Are You Suffering From Test Anxiety? Here’s How To Deal With It.

As the exam fever is on, many students are suffering from test anxiety, especially after the pandemic. The education system had been disrupted two years back during the first lockdown, and a lot of students have had a hard time dealing with the sudden changes. As a result, now when things are getting normal, performance anxiety is gripping their minds.

Will I be able to score good grades? Will I even pass?

These are some of the questions that are affecting the minds of youngsters, as they have grown out of the habit of giving exams offline or even studying.

But what is this test anxiety?

Well, in the simplest terms, it is a kind of performance anxiety that students face before or during an exam. It is characterized by a sense of low self-esteem, fear, stress, and a lot of nervousness. Some students may even be prone to panic attacks in the examination hall, leading to acute physical illnesses, like nausea, headaches, etc. The sense of distress sometimes becomes so intolerable that the students fail to give their best, even if they are thoroughly prepared.

Some other symptoms of test anxiety may include trembling hands, increased heartbeat, drying of the mouth, breathing issues, loss of appetite, or even fainting, in the worst cases. Not only that, but the students may even suffer from some emotional distress, like reduced confidence, hopelessness, anger, and depression.

It is not always that parents can identify such symptoms of stress and generally rubbish them off as some common exam fears. But test anxiety can affect the performance of even a topper student to a great degree. Hence, it is better to not ignore it and help the concerned person deal with it properly.

How can you do that? Scroll on!

Identify the signs earlier

The foremost step will be to identify the clear signs of test anxiety in a student. If you are a parent, it will be easier for you to observe some common traits, like fidgeting, sweating, forgetting stuff, inattentiveness, fear of sitting for the exams, outright escaping from the entire test scenario, doubts about self, etc. But if you are a student, who is suffering from test anxiety, it may be a tad bit difficult to identify the signs. Make sure you can understand what’s going on in your mind. If you find that you are experiencing a fear of sitting for the exams, or your mind is asking you not to appear at all, it can be a case of test anxiety. Then there is substance abuse in senior students, who try to escape from the situation and divert their minds. Be wary of such cravings and talk to people if you find it difficult to handle things on your own.

Understand the whys

Once you identify the signs of test anxiety, you should try to dig out the reasons behind it. What is the cause of your fear? Are you not well-prepared for the exams? Do you have general self-doubt? Did your last exam fail to meet your expectations? All these reasons and others may contribute to the anxiety that you are feeling right now. Then there are students, who are afraid to fail, as they treat the exams as something to prove their self-worth. For example, let us consider the toppers. Some of them are afraid to even score down a bit, as they feel it will make them a laughing stock in front of the world, or maybe, they experience some kind of peer pressure to top every exam. If you can find out the source of your anxiety, you can deal with it more effectively.

Practice smart learning

If unpreparedness is the reason for your anxiety, you should adopt a smart learning method. Talk to your teachers and parents, or you can even approach a student counselor to learn some effective methods of studying. Your institution may be offering some special learning modes or resources to prepare for the exams in particular. Acquire more information about the same and start as soon as possible.

Opt for pretests 

One of the best ways to cut down exam fear is to attempt pretests now and then. Complete a lesson and go for a pretest. It will make you accustomed to the exam situation and when you start scoring well, boost your confidence to a whole new level. But what you should note here is, that you should take the pretests as seriously as the real tests. Otherwise, there will be no point in it. That is why you should ask someone elderly, like your parents, or your tutor to arrange for the pretests. It will create a mock exam situation, which will help you cope with the fear of exams.

Find some time to relax

Too much pressure of studying at the last hour can also hamper your nervous system and cause exam anxiety. You should find some quality time to relax even during a tight schedule. Watch your favorite movies, binge Netflix for a few hours, go out for a walk in the neighborhood, call up a friend and chat casually, and do anything that makes you relax a bit. Once the exam fever flushes out of your system, you will find the anxiety lessening too. And not to forget, take adequate sleep every day.

If there is no underlying issue, like a psychological disorder or something, all these hacks will surely get rid of your test anxiety to a considerable degree. But, what if these are not enough? What if you get a panic attack inside the exam hall?

How to deal with a panic attack inside the examination hall

The first step to deal with a panic attack is to be aware of your situation. If you know that you are just having an anxiety attack, you can calm your mind by repeating things to yourself. Just focus on your mind and ask it to calm down. Tell it that you are just having a panic attack and it has nothing to do with dying or whatever negative emotions you are feeling.

Next, try to breathe slowly and deeply to slow down your racing heart you can try the box breathing technique to calm your heart. Just breathe for four seconds, hold, exhale for four seconds, and then again hold. Focus on your breathing and forget everything for the time.

You may also try some grounding techniques, like focusing on your surroundings, relaxing your muscles, and thinking of a few things that you can touch, smell, hear or taste. It will alert all your senses and help you deal with the tense situation quite effectively.

You should also ask for help immediately if you feel that things are getting out of your control. Just call out to the examiner or your fellow examinees and tell them that you are having a panic attack. Sometimes, the best way to get out of such a situation is to seek help as soon as possible.

Are you feeling better now? Well, we hope you are. If still there is anything you want to discuss, please consult with an expert who can guide you or treat this issue professionally.