Come February and March every year; and each child and they’re dreaded by the fear of exams. Most students feel irritated and sad as their exams approach. 'Exams Stress' is believed to even cause panic attacks, anxiety attacks, self harm behaviors or indulgence in risk behaviors. Students living with an existing mental health condition are likely to suffer more. While most professionals accept that exam stress can be harmful for students, an optimal amount of stress is essential for a quality performance.

Identifying the negative consequences and risks:

• Impacts your study habits;
• Incessant over thinking;
• Impacting academic performance;
• Impacts sleep and eating habits.

What contributes to higher levels of Exam Stress:

• Feeling of unpreparedness;
• Burden of expectations;
• Fear of results;
• Performance anxiety;
• Fear of competition.

How to deal with Exam Stress:

• Work on your efforts; do not over think about results: Before actually appearing for the exam, how can we assess our own standing? When exams are approaching the last thing we want to do is over think about what the results are going to be without even preparing for them. It is better that we take enough time and prepare without doubting the future.

• Eat Healthy and Keep Hydrated: Studies suggest that under eating or overeating and even little dehydration can interfere with our optimum performance. And while preparing for exams we need to be at our most productive and optimum functioning. This is why mental health professionals suggest that students take plenty of nutrition and maintain the right hydration before and during exams.

• Keep in contact with your loved ones: Our social support i.e., our relationships with our family and friends isn’t just important during the fun times. We also need them at our worst. Having emotional and social support from the people we love can help during our preparation as the love and support keeps us positive and motivated.

• Practice relaxation:Relaxation techniques such as meditation, focused breathing, walking can boost your performance and concentration which helps in preparation. We take a lot of load during exams and, thus it is beneficial for us to take some time off.

• Take breaks:Many studies over the course of years have stressed upon the fact that breaks between work and study is related to better productivity. Using methods of breaks like the pomodoro technique (25 minutes study/work followed by 5 minutes break) can improve memory and help in remembering information.

• Prepare better:This is perhaps the best tip. Nothing can help you ace your examinations than preparing better. Plan ahead, time your revisions and stick to the plan. One can also benefit from self tests, mock tests, visual notes, flowcharts and mind maps. Such initiatives help us in feeling confident with our preparation.

Remember, do not focus on results, and rather focus on your efforts and wellbeing. Also, let us know which tips you follow to beat exam stress in the comments section below. 

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