Worried about your Year 12 exams? 3 ways to help anxiety
The key to good exam performance is learning to manage your anxiety. Here’s what can help students.
Year 12 exams can trigger anxiety, causing symptoms like a racing heart, quick breathing, sweating, and stomach discomfort. This is the body's flight-or-fight response activated by the brain perceiving danger – be it physical or psychological. Negative thoughts like "I'm going to fail" can exacerbate this anxiety, making the situation seem even more perilous. However, there are ways to manage this anxiety and perform better in exams.
One technique is to challenge negative thoughts. Ask yourself if it's realistic to fail or forget everything during the exam. Compare your perceived need for perfection to a friend's reassurance. Another method is to focus on your breathing. During exam waiting or reading time, take deep breaths – inhaling for a count of four, then exhaling for the same count. This can help reduce anxiety levels.
Lastly, create an exam plan. Tackle the questions you feel most confident about first, which can boost your confidence. This works as the brain stores information in networks, so focusing on easier questions can make it easier to recall information for harder ones later. Remember, some stress can even enhance performance, as it increases alertness and motivation. After the exam, if feelings of stress persist, engage in physical activity like a walk or run to burn off stress hormones and recover more quickly.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
