Mental Health Corner

What is Test Anxiety?

While it’s completely normal to feel a bit nervous before a test, some students find test anxiety debilitating. Racing thoughts, inability to concentrate, or feelings of dread can combine with physical symptoms like a fast heartbeat, headache, or nausea. Whether it’s the ACT, an AP exam, or an important history final, test anxiety has the power to derail weeks and months of hard work.

Test Anxiety Tips

According to the ADAA, causes of test anxiety may include a fear of failure, lack of adequate prep time, or bad experiences taking tests in the past. You're not alone! Here's what you can do to stay calm in the days leading up to and during your test.

1. Be prepared.

Yes, this seems obvious, but it bears repeating. If you feel confident that you’ve prepped thoroughly, you’ll feel more confident walking into the test.

2. Get a good night’s sleep.

Cramming is never the answer, and pulling an all-nighter can exacerbate your nerves. Having adequate rest (9–10 hours per night) is likely to be more beneficial than rereading a text until dawn.

3. Fuel up.

Eat a nutritious breakfast before the test and pack smart snacks for ongoing energy. Look for foods that offer a steady stream of nutrients, rather than a sugar high followed by a crash.

4. Get to class—or the testing site—early.

Feeling rushed will only amp up the anxiety. Pack everything you need for the exam the night before and set the alarm, so you can get out the door on time.

5. Have a positive mental attitude.

Bring a picture of your happy place or come up with a morale-boosting mantra like “I can do this” or “I worked hard and deserve this.” Peek at your picture or recite your mantra, right before the test begins.

6. Read carefully.

Read the directions thoroughly and read all answers before making a choice or starting the essay. There is nothing worse than putting time into a question and realizing you are not solving for x, or the essay is off target. Slowing down can help you stay focused.

7. Just start.

The blank page can maximize your anxiety. After you’ve read the directions, dive right in by making an outline for an essay answer. Or, find some questions you can ace to build up your confidence and momentum. You can always go back and change things later if needed, but a few quick answers can get the ball rolling.

8. Don’t pay attention to what other people are doing.

Everyone else is scribbling away? Ack! What do they know that you don’t? It doesn’t matter. Pay attention to your own test and pace, and forget about the other students in the room.

9. Watch the clock .

Realizing that time is almost up and there are lots of test questions left can make it hard to do anything useful in those final minutes. Stay on pace by scoping out the whole test before getting started. Mentally allocate how much time you’ll spend on each section. If there’s time to recheck, even better.

10. Focus on calm breathing and positive thoughts .

Deep breathing can slow down a beating heart or a racing mind, so practice these techniques at home. The very act of concentrating on breathing and thinking can biometrically alter those anxious feelings.

Sometimes just remembering that some test-taking anxiety is a normal part of school can help make it easier to handle.

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There are a lot of simple ways to help check in on your mental health! We all need it right now…there are a lot of stressors, good and bad, all around us!

10 Daily Activities to Maintain your Mental Health

· Get plenty of sleep. You should get as close to 8 hours of sleep per night as you can. Although every individual's body differs, sleep is essential for learning and improving daily productivity.

· Stop to enjoy small aspects of the day. Enjoying the small things may seem cliché but it is important to personal contentment. Try taking a walk to appreciate the beauty in nature.

· Use a stress ball or some other stress reliever. The way we handle stress directly affects our health. A common method to deal with stress is a stress ball. Just squeeze the frustrations away!

· Perform a random act of kindness. Helping others by volunteering or simply doing one random act of kindness can improve self-esteem. Self-esteem improves mental wellness in a variety of ways including a self-empowering sense of social connectivity.

· Exercise. Exercise contributes to cardiovascular health. Improved cardiovascular health leads to better emotional stability and reduced anxiety.

· Deep breathing exercises. This can lower your heart rate, blood pressure and breathing rate. This subsequently allows your body and mind to recharge.

· Yoga. Yoga is a fantastic tool for reducing anxiety and depression. According to Harvard Health "By reducing perceived stress and anxiety yoga appears to modulate stress response systems." Although some forms of yoga may be too strenuous for some yoga in general offers great mental and physical wellness benefits.

· Pet a dog. Therapy dogs have become a common method for improving the state of your emotions. Dogs provide emotional support by providing companionship to individuals. Simply petting a dog every day can improve one's mental health.

· Eat breakfast. A lack of nutrition can lead to fogginess in brain function.

· Drink plenty of WATER!