You won’t surprise anyone by feeling uneasy before exams — that’s something every student learns how to handle sooner or later.
Nonetheless, there are cases when your body’s natural reaction to pressure affects your behavior and productivity more than you would’ve ever wanted.
Not only can you feel sick and suffer from headaches, but also you may struggle to sleep, be easily irritable, super anxious, and so on.
Not letting exam stress ruin your hard work during this nerve-wracking period is highly recommended.
You are more than welcome to apply efficient strategies in your exam preparations and try to get writing help from the WriteMyPaper service.
The right mindset will boost your performance.
Exam Stress Symptoms: What to Expect
Of course, it is of great importance to consult with professional doctors and psychologists to soothe the physical and mental aspects of being stressed out 24/7.
Choosing a proactive approach to recognizing and dealing with exam stress will help you minimize the aftermath.
The key problem is that it can be difficult to distinguish between severe anxiety and mild uneasiness. Here are some warning signals to watch for:
- Biting nails;
- Insomnia;
- Seeking refuge in entertainment, alcohol, and so on;
- Regular headaches;
- Diarrhea;
- The loss of appetite;
- Reducing communication with friends, fellow students, and family members;
- Mood swings, and so on.
These symptoms may be signs of other diseases as well. If you don’t feel any relief, especially after exams, it is better to seek professional medical aid.
On the other hand, the fact that you don’t have any of the symptoms above won’t mean you aren’t worried at all — your body may still be under stress. You always have to consider how you react to stress.
External and Internal Causes of Exam Stress
The short and long answer is simple—pressure is the reason for all the worries. It is not just the desire to get a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
It is more about how scores impact a student’s chance to win a scholarship or enter the desired educational establishment.
Let’s get a deeper insight into what may make you anxious before and during exams.
External Factors
Striving to fulfill the expectations of others shouldn’t be underestimated as a huge stress factor.
Supervisors, teachers, parents, and potential employers — you can expect multiple people in your surroundings to monitor your academic progress.
It is easy to feel stressed out when people put an additional “load” on your preparedness to get A+ results.
Internal Factors
Those who are accustomed to receiving top-notch results all the time don’t tolerate their mistakes.
During exams, mistakes can certainly take place. If you feel the need to surpass your previous academic level or score, you may feel too anxious and fail to remember something you truly know.
Reducing Stress During Exams: The Ultimate Guide
Suffering from various mental health issues isn’t a new phenomenon, and the number of students suffering from headaches and other exam stress symptoms is only increasing.
The modern community of people trying to enter a university or win a scholarship is highly competitive, which can cause more nerve-wracking situations for all young people.
While education is a vital part of any student’s life, it isn’t worth focusing on its goals entirely and forgetting about other aspects of well-being.
Here are a few must-have tactics for dealing with stressful situations before and during exams.
Daily Exercising
Although being an athlete and going for a twenty-minute workout aren’t the same things, it is better to start your day with a rush of endorphins and improve your mood.
It is a scientifically proven approach to dealing with stress regardless of the root of the problem.
You don’t require special equipment and can create a personalized program that meets your needs and preferences.
If you don’t like burpees, push-ups, and squats are excellent alternatives. This is just one of several examples of how to customize your workout strategy.
Improving Sleeping Habits
Lack of sleep reduces energy throughout the day and makes you more depressed about new achievements that are not necessarily related to your studies.
From this perspective, once you’ve taken care of your body, avoid spending night after night in front of your computer’s screen.
Meditation and white noise in the background can work excellently to improve the quality of your sleep and help you fall asleep fast.
On the other hand, it is crucial not to spend hours with your mobile or laptop screen on before sleeping.
Self-Care Practices
There are a lot of strategies that will come in handy to let you assure yourself that everything is going to be fine.
Don’t forget to reward yourself for your efforts and enhance your motivation to keep up with your studies and academic plans.
Changing your lifestyle is a drastic change that alters your daily routine, which might not be super efficient for everyone in the short term.
Instead, you can try to watch a great movie and do things you like but always postpone because of preparations for the next exam.
Buying a nice meal and relaxing during a rewarding skincare routine will have a marvelous soothing effect.
Relax — Take It Easy
Although it may seem easier said than done, affirmations and mental preparations for different outcomes will help you feel less stressed during the exam itself.
Even if you fail one exam, it doesn’t mean that your other results will be as regretful.
The calmer you remain, the easier it will be to recharge your batteries and get ready for the next battle.
Working on the Content Revision
The best strategy is to optimize your studies. Instead of devoting 24/7 of your time to exam preparation, it is better to create a schedule and stick to it step by step.
Eventually, you will also be able to handle stress without going to the other side of the fence — procrastination.
In this case, time management is a good choice. You can start by preparing a revision timetable and giving yourself more time to relax during the day.
Twenty minutes of workout or watching your favorite movie won’t distract you from exams but help you stay motivated.
It is a nice here-and-now reward — being a student isn’t the only role in your life. However, when appropriate, staying away from social media and other distractions is essential.
Wrapping It Up
Although feeling joy while taking exams isn’t something anyone can train themselves to do, it doesn’t mean reducing the amount of pressure and stress is Mission Impossible.
No matter how tough the preparations are, embracing potential mistakes will prove worth it in calming you down and helping you avoid putting yourself under heavy restraints.
