Fear of exams is natural and instinctive for all human beings. It has not much to do with less or more preparation you have made for your test. Your 100% preparation for exams can’t overcome the anxiety and fear of exams. Why? Because it is the fear of something hidden. Something going to appear before you. A well prepared student can only be free when he sees his paper before his eyes …. obviously, a paper not out of course.
I have tested and retested the following techniques and got them fruitful. Though I have been one of those who try to finish at the eleventh hour the coming techniques really helped me a lot.
Chewing-gum
You might have chewed gum. If you like this, it would be your companion on the day of perspiration, gasping, and trembling.
Chewing gum is not only fun for kids but it is psychologically a tremendous treatment. It can make you focused without fear. When we pass through anxiety, our limbs start becoming motionless forcings us to ponder over a bad picture of our future. This is the time to gain light physical momentum. Physical momentum will create an optimistic psychological approach. A moving body can change fear to anger. The slight physical movement of jaws will drive the attention of the mind toward the activity rather than painting the caricatures in the cinema of most upper floor of our body that is head.
Chewing gum on the day of exams not only creates momentum but it will make the glands work. Glands create saliva. A new activity starts. The message is transferred to the brain. A message with the good news that something well has been found is accepted by the brain. Now, joy takes the place of fear.
Not only this but the sweetness provides carbohydrates. Instant energy is gained. Enough energy is the cause of a positive mental boost.
Take a shower
When water is poured on the head, all negative thoughts full of fear melt down. The temperature of the body becomes moderate. It generates a pleasant feeling in the mind. Fear of exams vanishes away as there is another thought to go with.
Commonwealth university school Virginia conducted a study in which they found that taking shower in the morning can change the chemical level in brain. a chemical Noradrenaline is produced which make the person relaxed and anxiety free. So taking bath before going to paper helps to get rid of the fear of exams.
Sleep tight
we need a fresh mind to do the paper at any cost. As computer grabs junk files with the actual stuff so does our mind do. These junk files must be cleaned from our mind.
To clean up the junk files, I mean useless thoughts, we have to sleep tight before a night.
We think that when we sleep, we lose enough time. No, we are preparing our minds for better tomorrow. Think for a while if have a lot of logs to cut with a blunt saw, what will happen then? At least 6 hours of sleep would be enough to sharpen our minds.
20 minutes before
It is a winning habit to reach your destination 10 minutes before. As this is not routine work. It is happening once and last, so this time better to reach your destination, I mean the examination hall, 20 minutes before.
Imagine, when you leave your house for exams not earlier and you are stuck in traffic. Fear will be increased or decreased? Yes, it will increase. Therefore, it is necessary to leave the house early and reach the examination hall 20 minutes before.
I know you will feel relaxed by observing your time.
Fill the brain with oxygen
when you reached the examination hall, sit separately and breath deep. Absorb as much oxygen as you can. This will increase energy in your body. Your brain cells will function properly.
This little effort will turn your attention towards you, not to the bunch of fear that grows like mushrooms.
Be in present
Remember, this is not your last exam. Life is full of tests and challenges. Be in the present moment and try to give your hundred percent.
The time of preparation has gone, don’t feel sorrow. Just move ahead and serve the best. Being in present is reality while living in the future and past is just like a fantasy.
Being in present will kill the fear of exams and you will be ready for a challenge.
Last but not least, it is better to practice these things from today. What I have said in the lines above, is not only for a specific exam but can be utilized before any challenge in life.