How to Deal with Stress during the Preparation of exams

For learners giving exams is important but with the exams stress also arrives. The key to succeeding in exams is not only teaching yourself, taking knowledge and making good scores but also helping oneself to develop how to manage their well-being during stressful periods. In this blog, we learn how to use life skills to manage the exam stress.

What is Stress?

It is any type of change that causes physical, emotional or psychological strain. The stress is the body’s response to anything that requires attention or action. During the exam, everyone experiences stress to some degree.
However, the stress of having to take exams can rule in our minds. We knew that a certain amount of stress is useful, it can maximize performance. But when emotions override one’s thinking and the brain goes into a confused mode that leads to lower levels of achievement.
Why do exams cause stress?

In exams, we feel under pressure to perform because the outcome of the exam, success or failure, might make a difference to our future. During exams, the brain sees the high stakes of exams as a threat to survival. The brain and body respond by triggering a series of reactions, these can be physical, like headaches or stomach aches, or behavioral, like being quiet or displaying disruptive behavior, or cognitive such as experiencing a lack of concentration or negative self-talk.

How to Deal with Exam Stress

1. Know your Exam

Most of the time the students don’t know what to study and take stress. So, do research before starting preparation to know the subject. This will help to clear the mind and focus on the exam.
Being completely aware of the exam is the first step to avoiding stress. So do research about, the exam, syllabus, exam pattern, type of questions and other information that is important at that time. Accordingly, buy books or notes and plan the schedule for the exam.

2. Set Goal

Set realistic goals for preparation. While preparing for exams, students want to make sure that they do not miss anything on the syllabus, and revise the syllabus as many times as possible and are all prepared.
The process goes unrealistic when you plan an unrealistic way like studying the whole day as 14-15 hours before the exams. Always plan the realistic way like 2-3 hours of study then take a rest or do something that makes you relax, this might sound worthwhile in the long run and realistic goals can be reached.

3. Keep your body alive

Research shows that when someone takes stress, the adrenal gland releases cortisol, a stress hormone — to manage it. Cortisol affects your body, so taking care of it is very important. The things that keep in mind are:

• Reduce sugar intake – Cortisol also affects your body’s sugar level. If the sugar intake is high, then you feel more stressed. So, take a high-protein breakfast, including eggs, oats, nuts etc. Eat vegetables and fruits per day.
• Exercise – It is a great stress booster. This energizes the body and makes you feel fresh inside out. Even simple exercise helps with your stress, when you can’t exercise just go out for a walk. This will help you to refresh your mind and calm you.
• Hydrate yourself – Water is essential for our body. So, always hydrate yourself. This simply acts as a stress buster.

4. Don’t isolate yourself

During preparation don’t isolate yourself, there are some disturbing elements around you from whom it is important to stay away, but at the same time, you must have some people to talk to and discuss when you feel low.

5. Clear your mind

Before starting to study, clear your mind, keep negative thoughts, and don’t use mobile phones while studying as research shows that overuse of phones not only causes stress but also has a negative impact on mental health. So, clear the mind to stay away from distractions and negative thoughts.

6. Time Management

Time Management is one of the important aspects of preparation and also helps in dealing with exam stress. Research shows that the students who practiced time management showed lower levels of stress and anxiety of the exam than those who had not.

Time Management not only helps with stress, it includes enough time for both studying and resting, this leaves you feeling motivated and more energized so you’re able to prepare for exams without stress.

7. Believe in the process, not in perfection

Always believe in doing process not in perfection. “Perfect” closes the door because this word means “done and this is the best that we can do. So, never aim for perfection, always aim for progress and the possibility to do “better” opens the door. So, we challenge ourselves to see where and what we have to improve.
Perfection gives stress so focus on the progress you’re making instead of perceiving failure. So always enjoy and aim for progress, not perfection.

8. Enjoy the solitude

Enjoy your own company and face what is bothering you, what is your fear and write it down. This is realizing what you are feeling instead of hiding it within you. Your hobby is one of the happiest places where you can get lost and enjoy the moment of calmness.

9. Stay positive

You need nothing when you are willing to trust yourself and stay positive. So being positive and giving positive vibes is the key to release your stress and of any person around you. Research shows that positive thoughts help the exam stress.

For some students, exams are easy and they can ace it, but for some exams are as difficult as climbing the mountain in the middle of night. So these tips will help the students to deal with the stress during the preparation of exams.