Exam periods are those when students suffer the most anxiety of the entire academic year. Many students suffer from the idea of not being enough, or even panic that they will come up blank and fail on test day despite having achieved the necessary knowledge.

Anxiety can mainly appear in two different ways. Exam anxiety can appear on the day of the exam and is known as situational anxiety. It can also appear before the exam, and then we are talking about anticipatory anxiety.

The most worrying thing about this headache is its impact on the student’s self-esteem. This exposure can become very dangerous and affect very negatively the student’s self-esteem if managing the pressure of the moment has not been learned. These negative thoughts can be focused on the student himself and his low self-esteem, or maybe on repercussions he may have with his parents, for example, if he does not pass or does not get a good grade in that particular exam.

However, it is never the student’s fault, but we should learn some techniques to reduce this anxiety versus the exams.

how to relax for an exam

How to relax for an exam

Mindfulness exercises can help to relax and learn to deal with the pressure of each situation. In this way, people who practice mindfulness are calm and have high self-esteem to know what to do and how to do it in each situation.

Mindfulness (which means full awareness) is a meditation practice that focuses on paying conscious attention to thoughts, emotions, and the environment that surrounds us without judging it, with an attitude of acceptance and non-reaction. In this way, we develop a greater awareness of ourselves and the world around us. This practice reduces stress and anxiety and has benefits for mental and physical health.

When we practice Mindfulness, we strengthen different brain areas related to attention, concentration, memory, cognitive, flexibility, and emotional well-being.

10 Mindfulness relaxation techniques to prepare for exams

how to relax for an exam

This method involves closing your eyes and counting up to 40 breaths consciously. You have to visualize how the air enters the lungs. First, you fill the chest and then the stomach, and finally, you expel the air by reversing the process, first emptying the stomach and then the chest. If you discount, nothing happens, the count resumes from the last number you remember and it reaches 40 calmly. You can repeat this process as many times as you need.

We encourage you to make a timetable where there is space for study hours, rest periods, and relaxation moments for optimizing study hours without generating excessive anxiety, so you can retain as much information as possible, understanding it, and knowing when to apply it.

Guided meditations are an excellent way to get started in the world of Mindfulness. To perform them optimally, find a quiet place where you can sit or lie down with headphones while you follow the instructions of the guided meditation and direct your thoughts towards the directions they suggest.

The end of the day is an ideal time to sit back, relax and take note of one or more situations that happened during the day that you feel grateful for and value positively. In this way, you direct the brain to focus on the positive things and give less importance to negative ones.

The Body Scan is a very interesting process that consists of becoming aware of the body itself. This analysis is based on going through our entire body from top to bottom, taking care of the sensations that reside in the different parts of our body.

A good tip for promoting good mental health is to-do lists. These tasks can be basic, the most important thing is that you do everything you set out to do because every time you finish a task on the list, your brain will automatically feel satisfied, and it will feel good to be reducing anxiety generated by pending tasks.

Having a good study environment is essential. It must be calm and orderly, without external distractions that allow you to focus on yourself. At the Unihabit Residences, we have several spaces designed specifically for you to achieve all your personal and academic goals.

Another way to reduce anxiety is to take care of yourself. This can consist of facial care, a relaxing shower, shaving, cutting your nails, putting on moisturizer … The purpose is to make you look good.

As we said earlier, organization is essential, and you must allocate a part of your time to go outside. Doing some sport outside is even better, as this will generate a high degree of well-being, and you will be able to disconnect.

You can combine all tips that will help you get the most out of the hours you spend preparing for the exam. 

how to relax for an exam