Board Exams 2023: How to handle exam stress and test anxiety? – Times of India

Does it happen to you too? You have been studying with full potential and effort for your board examinations, but when you walk into your exam, your mind goes completely blank. As you sit down to begin your paper, you notice your palms sweating.
If you can also relate to these signs of test anxiety and exam stress, your test scores may not reflect your true abilities. This can even derail your months of hard work. It’s better you know how to manage test anxiety before and during an exam and work on dealing with it in the best possible way.
While it’s totally normal to feel a bit nervous before or on the day of your exam, some students find test anxiety makes them infirm. Unable to concentrate and racing thoughts can combine with physical symptoms such as headache, fast heartbeat, or nausea.
Here are the 5 ways to minimise board exam stress and test anxiety
1. Be Prepared
Make sure you are prepared for the exam. Study for the paper until you feel confident about attempting it with ease. Don’t keep the syllabus pending till the night before. If you will be prepared then you will feel confident, which will lessen your exam stress.
2. Avoid Negative Thoughts
If you start to have anxious thoughts, such as “I have not prepared well,” or “I didn’t study hard enough,” push those negative thoughts away. Boost yourself with positive thoughts and this can help you manage your stress and anxiety level during exams.
3. Don’t Multitask
Multitasking increases your blood pressure, and heart rate which causes stress. You may feel to be very efficient but multitasking actually reduces the quality of your efforts. It’s better to focus on one thing at a time to achieve your goal or target.
4. Don’t Be Distracted
There could be many things around you that can potentially distract you from your studies and exam preparation. One such example could be social media. You may not realise it at that time, but it will waste a lot of your time and decrease your productivity.
5. Get Enough Sleep
Not just during exams, anyway, a good night’s sleep is important for any individual. During board examinations, it will help boost your concentration and memory. Waking up fresh during exams will help understand and learn whatever you study even faster.