top of page
Writer's pictureMath Lobby

6 tips to destress before an exam | Math Lobby

Updated: Oct 28, 2022



It is natural to feel stress and anxiety before a big test or an exam. Stress response is a big part of the body’s way of protecting you whereby it prepares the body to face danger and cope with difficulty. Symptoms of stress are as follows: irritable, feeling a sense of overwhelm, anxiousness, nauseous, heart beating a little faster and palms starting to sweat.


Stress can be positive and negative. Positive stress ("eustress") helps us to be more alert, motivated and ready to avoid the danger before us. On the other hand, negative stress ("distress") causes us to have elevated blood pressure, chest pains and problems sleeping. It can also bring on or worsen certain symptoms that you already have.


But the good thing is, you can control how you react and respond to stress. Here are some tips and stress management techniques to help us cope and regulate stress.


6 Tips to Destress


1. Expressive writing


Write down the feelings you are currently facing in a notebook.

At the end of the day, write down your 3 achievements. This can be big or small achievements. You need to acknowledge your achievements and speak to yourself kindly.


2. Practise positive self-talk


You need to make a conscious effort to think positively about your abilities and preparedness for the test. Giving yourself pep talks to make you more courageous and enthusiastic is one of the factors that keeps you going in times of stress.

Instead of - I am not sure if I will be able to complete the test

Say - I can take the questions one by one and with steady speed, I can finish all the questions.

Instead of - I am studying too slowly for my exams.

Say- I am becoming more focused.

Instead of - This is getting boring. I am studying almost 5 hours a day.

Say - I am developing self-discipline and with practice, I am getting good at self-discipline.


3. Ignore what others are doing


In the competitive world that we are in, you may recognise that everyone is doing their best to succeed in life and for students like you, your job is to do your best in the examinations. With the education culture in Singapore, many people have tuition for more than one subject and might be doing many test papers and revising ‘secret’ exam scoring techniques from their tuition teacher.

It is essential to ignore what others are doing and just be focused working being the best person you can be.


4. Take deep breaths


Breathing well is a big part of keeping calm. When people are stressed, they have the tendency to take shallow breaths. Take long and slow breaths which will reduce stress and help you to concentrate.

Try this: Breathe in for 1 second and breathe out for 3 seconds.


5. Take it easy on the caffeine

Avoid consuming caffeine the night before the exam or take excessive caffeine on the day of the exam.

A higher caffeine intake will cause the following:

  • Sweating

  • Nausea

  • Faster heart rate and breathing

You will need a calm mind and clear head for exams, so do not take more caffeine than the normal days.


6. Try aromatherapy:


Research shows that aromatherapy has good benefits to the body. It shows that the oils can lower your blood pressure, heart rate and skin temperature. It can also soothe anxiety by calming the nervous system. Also, a relaxing environment increases brain retention rates.

These are some of the scents you can try:

  • Lavender

  • Lemon

  • Bergamot

  • Ylang ylang

  • Clary sage

  • Jasmine

We hope these 6 tips can help you to destress in the times of year end examinations, be it math exams or other subjects. Feel free to leave comments if you have any tips of your own to destress or let us know if the tips work for you!

If you have any pending questions, please do go on to our Facebook page, Instagram or contact us directly at Math Lobby! We have certified mathematics tutors to aid you in your child’s journey to becoming a better student!

As always: Work hard, stay motivated and we wish all students a successful and enjoyable journey with Math Lobby!

If you want to receive more Study Tips to help your child,

Contact us via SMS/WhatsApp/Telegram/Call +65 96322202

*

*

*



70 views0 comments

Opmerkingen


bottom of page