Being anxious before exams is a widespread experience. You might experience panic attacks, fear, dread, and uneasiness. The American Psychological Association defines anxiety as an emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure. We have all experienced it at some point but do not know how to deal with it. As you read this article, you will be able to understand anxiety’s depths and how to cope with it.
Anxiety is sometimes referred to as the psychological equivalent of physical pain. It may be described as a feeling of nervousness or worry. Anxiety can also appear in the form of phobias. For example, a child may become phobic to take exams after getting a bad score in a subject and being scolded for it. The child may realize that the fear and anxiety are irrational or that being anxious will not help in their situation but still be unable to control it. As said by Danesh Alam, MD, medical director of Behavioral Health Services at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, “Anxiety is the most common mental health condition seen in our society.” According to research, anxiety disorders affect 31.9% of adolescents between 13 and 18 years old, and when left untreated, adolescents are at a higher risk of performing poorly in school, missing out on important social experiences, and engaging in substance abuse.
What causes exam anxiety in students?
1. Fear - Anxiety may stem from fear of failure, lack of preparation, or a bad experience with previous exams. While a bit of pressure to do well is good for motivation, too much pressure can be detrimental to your mental health.
2. Perfectionism - Perfectionism can be defined as “a broad personality trait characterized by a person's concern with striving for flawlessness and perfection and is accompanied by critical self-evaluations and concerns regarding others' evaluations.” It is good to want to perform better, but students who have high perfectionism and high self-criticism tend to have high test anxiety and do worse on exams.
3. High expectations and pressure - Expectations you have for yourself or those that society has for you impact your mental state heavily.
4. Self-doubt - Students tend to associate grades with their worth, and this makes them doubt themselves and leads to exam anxiety.
5. Feeling of a lack of control - Students may also become anxious because they cannot predict the outcome of a test. In a case where a student has not studied well, they may feel helpless or guilty for not completing their responsibilities.
6. Time constraints - Aside from these causes, students often also experience anxiety during the test due to time constraints. The time running out may make them anxious and freeze up instead of calmly attempting the paper. This may lead them to perform worse than they possibly could or even miss out on attempting a large chunk of the exam.
Methods you can use to put a STOP to test anxiety
Using relaxation techniques can help you combat exam anxiety in both the short and long term. Here you are going to learn about various techniques that can help you in a stressful situation.
Short-term techniques: ● Tensing and differential relaxation method - Place your feet flat on the ground and grab the underneath of your chair. Push down with your feet and pull up on your chair at the same time for about five seconds. Relax for 5-10 seconds and repeat this procedure two or three times.
● Palming method - Close your eyes and cover them with your palms by resting them on your cheekbones and placing your fingers on your forehead. Think of any relaxing scenario and envision yourself in it. Visualize it for 1-2 minutes and calm yourself.
● Deep breathing - Sit in a good posture. Inhale through your nose. Hold your breath for a few seconds and exhale through your mouth slowly and calmly. Wait a few seconds and repeat the cycle until you feel calm.
Long-term techniques:
● Cue-controlled relaxation - The cue-controlled relaxation response technique is considered the best long-term relaxation technique. Cue-controlled relaxation means you can induce your relaxation based on repeating certain cue words to yourself. In essence, you are taught to relax and then silently repeat cue words, such as "I am relaxed." After enough practice, you can relax during tests.
● Positive self-talk - Students tend to engage in negative self-talk before and during exams, causing them to lose confidence in themselves and give up on tests. Students need to change their negative self-talk to positive self-talk without making unrealistic statements. Positive self-talk can help students build confidence and combat anxiety during exams. For example, instead of “I’m so bad at math. There’s no point in even trying,” it would be more beneficial to think “I’m bad at math, but that's all the more reason for me to try harder and do as well as I can!”
● Thought-stopping techniques - Some students have trouble shutting off their negative self-talk or turning it positive and hence require a thought-stopping technique. To stop your thoughts in the classroom or during a test, silently shout to yourself "Stop" or "Stop thinking about that." After your silent shout, either relax or repeat one of your positive self-talk statements. This technique works because it interrupts the worry response before it can cause high anxiety or negative emotions.
Summary Exam anxiety can be very nerve-racking and make you lose your cool. It can even degrade your performance significantly. However, it is possible to control and cope with it. It is also important to note that anxiety and anxiety disorders are not the same. In a more serious case, it is best to consult a professional. A mental health professional will hold various detailed assessments to determine whether you have an anxiety disorder.
Citations Natural Library of Medicine(NCBI) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK315/ Northwestern Medicine- The Science of Anxiety(Infographic)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Paul D. Nolting, Ph.D., Math Study Skills Workbook, Your Guide to Reducing Test Anxiety and Improving Study Strategies, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company
Loma Linda University - School of Medicine https://medicine.llu.edu/academics/resources/causes-test-anxiety
APA Dictionary of Psychology
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