Each semester or finals may threaten to fry your brain, but there are ways you can stop stress in its track! Check out these simple tips for soothing your frazzled nerves and increasing your brainpower during those study sessions.
If you are the who is feeling stressed, sit back, relax, take a deep breath and follow some of these self-help tips to navigate exam time without getting overwhelmed. You can practice these very basic steps to reduce your exam stress–
- Plan it all out-
The best and easiest way to avoid stress is to not leave everything for the very last minute. Start keeping a track of your progress from day 1. Make a checklist of all the chapters and keep striking them off as you finish them. This will motivate you to work harder! Keep a track of your friend’s progress and ask them to do the same for you, that way you cannot escape your daily target.
- Take small intervals while studying-
If you are getting easily distracted and is not able to concentrate in your books for longer duration, then it’s best to take some small intervals while studying. Do exercises, take a nap eat something especially dark chocolate and spend lesser time hitting books. (However this doesn’t mean that you take a break in every 5 minutes . What all you have to do is maintain a balance between your studies and your break timings. Then only you will be able to perform better in your exams)
- Spend some time watching your favorite shows or listening to your favorite music-
Just because it’s exam time doesn’t mean that you should completely ban yourself from watching TV or listening to music. It’s quite OK and refreshing to listen to the music or watching an episode of a show you love favorite in breaks. But make sure you know when to stop, set goals and reward yourself on achieving them. Like, reward yourself with one episode every time you finish solving 50 problems!
- Be optimistic-
Continue to relax, try not to think about negative things such as failing in the exams or like that. Think about your achievements and motivate yourself.
- Track your most productive hours of the day and study during those hours only-
There’s no use of studying 24*7 because your mind won’t be able to recollect anything that you would have studied in your dry hours. What I mean to say by dry hours is the time when you really feel redundant and want to take a break but still keeping your eyes stick on your books. Some people are night owls and some can only focus early in the morning. Know what time of the day is best for you and direct all your efforts to those set of hours.
- Get proper sleep-
Don’t ruin your sleep cycle for finishing one extra chapter! Your mind and body need time to unwind and that is why sleep is super essential, especially for students. Get at least 6 hours of sleep daily in the months leading up to your exam so your body doesn’t break down when exams are around the corner. Don’t study overnight, although studying overnight feels appealing, it is a trap. It will make you feel fatigued and studying will start feeling like a burden in a matter of couple nights.
- Drink some H20-
Water will hydrate the brain, and tends to improve your concentration by delivering nutrients and eliminating toxins. Drink fresh juices when you can but make sure you drink 8-9 glasses of water in a day and keep a water bottle around when you study. It is proven that a good supply of water helps in managing stress so take in that extra fluid to keep stress off the field!
- Get a little minty-
Mint will increase the level of alertness of your mind, concentration and information retention capacity, while relieving stress and anxiety. Keep a pack of your favorite mints or gum on your desk and treat yourself once every few hours.
- Limit the intake of caffeinated beverages-
We know that a cup of hot, strong coffee feels like the best thing when you have to study for hours at end but trust us when we say your body repeals it. Limit coffee, tea or any other such drinks that give you a short-lived high. They may give you a temporary lift but will make you to feel tired and cranky in a matter of some hours and you will feel the need for another cup. Substitute these beverages with drink water or juices, they make your brain active and they are good for your body!
- Do a little exercise and meditation-
In a survey, it was noted that blood pressure of individuals under stress for 5 mins took 2.7 minutes on an average to stabilize with deep breathing. Without deep breathing, blood pressure took 3.7 minutes on an average to stabilize. Give 10 minutes a day to breathing exercises or guided meditations. Download an app on your phone for free meditation routines. Some applications even send daily reminders!
Exercise releases endorphins that improve your mood and decrease stress. Go for a 20 minute run once a day or just stretch between sessions to increase your focus and to feel refreshed.
- Don’t fall apart at small failures-
It is okay to score less on practice tests or to ask a friend/teacher for help for the silliest doubts. Everyone hits setbacks while preparing for important exams, that does not mean you have encountered a dead end. Losing control of your emotions over minor issues causes significant stress that will affect you poorly in the long run. Keep anxiety levels low by remaining calm and collected. Especially right before the exam, it is natural that you will get anxious and feel more stressed than ever. In such a situation you must not worry as a little bit of stress is actually good in helping you stay focused and motivated! You’re so close to the finish line, just take a deep breath and go for it!
Don’t forget to enjoy your the exam time while it lasts. Remember that these days are never coming back to you and years from now, you will be looking back and laughing at the things that are stressing you out today.
