Beat Exam Stress Like a Pro

Most students often feel stress and anxiety, worrying about performing academically to a certain level. While a certain amount of stress is normal, it may become a health issue if it extends for a long time. Examination is one of the reasons why students feel stress, thinking about failing or not reaching the expectations from the family. When stressed, brains release high levels of cortisol which can cloud the way we think and get in the way of rational thoughts. Because of this, it's important to stay as cool, calm and collected as you can during the exam period. Yes, easier said than done.

Here are some tips on coping with stress before and after exams.

Have a routine. Knowing what you’re doing everyday will make things easier. Having a routine helps you organize things and improve your time management skills. Also, it helps you accomplish those bulky requirements to avoid cramming during exams.

Take regular breaks. Don’t be too hard on yourself by working yourself out until your body gives up. Take a break! It helps you reduce fatigue and retain information. Taking a break is not shirking responsibilities.

Remember to breathe. A study of Steinborn and Huestegge (2016) reveals that rest is generally beneficial for performance and these benefits are similar for active and passive rest. In this case, you may either take a walk or get that 20-minute nap.

Drink water. Keep hydrated to avoid tiredness and keep away from sugary and energy drinks. Your brain needs adequate water to function properly.

Eat regularly and avoid too much sugar. A Korean study proved that academic stress levels are positively associated with sweet food. Needless to say, a balanced meal is important to keep your body function efficiently. Eating the right foods during stressful times is also absolutely crucial for mental health and well-being.

Sleep well. Put away what you’re doing and rest for at least half an hour before bedtime. Try to get a full eight hours of sleep. A good night’s sleep improves learning and memory.

Meditate and breathe. Take a moment to close your eyes and use 5-10 minutes to do breathing and stretching exercises every morning. Focus on inhaling and exhaling to avoid stressful thoughts, it will come easier with practice. It will also help you to relax physically and mentally.

Be positive. Happy thoughts help with better mental health and performance. Imagine an Olympic athlete and how much self-belief they need to compete. Believing in your capabilities will help you gain confidence to do things. A portion of that could make a big difference. Being kind to yourself during periods of high anxiety is likely to give you a bit more motivation to work harder.

Do mock exams at home. One of the best ways to overcome exam stress is practice - and plenty of it. That's because one of the most common reasons for feeling stressed ahead of exams is not being sure what to expect on the day. Mock exams can help you prepare for what questions you'd likely to be asked, and how best to approach answering them. Try to find examples of past exam questions to get an idea of what topics have previously come up.

Learn to move on. Stop thinking about finished exams as there is nothing you can do about them. It’s not the end of the world if you have not done well as you wanted. What matters is that you prepared and you gave all your best. Take successes and failures as learnings and keep moving.