7 Tips To Beat Exam Anxiety

No matter how prepared you are for an exam

you can't help but feel some anxiety

like butterflies in your stomach

and potentially forgetting everything.

Feeling some anxiety is normal

as your body releases adrenaline in times of stress

which actually triggers your fight or flight response.

So here are some scientific tips to help you

beat that exam anxiety.

Exam anxiety is an epidemic among students worldwide.

One study found that out of 1,300 people questioned

96% say that they have experienced exam anxiety

at some point in their lives.

And this is a problem because another study found

that students who are deemed "highly anxious"

perform 12% worse on exams than those who were

"slightly anxious" or "not anxious at all".

Exam anxiety, like all anxiety, is a spectrum

meaning that there's all sorts of symptoms

in varying levels of feelings.

Some people may just feel their heart beating a little bit

while others are completely debilitated

with nausea and vomiting before every exam.

Getting at least six hours of sleep is crucial before an exam.

Making sure that you are well-rested will

give you the confidence to face the challenge ahead.

Pulling an all-nighted is a huge no-no

when it comes to your brain having the ability to succeed.

Nick, did you see... are you going to sleep?

I need a solid six hours before my exam!

Studies have actually shown that

those who have a balanced diet up to one week before an exam

actually perform better than those who have

a high meat or high protein diet.

I have seriously been studying so much

like eat sleep, sleep.

Here's your lunch.

Oh thanks.

What's glucose?

In fact, it's best to have a breakfast that's

high in fibre and high in carbohydrates

so that the energy is released slowly

and your brain doesn't crash mid-exam.

Losing energy quickly means losing your concentration

which means you might start to panic when

you can't even answer the easy questions.

Name. What's my name? Oh God what's the date?

Positive self-imagery has been known to boost confidence

and lower exam anxiety.

But it only works if you set yourself realistic goals.

I will get at least an 80% on this exam

I will not fart during the test

and I'll have a banana for lunch!

Now we're not telling you to lower your expectations

but it is not mentally healthy to

expect 100% on all of your exams.

So, while feeling confident before an exam is important

it's essential that you keep your feet planted on the ground.

To help de-stress, try to picture yourself in

a happy moment, whatever that might be

and then quickly switch to imagining

yourself in the exam room.

I'm on a boat with whales around me.

Humpbacks, fin whales

heck there's even a blue whale!

One comes up to me and lets me pet it.

Then he playfully splashes me and winks.

He loves me and I am one with him.

Also, glycamine alium and lucamine are all

non-polar acids and this is how you draw them in the exam.

This helps your brain to associate those happy feelings

with the exam and primes you to be ready.

In addition, before the exam

try to picture questions that you already studied the answers to

so that it'll boost your confidence going in.

Speaking of priming, it's important that

you familiarize yourself with the exam room.

If the exam room isn't your classroom

make sure you take a short field trip there a few days before

and this will also ensure you aren't late.

By seeing the setting beforehand, it will help your brain

be at ease during the exam, helping you feel more confident and perform better.

Hopefully you have a good circle of friends and study buddies you can work with

There's always that one Debbie Downer in the group

who kind of lowers your self-confidence.

This, combined with your past experience on exams

which might not have always been good

can lower your confidence when entering the exam.

A helpful trick is to write down these insecurities

on a piece of paper, and then right below them

write down a rebuttal which makes you feel confident

then crumple up that paper and throw it away.

People say I have a bad memory, but I have never forgotten somebody's birthday.

This can help you build confidence before a test

and these symbolic gestures are actually effective.

One study found that anxious students who wrote down

their worries before a test did better than

those who didn't.

Hopefully these scientific tips will help you go into your exam with confidence

feeling much less anxious.

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and science never goes out of style.

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