response. When academic pressure kicks in, her brain releases cortisol, a stress hormone. This triggers a survival response, leaving her feeling anxious, tense, and unable to focus.

Add in the fact that her brain’s logical problem-solving area - the prefrontal cortex - is still developing, and it’s no wonder she feels stuck or overwhelmed.

Here’s a stat for perspective: 48% of UK teens report academic pressure negatively impacts their mental health, with many experiencing anxiety so intense it stops them from working effectively.

5 Practical Strategies to Help Her Now

Here’s how you can support your daughter through mock exam season:

1. Breath Work

Give her a hug and connect; your heart rate with regulate her heart rate and allow her to go from aargh to ahh. This technique calms her nervous system—and works for you too!

2. Nourish Her Brain

Keep her energy and focus up with brain-friendly snacks like bananas, nuts, and yogurt. Don’t forget hydration - dehydration can worsen anxiety.

3. Get Moving

Encourage a movement break to release tension. A walk, a few stretches, or even a mini dance party can improve focus and boost her mood.

4. Protect Her Sleep

Sleep is essential during exam season. Help her wind down before bed with no-screen time, a calming book, or a hot shower to relax her mind and body.

5. Explain What’s Happening

Help her understand that it’s normal to feel overwhelmed. Explain how her developing brain contributes to the stress and reassure her she doesn’t need to have it all figured out.

Teaching Lifelong Skills

These strategies aren’t just about surviving mock exams - they’re tools your daughter can carry with her throughout her life. By focusing on her physical and emotional needs, you’re helping her build resilience, confidence, and self-awareness.

Join the Conversation and Find Your Support Network

I know how isolating it can feel to navigate this season alone, but you don’t have to. I’d love to invite you to connect with other mums who are walking the same path:

💬 Mum2Mum Connection

A safe and supportive space for mums of teenage daughters to share, learn, and grow together. Whether you’re looking for practical advice or simply need a listening ear, this is the place for real talk and real connection.

✨ Glow Groups

Join a small, intimate group of like-minded mums where we dive deeper into building stronger relationships with our teens. Glow Groups offer you tools, strategies, and the reassurance that you’re not alone in this journey.

🚀 Social Media Guide for Mums of Teens

Ready to create stronger connections with your teen on social media? Download my FREE Raising Confident Girls in a Digital World: Your Ultimate Social Media Guide for Keeping Them Safe Online for Mums of Teens and learn how to navigate the online world with confidence.

Let’s face it—parenting teens is hard, but it’s so much easier when we do it together.

👉 Join the Mum2Mum Connection Waitlist now to be first in line when it opens.

Want More Support?

If you found these tips helpful, check out this week’s episode of The Teen Whisperer podcast, where I dive deeper into performance anxiety and share more insights to help you support your daughter.

💡 Plus, don’t miss last week’s episode, where we explored the emotional rollercoaster of mock exam season and how stress affects your teen’s behavior.

👉 Visit www.theteenwhisperer.co.uk for resources, tools, and ways to work with me directly.

Closing Words

Mums, remember: mock exam stress is tough, but it doesn’t have to break your daughter - or you. Keep showing up for her, and know that you’re doing an amazing job.

Thanks for reading! If you found this post helpful, please share it with another mum who could use some support during exam season.

Listen to the full episode now!

Together, we can thrive.

Let’s start this journey now!

Rach x

If you like what you read then…

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I look forward to connecting and working with you.