Exam stress and anxiety is a common problem these days among students and candidates preparing for exams. It can be handled through proper guidance and counselling.

Examination anxiety is an experience where the person goes through the intense feeling of fear and panic during an exam or assessment. During the exams sometimes our mind freezes, it lands up in a deep thought process of either giving up or thinking how is it going to happen. Sometimes heart starts racing fast and we sweat out of anxiety even before the examination starts. There are generally two ways through which examination anxiety can be defined: low and high anxiety.

Low anxiety is where students go through nervousness prior to an event. Still, they try to focus and keep working towards achieving the goals. Generally, students with low anxiety do not get stuck by the disturbing thoughts or any other distractions.

In a high anxiety situation, a person goes through an instant emotional reaction out of fear and panic. Whenever test situations are exposed to the people who suffer from high anxiety, either they attempt to avoid the situation or they come up with the conclusion that they are not able to do it. Anxiety impedes the performance of a person, it also affects the thought process. Today every student wants to be a high achiever. As a result, he/she has high self-expectations which eventually lead to exam stress.

Experiencing exam stress is common for every student which is not a healthy sign. It is difficult to deal with. But if you take it positively, you can benefit from it to see the improved results and come out in flying colours. To combat stress, you need to know the reasons behind why you get stress. Based on the researchers’ study, the following reasons have been found why students experience stress: · Lack of preparation and planning · Lack of guidance · High expectations from others · Competition from peers Career Counselors have counselled many students and concluded that the difference between the student who can vs who can’t handle stress is the drive to overcome and pushing it harder with a positive mindset. Some of the well known proven ideas which career Counselors advise to their clients to overcome stress and exam anxiety are:

1) Stay away from distractions: Excessive use of mobile phones, video games, etc. severely affects memory power, listening capacity, eyesight, and concentration. You should stay away from these before and during the exams.

2) Meditation and exercise: Early morning meditation and exercise makes you fit, keeps you calm, relaxed and enhances your concentration level. Even with a hectic schedule, make it a habit that you meditate and workout for at least half an hour. It works wonders in the long run. Yoga is a good option.

3) Plan your day using timetable: Planning helps you in better preparation and keep track of your activities. You can also make incremental improvements when you plan your day to make it more effective. You can maintain a diary for this.

4) Stay under the guidance of a good mentor: A good mentor can be of great help. A mentor motivates and gives the correct guidelines. A mentor can be a teacher/senior/elder family member, etc. Also nowadays, career Counselors are available who use modern techniques to mentor students. You can avail Counseling sessions from these career Counselors on call/email/personal visits. Usually, it takes one or more sessions depending upon your requirements.

5) Follow a good revision technique: To keep the concept in mind for longer, you can follow these techniques. a) Whatever is taught in class, revise it on the same day. Revise once again the next day, followed by the next week and the next month. b) Read an easy subject first, then go for the tougher one. It will boost up your confidence level and create interest in subjects. c) Don’t try to cover 100% syllabus in a haste. Cover only 50-60% syllabus with confidence such that any question asked doesn’t remain unsolved. Trust me, this really helps.

6) Take proper sleep: You should take a sound sleep of at least 6 to 8 hours a day. Sound sleep helps in keeping your mind fresh and body active.

7) Take proper diet: You should take a balanced diet. Include sprouts, salad, green vegetables, milk and dry fruits like almonds, walnuts, etc. in your diet. Avoid taking too much coffee/tea. Drink plenty of water. You should drink water in the ratio of 1/10th of your weight.

8) Talk to close family member/relative: Sometimes, talking to someone close helps you letting yourself out. It clears your heavy mind and helps you come out of the stress quicker. But be wise in choosing the person you are going to speak to. This person should be someone who understands you very well and can be really helpful.

9) Classical Music: If you are interested in music, then do listen to classical songs for some time. Classical music or any light music helps in soothing mind. Nowadays, meditation songs are available online which can be downloaded free of cost.

10) Stay happy: Don’t forget to smile. You can’t give your 100% until you are in a pleasant mood. Stay away from negativity. Playing with kids/pets or developing any creative hobby is helpful. Spending some time in the lap of nature gives immense pleasure..

These are simple ways in which you can overcome stress and perform really good in your exam. If the stress is still not manageable even after following these instructions, don’t hesitate to consult a psychologist/Counselor.