How to Beat the Exam Stress Amongst Students?

The term exams are enough to cause extreme stress and panic. Students dread this time of year when they have to crunch vast amounts of information in a short period. Further, living up to the expectation of parents and friends is even more stressful. A bit of stress does not cause much harm but helps the students to study better. However, too much stress can lead to depression and anxiety, harming the student’s preparation and performance at the examination.

Studying with a relaxed, calm, composed mind will boost confidence and improve performance. To overcome exam stress, some of the points have been listed below:

Be Aware and Practice Meditation: Be aware of your body and practice meditation by observing every breath you take as it flows through your lungs and out through your nose; lie on your back, close your eyes and focus on one area of your body at any given moment. These mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is scientifically proven to bring down stress levels.

Improve Your Exam Time Management: It may take many hours to study properly for a particular paper. Schedule one or two hours every day, two weeks before the exam, to prepare well for the paper. If you have many papers weekly, reduce socialization and non-related work hours. Prepare in advance and be ready to revise a week before.

Another factor is time management during the examination. Practice mock papers or ask your professors where you have gone wrong during your mocks and how better you can improve your time management. While practising mock papers, be strict with timings so that you don’t finish way earlier or later.

Make a Revision Timetable: Making a revision timetable and to-do lists each day will keep you prepared and on track to completing your studies. It will also help you understand where you lack your skills. Working out a daily routine will also give you more control of your day.

Declutter your Workspace to Improve Focus: Keeping your desk and space clean and organized can help you concentrate better, as physical clutter can cause stress and an inability to focus on your studies.

Exercise and Eat Healthy: After exercising, you will always feel better and could even have more energy to study or revise further. Exercise helps your body to function better, with the heart pumping blood. It enables you to feel a lot more alert once you finish exercising. Eating right is essential as it plays a crucial role during stressful times for mental health and well-being. Try reducing caffeine intake and have zero sugary drinks and food atleast a month before your exams.

Keep Away from Social Media: Keeping away from social media will significantly affect your stress levels. Start slow but make it a habit to stop checking or responding to messages on Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, and Snapchat while studying or revising. One knows how fast time flies while swiping through a social media feed. In addition, messages from friends may further distract you regarding how much or how little they have studied.

Always remember that a stressed brain cannot function well, so always remember to keep a calm and composed state of mind so that you excel in your examination.