For young students, the atmosphere at the beginning of summer is heating up not only due to climatic reasons. For many, this time is associated with stress before exams. The excitement is understandable, because it is known that only those who do nothing are mistaken, and nobody has yet canceled unhappy tickets.
If a ghost is wound up in a house that spends cribs all day, does not eat or sleep at night, then it’s time to take strategic measures. We are armed with the knowledge of how to cope with stress and save nerve remains. It is advisable to get rid of excessive excitement before the exam so that it does not cause poor results.
Who is at risk?
The first to hit are young people with high motivation. Excellent students who wish to receive a gold medal, students who dream of a red diploma and all those who are entrusted with Napoleonic plans. Even if such boys and girls do not have to perform a feat in the exam, there is something heroic about it.
People with heightened emotionality who sharply react to non-standard situations are also at the risk of becoming a victim of severe stress. If a child cried in childhood because of a two (or even four), he has every chance of not being able to cope with exam stress on his own. In order to effectively withstand stress, it is important to prioritize correctly. First of all, understand that mental health is more important than any prestigious university.
Alarming symptoms
Often we call “stress” any emotional shock. But it is not necessary to fight with natural anxiety before a responsible event. On the contrary, if a student does not worry at all, he is hardly motivated to succeed.
True stress upsets a person’s emotional balance. In severe cases, it can lead to poor health and inadequate reactions. The following signs will help distinguish healthy anxiety from a painful condition:
- unreasonable mood swings, nervousness;
- insomnia or increased sleepiness;
- rapid pulse;
- distraction;
- growing anxiety;
- fast fatiguability;
- lack of appetite;
- the appearance of bad habits;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases.
The appearance of such symptoms suggests that the critical line has already been passed. It is time to intervene to cope with stress and overcome its adverse effects.
Hidden reasons
· Uncertainty
The first culprit of pre-examination stress is doubt in a sufficient level of knowledge. Writing exam exams, which are arranged by the school or for a fee, will help to cope with this fear. It is advisable to conduct such a training test in advance so that there is enough time to tighten up the missed material.
· Forcing situation
Anxiety can be heated by teachers, who, in turn, are squeezed by the administration in order not to lower the rating of the educational institution. The task of the parents is to convince the student that even if he fails the exam, life will not collapse. There is always a chance to retake or choose another way of education.
· “I know that I know nothing”
The dictum of Socrates rather accurately describes the state of a student who studies the material for the entire semester on the last night before the exam. Or the feelings of a schoolboy who, at the last moment, watches videos on YouTube “How to pass the exam on 100 points.” The cause of stress in this situation is the uneven distribution of the load.
Unfortunately, people have not yet learned how to quickly absorb information. If you try to shove a large amount of knowledge into your head for a couple of days, the body will not be able to cope with such stress. To successfully pass the exams, start training in advance.
What to do to relieve stress
Proven advice from psychologists will help to cope with anxiety before exams even for the most emotional young people.
Think good
Remember that thoughts are material. By visualizing the failure patterns, you are programming yourself for an unsatisfactory result. No commander will win the battle if he is determined to lose. Try to block in mind the negativity associated with the exam.
As soon as disturbing thoughts creep into your head, resolutely block their way and replace them with a positive attitude. Draw in the imagination of optimistic pictures. For example, you take a ticket and are happy to realize that you know everything. Clearly confidently give an answer and get decent ratings. How to cope with negative thoughts, tell you a little later.
Write cheat sheets
The method used by our grandfathers and grandmothers works perfectly with the computerized generation of NEXT. We do not urge to use cribs. In modern conditions of video surveillance, this is fraught with removal from the exam and cancellation of the results.
However, the process of writing “spurs” very effectively helps to remove jitters. At this time, the brain is busy, so does not think about failure. In addition, the memory structured material, focusing on forgotten moments.
Observe the mode
Stick to the usual routine; do not sit at notes and textbooks all night long. Compliance with a measured lifestyle makes it clear to the nervous system that nothing extraordinary happens. It is better to increase the intensity of classes in the morning and afternoon hours, and at night the productivity of memorization decreases greatly.
