EXAM STRESS!!!

Its pouring outside and pretty gloomy, you are bang in the middle of tests, exams and presentations, and life is completely stressed out.

Coping with exam stress, is not easy, but if you can manage to cope up, then its really helpful to managing your life now and in the future.

This week, we will be talking about how to deal with stress related to studies and how to excel when the going gets a little tough.

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Today we’ll answer a few questions regarding exam stress and exam anxiety.

Q)  Is it possible to avoid being stressed before an exam?

Ans) The simple answer to this is, that it is not possible to be completely de-stressed about exams. The reason for this is, that exams are a test of what you have done throughout the course, and obviously there will be stress because there is a lot at stake. However, the stress can reduced to a bare minimum, with hard work, organization and planning.

Q)  How do I minimize being stressed?

Ans)  Minimizing exam stress is definitely possible and should be practiced to ensure your exams go smoothly. There are various things you can do to minimize exam stress. Here’s  a list of what you can do:

 1)  Organization:

 Being organized is the key to success. If you find out exactly what you’re facing, you can work out a plan for dealing with it, and this will go a long way towards putting your mind at ease. Get hold of the right  information from the start. Make sure you know how you will be examined, and what you’ll be examined on. If you can, get a copy of the syllabus. Catch up with anything you've missed, so that you've got all your notes up to date. Find out about the resources available to help you. School and university teachers are an expert resource.

 2)  Plan a timetable:

Having a time-table is really useful, as it gives you a picture of where you stand currently and how you need to prepare for the exams. It tells you how many hours, you need to put in and how many revisions will be possible. Planning your time-table depends on your personal understanding capabilities. You may be able to learn history much faster than mathematics, therefore you will need more time for maths. The time-table thus helps you in realizing your strengths and weaknesses and you can constantly tweak your time-table depending on how the preparations are going. Everyone needs time off, and it’s a bad idea to abandon your social life and sporting activities, but for a period near the examinations, you may need to cut down.

3)  Breathing Techniques:

You don’t generally associate breathing techniques with exams, but they are a great way to de-stress body and mind. Stress can make you start breathing with quick, shallow breaths and make your heart beat faster than usual. If this happens, sit down somewhere comfortable, if possible. Place one hand on your stomach and check how quickly you are breathing. If it’s one breath every couple of seconds, take a deep breath and start counting steadily. Breathe out slowly and try to get the last of the breath out on about five seconds. Carry on doing this until you are doing it naturally.

Relaxation routine:

Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply.

Locate any areas of tension and try to relax those muscles; imagine the tension disappearing

• Relax each part of the body, from your feet to the top of your head.
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• As you focus on each part of your body, think of warmth, heaviness and relaxation.
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• After 20 minutes, take some deep breaths and stretch

4)  Physical Activity:

Regular exercise is an excellent way of coping with stress. As little as 10 or 20 minutes a day spent walking, cycling, or at the gym can make a big difference. (See The Mind guide to physical activity for more information about the benefits.)

5)  Sleep:

Sleep is essential for your mind to stay fresh. Without sleep, the mind does not work smoothly and lack of sleep has a large number of side-effects. If you’re tired, worries can get blown out of proportion. If you’ve been finding it difficult to get to sleep, try cutting down on stimulants (tea, coffee and alcohol, for instance) and make sure you have time to unwind before bed. A warm bath, with perhaps some added aromatherapy oils, can help. Some people feel very stressed about not getting enough sleep. It’s worth remembering that people can still function very well without any sleep for short periods of time. (See Mind’s booklet How to cope with sleep problems.)

Check out http://www.mind.org.uk/help/ for various FAQ’s relating to stress, anxiety and a variety of topics.

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