Do you feel overwhelmed, stressed or anxious? You face difficulties to concentrate, sleep or even enjoy your activities that you loved once? Then you are not alone! There are many of the students who are not aware of how to reduce stress and anxiety during exams and fail to perform good in their exams.
As a student you have to face different challenges that can lead to stress as you have to deal with exam and assignment then social pressure and even time management as well. However, there are different strategies by applying which you can manage stress and achieve success. With this blog, we are going to explore the importance of managing stress, practical tips to reduce stress and a guide on how to perform excellent in your exams.
Importance of stress management
Stress can create a significant impact on your physical and mental health, relationship and even on academic part. However, chronic stress can lead to:
1- Anxiety and Depression – Stress can play important to role in the development of anxiety and depression.
2- Weakened immune system- examination stress can badly impact your immune system which will make you more susceptible to illness.
3- Poor Sleep- Stress is the main reason why you are awake at night. As it disrupts sleep patterns which leads to fatigue, decreased concentration and reduced productivity as well.
4- Decreased academic performance – If you don’t manage stress effectively, it can impact your academic performance negatively. This leads to lower grades, decreased motivation and reduced self-esteem.
These are some of the tips that would help you in handling exam stress once you succeed to manage the stress, you have to move on to next step.
Exam Stress: Preparation - Foundation of Success
Exams can play a big role to build up stress for students. However, you can prepare properly to reduce the stress levels and then perform well. Here are some of the tips that can help you:
1- Create a study plan – Make sure to create a study plan that covers all the materials that you need to review. Then break down your study session into manageable chunks and decide specific time for each topic.
2- Review regularly – One of the things that can help you yo reinforce learning and reduce cramming id regular review. Set dedicated time for each week to review your notes, textbook and other study materials.
3- Practice past exams- Make sure to keep practicing the practice paper of past exams. This will help you to get familiarize with timing, question types and format.
4- Seek help when needed- You can reach out to your teachers, classmates or tutors for support. When you find some difficult concepts or subjects you can reach out to them immediately.
Take care of yourself
It is important for you to manage your stress by taking care of your physical and mental health. Here are some of the tips that can helo you take care of yourself:
1- Exercise regularly – If you are thinking of how to deal with exam stress then make sure to take care of yourself by exercising regularly. It helps to reduce stress, improve mood and increase energy as well. You need to engage with some physical activities such ad walking, jogging, cycling or even swimming.
2- Eat balanced diet – the other way to deal with examination stress is to fuel your body with healthy balanced diet that includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats as well. Make sure to say no to products that have sugar, processed food, high caffeine foods as they multiply the stress levels.
3- Get enough sleep- You have to take proper sleep of 7-9 hours. This helps your body and mind to recharge. Create a relaxing bedtime routine, avoid screen time before bedtime and create conducive sleep environment.
4- Practice relaxation techniques – one of the tip on how to deal with exam stress is to practice relaxation techniques. When you practice them daily, they help to reduce stress, improve mood and increase focus. You can try meditation, yoga, deep breathing etc.
During the exam
Here some of the tips which will help you to stay calm and focused during the exam:
1- Arrive early – Make sure to arrive at the examination centre atleast 30 minutes before the exam as it will help you ro seattle down, find your seat etc.
2- Read the instructions carefully – You need to allocate some time for reading the instructions carefully.
3- Manage your time effectively- Come up with a rough plan to allocate specific time for each section during exam. Make sone room for buffer time for any challenges or questions.
4- Stay calm and focused – Practice deep breathing or few minutes of meditation and try to relax. It’s okay if you feel sone level stress but don’t let it get on your nerves.
It is very common for students to experience stress, but don’t let it control your life. Make sure to follow above mentioned strategies to manage your stress and take good care of your physical and mental health. So, this was a guide on how to reduce stress and anxiety during exams which can create a great impact on your academic performance. Remember, stress is not a sign of weakness and it is okay to reach out for help to your teachers, classmates or tutors as well.