How to Get Rid of Exam Pressure, QUICK!
Exam PRESSURE…well hold on, it’s not really a bad thing. The build-up of stress and anxiety just before exams is your body’s way of preparing you for the battle.
The truth of the matter is — exam pressure is good for you. So, you don’t have to get rid of it. But yes, you need to control it so it doesn’t get on your nerves and messes up your preparation. Here are some quick tips that will help you get rid of the negative effects of exam pressure… don’t worry, it’s a quick read we promise!
1. Chill and Drill
Yes. Chill. It’s just an exam. It’s only a part of your life, not life itself. We know some exams, especially competitive and board exams, are TREMENDOUSLY important and mean the life to you. But your performance in these exams will be negatively affected if you overthink them. Take your mind off them occasionally.
What you can do: Take a walk or run every day. Make an exercise routine if you don’t already have one. This will stimulate your mind and improve memory. It will ease your stress and help you think with more clarity.
2. Optimize Your Study Time
Many of us have the habit of studying at a stretch, sometimes for more than 4–5 hours! Well, let us break the myth. Studying non-stop will help you get nowhere. Your brain will not be able to retain all the information if you don’t take breaks and give it time to process the information.
What you can do: Study for up to 25–30 minutes and then take a short break (very short one, don’t think you can catch a video game in your break time!). Get back to studying again and then take a short break. This way, you’ll avoid overloading your brain and will find that your memory has improved.
3. Eat Right
Every time your mom or granny tells you to eat almonds and walnuts, they are right. Research tells us that the right kind of nutrition helps beat stress and anxiety. Also, if you are over exercising your brain, then you need to give it good food, right?
What you can do: Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, magnesium, zinc, antioxidants and vitamins. For instance, spinach, liver, eggs, salmon, almonds, walnuts, avocado, beans, fruits and berries. Also, drink lots of water because it’s absolutely essential to stay hydrated.
4. Talk and Sort
Do you know what is most comforting when you are in trouble? Knowing that your friend too is in trouble! While this applies to all kinds of trouble, it applies to your exams too. When you let your mind understand that you are not in it alone and that your friends and peers will be giving the exams too, you’ll feel calm and confident.
What you can do: Talk to your friends about how they are dealing with exam pressure. Ask them how they are preparing and share your tips with them. Especially when you think you are on the brink of collapsing out of stress, talk to a friend or a relative… any one close to you. If you find no one, simply stand before a mirror and talk to yourself. Say things that comfort you. It really works!
5. Bust Other Sources of Stress
When you are already under a lot of pressure, why should you take more? Answering phones, spending time on social media, arguing with someone, playing video games… these and many other activities induce stress. You don’t want this at least until your exams are over.
What you can do: Keep your phone in aeroplane mode while studying or sleeping. Log out of all your social media accounts for the time being. If you have a bad equation with someone, ignore the person. Don’t get into arguments or fights. Avoid playing video games. Instead of spending time on these activities, you can listen to soothing music, take a walk or read an interesting book.
These were some actionable tips you can get on with right away. Do let us know if these helped you overcome your exam stress. You can also write to us on your personal experiences in dealing with exam pressure.
Published on behalf of RUBEX, an ed-tech initiative that offers live classes on-demand. You can take our subjective tests to check your preparation level, clear doubts live with our subject matter experts or even request for a counseling session. Visit www.rubex.in.
