5 Exam Tips When Anxiety Is Getting in the Way
If exams make you feel sick, panicky or like your brain has packed up and left, you're in good company. Current research suggests that approximately 48 per cent of young Australians aged 16 to 25 are extremely or very stressed about study and exams, with school and study being among the biggest personal stressors in the country. A bit of nerves is normal and can even sharpen your focus. However, when it turns into dread, avoidance or blanking in the exam room, it is time to intervene.
Here are five strategies can help:
1. Start early, even though every part of you wants to avoid it
Putting off study feels good for about an hour. Then the panic grows. Psychologists treat anxiety by helping people face the thing they're avoiding in small, manageable steps, and it works for study too. Map out the weeks until your first exam, break each subject into smaller daily tasks, and start with the one you've been dodging. Ten minutes on your worst subject beats zero time, and often this is just enough to get the ball rolling!
2. Practice the exam, not just the notes
Anxiety loves the unknown, so take the unknown away. Do past papers with a timer running, sitting at a desk, full exam condition, with your phone in another room. The first one will feel awful. That's the point. Each practice run makes the real thing feel less scary. Testing yourself is also one of the best ways to actually learn and remember the content.
3. Learn a slow-breathing trick before exam day
When anxiety hits, your breathing goes fast and shallow, which makes your heart race and your hands shake. The fix is simple, but needs practice: breathe in slowly, pause for a moment, then make your breath out even longer. Use slow controlled breaths, in through your nose and out through your mouth. Practice this for a few minutes each day when you aren’t stressed or anxious, so it will feel second nature when the time comes to use it. Consider using this strategy when completing practice exams, so when the panic shows up mid-exam, you have a strategy your body already knows!
4. Guard your sleep like it's part of the exam
Did you know that during heavy study periods, research suggests that approximately 57 per cent of stressed students report trouble sleeping and 68 per cent report difficulty focussing? Those two feed each other. An all-nighter might feel productive, but you're trading a few extra hours of cramming for a foggy, more anxious brain the next day. Keep a regular bedtime, stop studying an hour before bed to allow yourself time to wind down, and charge your phone outside your room. Set an alarm and maintain a regular sleep schedule.
5. Know when it's bigger than exam stress
If you're having panic attacks, skipping school to avoid the feeling, or the anxiety hangs around long after exams end, that's probably worth talking to a professional about.
Exams end. So too can your anxiety as it is very treatable.
Having the strategies to handle anxiety is something that can serve you well now and into the future.
If exam stress is getting on top of you, we would be happy to help. Reach out to our friendly reception team on 0477 798 932 to book an appointment with one of our psychologists today!