Are your preparing for your exams and want to know Tips to be Stress Free During Exams? Here are 11 Tips to be Stress Free During Exams:
List of 11 Tips to be Stress Free During Exams
1. Breathe
Setting aside a couple of minutes every day to practice mindfulness techniques, such as breathing exercises, helps you to calm down your body’s stress response and shift your attention back to the present moment. In turn, this gives you time to rationally think through the anxieties you have, rid yourself of unhelpful thought patterns and enables you to deal with a large number of exams and begin more effective revision.
2. Eat Well, Sleep Well and Exercise Well
Pulling all-nighters, surviving on a poor diet, and getting minimal amounts of movement into your day can increase symptoms of anxiety. For your body’s best performance, make sure you’re getting 8/9 hours of sleep, enough slow-release carbs, less caffeine and more water, and at least half an hour of exercise per day.
3. Don’t go Above, Set Realistic Goals
Setting realistic goals, whether you have several weeks, days or hours before your exam, helps you to put everything into perspective. Acceptance of your situation and working within the realms of what you have maximises your productivity without the risk of burning yourself out.
4. Revise with Peer, Don’t do it alone
In 2004, a research paper published in Linguistics and Education saw that revising with peers is an effective study technique as it allows individuals to better absorb their own notes. Furthermore, the emotional benefits of social support tend to include a better sense of confidence and autonomy.
5. Don’t Panic
Panicking before, during or even after an exam is common among university students. If you experience it at any point, take six deep breaths, hydrate yourself, and then go back the problem at hand, being sure to break it down into several, manageable chunks. Remember that there is usually a rational solution to every problem, even if you can’t see it at first glance.
6. Believe in Yourself
When being constantly faced with new challenges, we often forget to look back at how far we have come and how much we have already achieved. Given that you have prepared well, there should be no reason for you to worry. Therefore, when experiencing a negative thought, try to replace it with a positive one. For example, instead of thinking ‘If I don’t get at least a 2:1, I am a failure’, think ‘Whatever I get, I will be proud of myself and value how much I have already achieved’. You can do this!
7. Talk to Someone
Asking for help is never shameful. In the most extreme cases, it can help save a life. When struggling, talk to friends, family, or your personal tutor about how you are feeling. Alternatively, don’t be afraid to seek professional help and support.
8. Don’t compare yourself to others
Try not to stress about how others are prepping for exams. Focus on what you can do. You might feel like other people are smashing it, revising more than you, or just not stressing out as much. But we’re all different and that’s okay. Remember, your friends are coping with exam stress too. They might be just as on edge as you.
9. Distract Yourself
Use some distract strategies that can help you manage your stressful or anxious feelings such as using a stress ball, chewing some gum, sipping on ice water, using fidget toys such as an elastic band on your wrist or molding putties such as Play-Doh® or Silly Putty®.
10. Stay Positive
Combat worry thoughts or negative thoughts such as “I am going to fail” or “I can’t do this” with positive thoughts or cheerleading statements such as “I got this” or “I am going to try my best, I know my stuff”. Write these cheerleading or positive statements out and post them around your study area.
11. Stay Organized
Being organized can help to reduce feelings of anxiety and improve your overall performance during exam season. It is important to create a study schedule which includes regular breaks and provisions for rest and sleep. It can also be helpful to create a daily to-do list which includes all the important tasks you need to complete.
