According to statistics, approximately 25%-40% of students are experiencing regular stress and anxiety before exams. For many young people, this form of assessment is incredibly terrifying. And there are quite a few reasons for that.
Studies show that a regular lack of sleep can affect not only your energy levels but also significantly increase the amount of stress you are experiencing. Therefore, if you want to reduce anxiety and nail your tests, it’s always recommended to get some good sleep the night before. If you are having trouble sleeping, you can run a sleep video. Perhaps this might help you.
Why Do Students Struggle With Exams?
One bad thing about exams, unlike other academic issues, is that there is no way to delegate them. For example, when you can’t (or don’t want to) handle a challenging essay, you can always get professional assistance. You can use academic help at trusted “PaperWriter” services and let qualified academic writers handle your papers for you. And you will even get a guaranteed high grade this way.
Tests, however, are much different. Unfortunately, there is no way someone else can handle them for you. This can make you feel helpless and terrified. And that’s what makes them so tough.
On top of that, young people often get excessively stressed before tests due to their high importance. There is no secret that different exams have a huge impact on your final grade, so there is always lots of pressure and a fear of failure.
These and many other issues can make tests super stressful. Luckily, there are ways to overcome this tension and perform at the top of your abilities.
6 Tricks for Reducing Exam Anxiety
As was mentioned earlier, exam nerves are pretty common. Many young people are struggling with this issue, and it’s pretty natural. Yet, there are some ways to help you stay calm and relaxed and yet ace your tests with ease.
Here are a few simple techniques that should help you:
Prepare in Advance
Many students confess that poor preparation is one of the biggest sources of test stress. When you realize that you are not prepared well enough to get an acceptable grade, of course, you will feel stressed out and afraid. After all, an exam isn’t like a writing assignment that you can postpone for later and then delegate to professionals. If you postpone preparation, you will likely fail it. But there is an easy trick to solve this problem.
The first thing you should do is to make it a habit to prepare for your tests in advance. The earlier you start, the better prepared you will be. Respectively, the less stress you will experience.
Get Enough Sleep
Experts suggest young people should get between seven and ten hours of quality sleep every day. Nevertheless, studies and surveys reveal that 70% to 96% of students in college get less than 8 hours of daily sleep during academic semesters. Over 50% of students get fewer than seven hours of night sleep. So there is no wonder that 47% of young people report feeling sleepy and low-energy throughout the day.
Studies show that a regular lack of sleep can affect not only your energy levels but also significantly increase the amount of stress you are experiencing. Therefore, if you want to reduce anxiety and nail your tests, it’s always recommended to get some good sleep the night before.
Create Rituals
Tests and exams are so stressful because they constitute something unknown and unhabitual, which generates higher stress levels. On the other hand, if you do something well-known and habitual before taking them, this can help you reduce anxiety and stay calm.
Therefore, in order to regain tranquility, it’s recommended to create special before-test rituals and stick to them every time. It can be pretty much anything, including exercising, meditation, or self-care rituals. Even standard morning routines can work well. The core idea is to do something habitual and typical to make the exam day feel not so special and full of pressure.
Master Relaxation Techniques
Our lives are filled with stress. Whether in college, at work, or in everyday life, there will be plenty of situations when you’ll feel like a fish out of water. And it’s important that you learn how to manage your conditions and relax.
Luckily, there are plenty of helpful relaxation techniques that can help you calm down and regain confidence. For example, there are many different breathing exercises proven to ease anxiety. Learn these techniques and use them before different stressful events like exams. This will help you easily get through even the most difficult challenges and achieve the best results.
Exercise
Numerous studies confirm that physical activity has a positive effect on one’s thinking and cognitive abilities. Also, it provides more oxygen for your brain and, thus, improves its overall function. And, not less important, exercising is also known to eliminate anxiety and stress.
Even a bit of exercise before a big test can help you set the right tone and ensure positive outcomes. You can do whatever feels right to you. For example, take a short walk in the morning, do some yoga, etc. Try this trick once, and you’ll notice positive changes immediately.
Don’t Skip Your Meal
Feeling the tension before an important exam, many young people start feeling physically bad and often can’t eat. Due to this reason, they tend to forget to drink and eat well before the assessment, which only worsens their condition.
So here is the last tip: to feel confident, energized, and calm during your tests, always keep your body hydrated and have a good, nutritious breakfast. Consider eating foods that have a positive effect on the brain and memory, such as fatty fish, avocado, berries, nuts, etc. And consider reducing your caffeine consumption because it can make you feel even more anxious.
The Bottom Line
Feeling stressed before exams doesn’t feel good. But, in reality, it’s quite common and natural. Nevertheless, you don’t need to take it for granted and put up with this feeling.
Now you have a set of effective techniques and tips that should help you reduce anxiety and stay calm. Use them to nail your tests with ease!
