HELP! I CAN’T REMEMBER ANYTHING! How to deal with stress on exam day
In the UK, students are hurtling into exam season. It’s perfectly normal, at this time, to feel worried or stressed about upcoming exams. But how can you deal with exam stress so your brain doesn’t turn to jelly?
Too much stress and anxiety can get in the way of doing your best work. It puts a lot of pressure on your working memory which means you can’t recall information and process information as easily.
But if you’re just about to walk into an exam or you are in the middle of one, here are three tips to help you calm down.
B R E A T H E
I know there are lots of different breathing techniques on Tik Tok … box breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, blah, blah, blah. But really, the easiest to remember is four counts in, six counts out. Breathe out for longer than you inhale. Job done!!
It helps to calm your nervous system so that the individual letters on your exam paper stop swimming around and actually form a readable sentence instead.
Y A W N
Go on try it. Fake a yawn! It feels so good, especially if you’re in the middle of an exam and have been hunched over your exam paper for 30 minutes already.
There is nothing in the exam rules to say you can’t have a yawn and stretch at your desk. So ham it up (quietly of course). Stretch your arms out, let your jaw open wide, and your ribs stretch as you deeply yawn.
A yawn has the perfect combination of stretch and deep breathing that it both relaxes you and keeps your brain alert. (I have more information on yawning for relaxation here).
And if your fake yawn induces a real yawn, even better. Extra points if the yawn is contagious and triggers everyone else in the exam hall to yawn. You’ve just made everyone more relaxed.
I M A G I N E
Take 20 seconds to imagine yourself 10 years from now. What are you doing? What do you look like? Where are you living? (note – I created this after reading Jane McGonigal’s book Imaginable … read it after your ).
Now, when you come back to the present moment, realize that no matter what happens here today in the exam hall, life will carry on. You will have a great life! Today’s exam will be such a small, tiny part of your overall arc of life that hopefully it will put things into perspective for you.
Your exam results don’t define who you are and you will still be loveable you. This will help take the pressure off your shoulders when you feel overwhelmed.
Finally
Remember, feeling anxious is normal, but these three tips can help calm your nerves enough to do your best work.
I wish you the very best for your upcoming exams. You got this!
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