Comprehensive guide to curing test anxiety
Sophie Salem, Staff Writer
After a year and a half of online school, the testing game has completely changed. While in distance learning, students had constant access to the internet and tests were less frequent. Now back in school, students have begun testing again on paper and they have been occurring more often than before. It has been difficult for students to get back into the swing of things and test anxiety has been an ongoing issue that has increasingly gotten worse. Here are some tips to ease students’ worries.
Tip #1
Meditation: one of the most common ways to calm yourself! Mediation is proven to relax your mind by focusing on the sensation of breathing. Whether this means taking a minute to close your eyes and breathe or even listen to your favorite song in a safe space, meditation is a great tool to ease your anxiety and give one a chance to focus on the present. Mediation provides the perfect opportunity to calm the mind before a test and forget about anything else going on. Lara Hunter (’23) agrees that mediation is the perfect way to calm down and reassure herself that one bad grade is not the end of the world.
“Usually when I’m nervous for a test I’ll try and tell myself that it is one of many tests and it’s not going to matter in the long run,” Hunter said.
Tip #2
Make a consistent study routine! Most students save studying for the night before the test and this habit has shown to be unsuccessful. First of all, it is stressful to cram so much material into one night. Second of all, it is exhausting trying to retain information when you are sleep deprived. So, prioritize consistent study practices and get started beforehand. By starting to study early, material can be broken up into smaller chunks, resulting in less stress each day. This way, it is easier to retain all of the information while also setting aside enough time for oneself.
Tip #3
More than anything, it is important to get enough sleep. Yes, lots of homework can lead to sleepless nights and according to Medical News Today, sleepless nights are proven to increase anxiety by 30 percent. This ties back to the idea of breaking up your study time throughout several days—with less work to tackle, it is possible to allot more time to sleep. With more sleep, anxiety is proven to drop.
Tip #4
Eat, eat, eat! Yes, eating is an everyday occurrence, but to ease test anxiety, it is important to eat food that will fuel one’s brain and body. A nutritious breakfast and smart snacks will ensure ongoing energy rather than a sugar crash. So instead of cake for breakfast, maybe try some scrambled eggs and an apple. This will ensure much more energy and reduce anxiety.
Test anxiety has been a growing issue amongst students across the globe, but with these tips, it is likely one will feel more at ease and confident before a test. The best thing to do is to set specific time aside and to remember that one bad grade is not the end of the world; there are many more chances to succeed! S House adviser, Amy Golden, has stressed that most of the time, students are focused on the bigger picture and not what is going on at the moment.
“You’ve done everything you possibly can...Do some deep breathing and do the absolute best you can. If you’re sitting in class and start to have an anxiety attack, I like to close my eyes and start tapping on my fingers, that way my focus goes to my fingers,” Golden said.
Now, make sure to relax and take that test with confidence.
