Exam season is here, and with that, it fetches the stress of excelling in all the subjects and maintaining good result. No matter how much preparation we already have, we find ourselves spiralling in the thought till we get our hands on the questionnaire. Nevertheless, it is essential for all the students to understand the importance of self-care at this point in time because extra stress and increased tension have adverse effects on our brain and health. To maintain the calm of our mind, all the students who are about to take their exams, need to make small and deliberate steps toward eliminating stress and perform well in their respective fields.
An associate professor of Northeastern University, Kristen Lee, from the department of behavioural science, lists out of five tips for achieving the “right frame of mind” and avoiding the possibility of getting ”overwhelmed by stress”. These five tips are short and simple to execute. The tips are:
Do not stress about stress: We often tend to discard the natural feelings by force; however, it is completely normal to feel tensed about the approaching exam and we should acknowledge it and not “stress about the stress” to aggravate it.
Take care of yourself: Do not skip any meal or pull all-nighters to gulp down the syllabus at once; it can take a toll on your health.
Avoid self-criticism: Think positive and delete the negative or doubtful thoughts about yourself.
Breakup with ‘perfect’: You need to stop running behind the perfect as it is an “illusion”. Give the best of yourself.
Be thankful: Take an insight into what you have learnt and how it has shaped you for it will reflect on your writing. Be thankful for the opportunity of this exposure to education and knowledge.
Follow these small steps to achieve peace of mind in times of pressure. Do not let the stress get to your head and revise properly before your finals. Wish you all the luck.
Rubena Bose