You have prepared well, you have revised your syllabus two times over, and you have solved all the sample papers but the stress of doing not too well in your exams is still getting to you? While stress can be a normal accompaniment to exam season, it’s essential that you not let it get the better of you and affect your performance. Here are some tips that will definitely help beat the stress.
Early to Bed, Early to Rise
It may seem like an old wives’ tale, but it is a tip that needs to be followed seriously. Having a schedule will actually help you rest better and retain better. You have done all that you can. You have studied the same chapter on Genetics some 15 times. Now it’s time to allow your body to retain what you have crammed. Sleep early (or at least a version of what early can be) and wake up early. Even if you are more a night owl, try and have a schedule that you can follow. With board exams just around the corner, this is more important now than ever before, especially for stress relief.
A Walk to Remember
Remember all those fitspiration posts on Pinterest or Instagram? Think they have nothing to do with your board exam preparations? Think again. Exercising is not just good for your physical health but also your mental health. Exercising regularly releases dopamine also known as happy hormone. These hormones make you happy, help you concentrate better, and therefore, relieve stress. Exercising even for as little as 20 minutes a day can help you re-energize.
Break toh Banta Hai
That Netflix series you have been dying to watch the last episode of or that next level of the game you have been acing; have you been putting it off all this while? Don’t! Take that break. Your brain needs as much rest as your body. Experts suggest that optimum learning takes place when you study for 20 minutes, then follow that up with a reflection period of 10 minutes, and then take a 10 minute break. It may seem to you like you are taking more breaks than you would consider necessary, but your brain needs this time to absorb information efficiently and revitalize itself before the next set of information intake.
Water, water everywhere
“What does my giving an exam have to do with proper hydration?” “How will water help me study better and destress?” Are these your questions when we say hydration? Well, think again, water makes up approximately 57% of our body content. It is an antioxidant, it cleans our body of toxins, boosts our concentration levels, and miracles of miracles, relieves stress. For students appearing for board examinations, the time when exams are on and waiting period for results are equally stressful. It is important, then, to constantly hydrate your body to relieve yourself of anxiety, at least to some level.
Tech No More
I know, I know. How will you stay away from the phone? In a world where technology is God, a tip like this can cause you to go extinct (Dodo style). But for the three to four months, when exam season is upon you and stress levels on an all-time high, don’t let technology rule you. Reduce the time you spend on your smart phone and on the internet. Use that 20 minutes you would have spent on the phone to take a walk instead. It is will leave you refreshed and stress free.
If you stress levels are shooting through the roof, then take help. There’s no shame in asking for help when you need it. CBSE has a pre-exam counselling line open till the end of exam season to help students deal with the anxiety that examinations can bring with them. Continue following these tips till your results are out since that time can be more stressful than others. These simple but effective tips can be all you need to keep your cool.
Here’s an infographic you can print to remember these tips
