If students are asked the question – “What would student life be better without?”, most will answer – “exam”. The eighteen-year-old great brave poet Sukanta also came true to this test.
This fear or anxiety about exams is very normal. The stress people feel during exams releases adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones. These stress hormones signal the “fight or flight” response in the brain. So the test really starts to scare us.
In 2015, a survey conducted by an organization called “Childline” on nearly 1300 test takers found that 96% of test takers suffered from varying degrees of test anxiety. So you see, you’re not the only one in the group who’s losing sleep over test anxiety.
But fear or anxiety towards exams is not the same for everyone. When test anxiety is higher than normal, it can cause a number of harmful symptoms.
Such as lack of concentration, forgetting everything in the exam hall, depression, restlessness, sickness, nausea, etc. However, abnormal test anxiety can easily be normalized. And you can do it in these 5 ways –
1. Positive about the test:
Lack of confidence is the biggest cause of test anxiety. Many times despite good preparation they fail the exam due to a lack of confidence. So, your first weapon against exam fear will be – a positive attitude toward yourself.
You have to believe that you can. Negative thoughts – eg, ‘I’ve always been bad! I’ll do it this time! Also, think about what happens if you fail the exam.
Before entering the exam hall try not to talk to those friends who are always negative. Because fear and anxiety are contagious. While answering the questions, first answer the questions that you know well. This technique will increase your confidence manifold.
Never dream and leap. But yes, remember this- don’t let your expectations become a source of extra stress on yourself.
2. Meditation:
Meditation is very effective in removing restlessness. Meditation will calm your mind and remove your anxiety and increase your concentration. Breathing exercises (also known as Damachar or Pranayama) are equally effective with meditation.
Take a white paper and write down why you fear exams.
When you hear the name Dhyan, you think of a saint doing penance in Vrindavan. There is nothing to fear. You don’t have to go to the jungle or the Himalayas to learn meditation. There are many apps on YouTube or Play Store through which you can practice meditation easily. For example, quantum meditation, headspace, calm, etc.
Also read: 10 things to have fun while you study
Another psychological exercise you can do. That is – close your eyes and think of your favorite pastime or experience. Then imagine that you are in the exam hall. You sit in the exam hall and write the correct answer to each question very well.
This mental exercise examines anxiety with pleasurable experiences. As a result anxiety or fear is reduced to a great extent.
3. Enter the concern:
Do one thing before the exam. Take a white paper and write down why you fear exams. Some reasons may seem absurd and ridiculous, but write down each reason. Then throw that paper in the dustbin.
The University of Chicago published a paper on this psychological technology in 2011. Studies show that this technique not only reduces test anxiety but also dramatically improves test results.
4. Diet:
Our routine exam time is 12 noon. Which affects the food. But this eating habit controls our test fear in many ways. Because the food we eat directly affects our mental state.
Eat foods rich in carbohydrates and fiber instead of high-protein foods. Because this food is slowly digested. So the brain can maintain concentration. This lack of focus or concentration is one of the reasons for our fear of exams.
5. Sleep:
The night before the exam our fear of exams climbs to the top of Everest. It seems – “Wish! I can do nothing.” Then we lose sleep reading everything. I think – “I’ve slept 364 nights, what if I don’t sleep one night?”
But this is a big mistake. Generally, a person needs 7-8 hours of sleep. If this is not possible, it is very important to sleep at least 6 hours the night before the test.
Adequate sleep reduces our anxiety by removing stress hormones from our brains. At the same time, through sleep, the brain sharpens its energy and memory.
If we think otherwise, exams are really an opportunity to prove ourselves. So, let your journey to conquer exam fear begin.