If it is possible to channel exam anxiety into the right channels and reduce it to a ‘healthy’ level, the remaining nervousness has a positive effect on performance. This is because nervousness causes the hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline to be released, which, among other things, increase the heart rate and blood pressure. This reason alone is worth it, to deal with it, how to transform exam anxiety into a ‘healthy level’ of nervousness.
The basic rule here is: Although medication alleviates acute anxiety, it does not tackle the cause. Exam nerves can only be eliminated in the long term if the causes are tackled. You can find a list of possible triggers in our article on Symptoms and causes of exam anxiety. The main aim of combating exam nerves is to Reducing nervousness and building up self-confidence.
We have put together a few tips to help you with this, we have put together for you here.
Exam anxiety: How you can help yourself
The following measures can help you to alleviate your exam nerves, as long as it has not taken on serious proportions. If the following suggestions do not help you or you are already suffering from a severe form of this problem, you may benefit from the help of a psychologist.
Reduce the pressure of expectations: From yourself, as well as from your environment
It is very likely that you are imposing the pressure of expectations on yourself. If you suffer from exam nerves, you should tell your parents and teachers. This will help you understand why a good student's grades are not desirable, even if they have prepared intensively for the exam. In addition, teachers often have additional helpful suggestions based on their experience, that can help the person concerned. If the environment is informed about this problem, they will lower their expectations, so that the person concerned is under less pressure.
Have your learning progress confirmed
In order to be more confident going into the exam, it can help the person affected, to be aware of their own learning progress. This can be achieved by having your parents or friends quiz you, or explaining the material you have learnt to them. The viewpoint of outsiders confirms to the person concerned whether they have actually made progress. This method has several advantages: Firstly, the person concerned can be sure that they to be able to apply the material confidently. Secondly, this confirmation has an additional motivating effect and boosts self-confidence.
Breathing exercises calm
Breathing in deeply, and above all breathing out slowly, has a deeply relaxing effect and strengthen resistance to stress. Yogis already knew this several centuries ago. The effect is enhanced if you visualise the path of the air you breathe. To do this, place one hand on your stomach and consciously realise how the hand rises when you inhale and lowers when you exhale.
Exam situation: get in the mood and visualise it mentally
This is an old trick, used by musicians before concerts and athletes before competitions. It helps to prepare for the very situational moment of stress, so that you are not taken by surprise in the situation. This mental preparation also means that you can approach the test calmly. Imagining this situation with the relevant room, teacher and all other relevant circumstances and to specifically integrate this imagination into your homework, will increasingly normalise the situation.
Remind yourself regularly of previous successes
If you regularly remind yourself of what you have already achieved, what you have already achieved helps to boost your self-confidence. This feeling should be carried over into your imagination, in which you visualise a positive outcome to the future exam. You should also regularly remind yourself that a bad grade is not the end of the world, helps to counteract the demonisation of the exam.
Solve the easy tasks first
Successfully solving these tasks creates additional self-confidence during the exam and nervousness can be partially reduced.
We wish you every success!