An ACT-informed guide for teachers & parents
Our short guide offers ACT-based (acceptance and commitment therapy) tools, along with other evidence-based psychological strategies, to help you support students in navigating exam stress with compassion, curiosity, and flexibility.
ACT focuses on building psychological flexibility, the ability to be open, present, and engaged in meaningful action, even in the presence of discomfort.
Download supporting students through exam stress
Supporting students through exam stress: An ACT-informed guide for teachers & parents overview
This short guide introduces five practical, ACT-informed strategies that can be used flexibly and compassionately in everyday conversations, classroom discussions, one-on-one sessions, or workshops.
- Make room for stress (acceptance)
- Untangling from unhelpful thoughts (step back)
- Anchor in the present (mindfulness & grounding)
- Connect with values (motivation beyond fear)
- Take committed action (doing what matters)
Each strategy includes a simple explanation, a key idea, and an activity or tool to put into practice. While each strategy can stand alone, they work best when integrated and reinforced over time. If we help young people see this stress as normal and give them simple, practical tools to handle it, they don’t just get through exams, they build resilience they can use for the rest of their lives.
