Anxiety is defined as an “uncontrollable, diffuse, unpleasant, and persistent state of negative affect, characterized by apprehensive anticipation regarding unpredictable and unavoidable future danger, and accompanied by physiological symptoms of tension and a constant state of heightened vigilance.” It is a complex response to real or perceived threats that can involve cognitive, physical, and behavioral changes. Anxiety is an unavoidable feeling that every human will undoubtedly experience at various points throughout one’s life, as it is the body’s natural response to stress. Nevertheless, the symptoms of anxiety can be unpleasant, especially when they occur at inopportune times, like while studying for exams. The City College of New York (CCNY) highlights various strategies to manage test anxiety, which are divided and listed as follows:
- General Tips:
- Engage in regular physical exercise and maintain a balanced diet.
- Check vision and hearing.
- Practice good study habits and strategies.
- Manage your time effectively.
- Organize material to be studied and learned.
- Use a step-by-step approach to build a strategy and avoid getting overwhelmed.
- Manage outside pressures (success/ failure consequences, peer pressure, competitiveness, etc.).
- Review your past performance on tests to improve and learn from experience.
- Take practice exams.
- Suggestions for the week before exams:
- Map out a routine.
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep a night.
- Review practice questions.
- Simulate exam to help better manage test anxiety.
- Suggestions for the day before exams:
- Approach the exam with confidence (view the exam as an opportunity to show how much you have studied and to receive a reward for the work you have accomplished).
- Be prepared (use a check list to review material and organize what you will need for tomorrow’s test).
- Give yourself enough time that morning (attend to things you need to do before the exam and try to get to the exam site a little early).
- Avoid thinking you need to cram just before the test.
- Try to achieve a relaxed state of concentration.
- Avoid speaking with people who express negativity or who will distract your preparation.
- Get a good night’s sleep the night before the exam.
- Do not take the exam on an empty stomach (have an energizing snack, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and try to stay away from heavy/ processed foods).
- Take a small snack with you (eat a healthy snack during a break to replenish your energy and help take your mind off your anxiety).
As the Mayo Clinic explains “A little nervousness before a test is normal and can help sharpen your mind and focus your attention…but with test anxiety, feelings of worry and self-doubt can interfere with your test-taking performance and make you miserable.” When this occurs, it is important to engage in behaviors and activities that will reduce or eliminate feelings of anxiety and enhance performance on an exam.
Treatment In Calabasas
Calabasas is a city in California. It is a well-known suburb of Los Angeles, located west of the San Fernando Valley and north of the Santa Monica Mountains. Over the past decade, the city of Calabasas has grown in its reputation for luxury as well as for privacy which makes it a hidden gem for residential living for society’s elite, and one of the most desirable destinations in Los Angeles County. It is also home to a plethora of highly qualified mental health clinicians providing an array of therapeutic services and treatment options.
The information above is provided for the use of informational purposes only. The above content is not to be substituted for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment, as in no way is it intended as an attempt to practice medicine, give specific medical advice, including, without limitation, advice concerning the topic of mental health. As such, please do not use any material provided above to disregard professional advice or delay seeking treatment.
