How Exams Can Trigger Anxiety & Stress
The word “exam” strikes a pint of anxiousness, irritability and some sort of hesitation in each and every student’s mind. It feels as though the world has come crashing onto us; trying to test us and our patience. Truth is, most students, whether academically gifted or not; always do feel pressured during exam season and surprisingly the factors leading to such a state aren't just the fact that we have so much work to do.
Other factors like poor study habits, poor past test performance, or an underlying anxiety problem might also lead to severe test anxiety. Fear of failure can also cause a lot of stress. If you connect your sense of self-worth to your test scores, the pressure you put on yourself can also cause severe test anxiety.
Exams bring in loads of fear which results in spiked rates of anxiety and stress. Being stressed is okay, after all, we are all human. But during exams and right before it, you may have noticed how some people fail to keep their cool and often resort to bizarre ways like stress eating, cutting themselves off from their dear ones and so on.
This could be for various reasons: You find it hard to understand what you're studying; you feel unprepared or haven't had time to study. Sometimes, you might find it difficult to learn and recall a large amount of information for an exam.
Whatever it is, remember that exams always have an element of uncertainty about them, but that's alright!
Here are some tips on how to cope with anxiety & stress during exam season:
Stick to a routine by eating and sleeping at around the same time each day.
Get a good night's sleep (most teenagers need 8-10 hours).
Give yourself mini rewards once you achieve your study goals—watch a TV show or go for a run.
Keep focused on your study—don't let other stuff like friendship worries distract you. People who actually want you to do well will give you time and space.
At the end of the day remember that you are more than your exams and that exams test the readiness of your knowledge of the subject, NOT you!
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