Take a break rest
To cope with stress, arrange a short time-out every hour of classes. During the break, do not stay at the table. Go to the nearest shop for a chocolate bar, do a couple of exercises, have a snack, talk on the phone. Computer games are not the best way to relax when preparing for exams, try to use it to a minimum.
More than 8 hours a day is not recommended to do intensively. This is especially true for exact sciences: mathematics, physics, etc. This can lead to exhaustion and exhaustion of the nervous system, which is already weakened by stress. After this critical load threshold, memory begins to act selectively, which can lead to annoying errors.
Go for a walk
When the degree of excitement rolls over, it’s time to add variety to the rest. The best way to cope with the experiences will help with physical activity. Go rollerblading, cycling, swimming in the pool, work out at the gym, just run or dance.
The board, though not original, but effective. It has been proven that any physical activity stimulates the production of endorphins – happiness hormones that relieve stress better than any antidepressants. Evening promenade will help to avoid insomnia – a frequent stressful girlfriend.
Do not get carried away with stimulants.
When preparing for exams, try not to lean on strong tea, coffee, and other energy drinks. Natural and chemical stimulants do not draw energy from space. They only force the body to intensively expend its own reserves. When they end, the opposite reaction occurs apathy, fatigue, loss of concentration. Sometimes this condition occurs at the most crucial moment: during the exam. The best substitute for an invigorating cup of coffee is fruit juices and fresh juices.
Eat right
Nutritionists advise in the stress period to lean on products that enhance brain activity, raise the defenses and body tone.
On the green list:
- Fat varieties of fish, seafood.
- Lean meat.
- Greek yogurt.
- Nuts (hazelnuts, almonds).
- Honey;
- Fresh vegetables, fruits, and berries.
Particularly excitable personalities should be given up on bananas and citrus fruits. These fruits help to cope with stress, as they stimulate the production of serotonin.
Take a rest on the eve of the exam
On the last day before passing the exam, preparation should be completed before the evening. Devote the remaining hours to a pleasant pastime, positive emotions. Go to bed early. If a person feels rested and vigorous, rather than tired and exhausted, his chances of passing the test at the maximum of opportunities increase.
What does medicine offer?
Individually, a neurologist can advise drugs that gently relieve stress and stimulate mental activity. Well-known means – valerian root and motherwort. If you start taking decoctions of these herbs in advance, they can reduce nervous excitability.
Should consider one nuance. Take sedatives, including herbal infusions, you need to advance, as a noticeable effect will appear in a couple of weeks. It is extremely harmful to drink such remedies, including valerian, just before the exam. This can lead to undesirable consequences: loss of concentration and attentiveness.
Psycho training techniques
If the practice of autogenic training is not alien to you, the time has come to use it to its fullest. Here are some techniques that will help to deal with excessive emotion.
· Deep breathing
During stress, not only the mental, but also the physical state of the person changes: heartbeat and breathing become more frequent, and pressure increases. Having brought these parameters back to normal, it is possible to relieve emotional and mental stress. Take a relaxed posture and focus on the breathing process. Take a deep breath, hold your breath, slowly exhale.
Try not to think about anything, focus on the surrounding sounds: the chirping of birds, the voices outside the window, the rustling of leaves, the ticking of the clock. Take 10-20 slow breaths. Then just sit for a while, trying to completely release the situation.
· Collage
This technique uses a visualization method. Cut out a picture or make a collage on the topic: “Successful passing the exam.” Hang the image in a prominent place, look at it as often as possible. Before the exam, visualize the picture, imagining yourself in the place of the hero.
Enlist the support of fate
Lucky attraction rituals have a rather long history and are used by students all over the world. Despite the ambiguity of such signs, they help reduce the drama of the situation, to bring into it a healthy element of humor.
Someone puts on “happy” clothes, in which they once managed to get a high score, someone takes the talismans loaded with magicians for the exam. If it helps to cope with stress, such tricks are welcome.
You may also like to read about strix mythology.
