That moment when you experience intense fear or panic before or during any of your major examination, is the moment when you are going through a very common, yet a complex problem, known as exam anxiety.
You can feel your heart racing, your mind freezing while you are going through a plethora of negative emotions wherein you question your own might and feel like you will not be able emerge a winner. This is probably one of the most discouraging and stressful moment of every student’s life and everyone who has ever given an exam or is currently preparing for one can relate well.
Sometimes anxiety helps an individual as it causes them to work harder. On the other hand, anxiety can leave a negative impact.
Most of the people with high anxiety view examinations as a nerve-racking situation which further makes it extremely difficult for them to focus on their study material. Exam anxiety specially interferes with the cognitive and intellectual functioning, not allowing a person to perform to his or her best capabilities.
This teachers’ day, here are six tips from teachers that can help one address exam anxiety.
1. Prepare Consistently:
‘It is always advised to be regular with your studies, a few hours on a regular basis, would spare you all the exam anxiety,’ says Archna Bansal. You can use practice papers to improve on yourself, you can pay special attention to your weak areas and take help from your fellows and teachers.
2. Time Management:
‘Time management is extremely essential to cope with exam stress and ace your exams,’ points out Kamaldeep Modgill. It is advised to organize your study space, use flow charts and power point presentations, study ingroups to make your study interesting. Taking regular breaks after every 1-2 hours of studying is very important so as to give yourself rest and time to revive. Focus on the important aspects of your syllabus and then on others. Create a proper timetable for yourself which must be flexible and realistic, it should help you cover your syllabus while giving you enough time for leisure. It is also essential that one avoids procrastination. Practice exam papers to be able to sail through easily from Question 1 to 100.
3. Have a Positive Outlook:
It is necessary to keep encouraging yourself and work towards your examination with self-affirmation. If you keep bringing yourself down, you will be stuck in the cycle of stress and exam anxiety. ‘You must focus on your success and not on feared failure. Be calm and know that you can do it!’ affirms Shilpa Paul.
4. Deep Breathing and Relaxation Techniques
‘It is quite important for everyone preparing for any kind of examination to take some time in a day and practice various relaxation techniques,’ suggest Sangeeta Pundir. Relaxation techniques are of various types and their main aim is to make the person realize exactly what is causing them anxiety and help them get rid of it. There are various types of relaxation techniques like deep breathing, music therapy, mindfulness, yoga etc.
5. The Right Food and Exercise:
Food items like salmon, dark chocolate, yogurt, green tea, turmeric, etc have special ingredients in them that help reduce anxiety. It is recommended to add such food in your diet during exam time. Moreover, at least 30 minutes of exercise is essential every day, it could be an evening walk or a bicycle ride. It helps in blood circulation and will help you feel fresher and more energized.
6. Take Support:
Lastly, all those people who experience exam anxiety should not shy away from talking and taking support or advice from their families, friends, counselors and teachers. ‘When you feel supported and when you can talk about your issues, half the battle is already won,’ says Sudha Sharma. They will surely be of some help and may provide you with tips which will help you further reduce your anxiety levels.
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