Objective - Students will learn how to cope with test-taking anxiety. Many students miss points on tests because they allow anxiety to reach the point of panic. Being prepared for tests helps to keep students relatively calm. If they find themselves frozen with fear, they can think positively, using the following suggestions to help with test anxiety.
Prepare Emotionally and Physically
Explain to kids that their brains work best when their bodies are well cared for. Share the following suggestions, which can help them be mentally ready for any situation, including tests.
Rest
Allow your mind to rest before a test. A good night's rest will make it easier for you to feel relaxed and confident. Right before the test try the In-Class Oxygenator to relax your body and muscles.
Eat
Most students do better if they are not hungry during the test period. Don't skip meals. Don't overeat, either. A full stomach can make you sleepy or sluggish.
Be Confident
You can be emotionally prepared for a test by being confident. It is a waste of energy to worry about doing poorly. Worry distracts your mind from its job of answering questions. Prepare properly long before the test time to avoid unnecessary worry.
Consider the worst
When you are worrying about something, rather than trying to stop worrying about it, consider the very worst thing that could happen. Expand your fear. Take the fear to the limit of absurdity. Then you can remind yourself that it's not that serious. For example:
"...if I flunk this test, I might get an "F" in math, which means I might have to repeat fifth grade, which means my parents will be so embarrassed that they will abandon me, and Susie will go on to sixth grade without me, so I'll lose all of my friends forever, and probably never get married and since I won't graduate I'll probably never have a job, and I'll die homeless."
Praise Yourself
Talk to yourself in a positive way. Many of us take the first opportunity to say, "Way to go, dummy, you don't even know the answer to the first question on the test." Instead, give yourself some loving encouragement. It is important to remember that you are not your grade! Also, to fail in one thing does not mean that they have failed in all things. Everyone experiences failures at some point in their lives. For a glimpse of the failures of some very famous people, see Notable Failures below.
In-Class Oxygenator
When you are feeling sleepy or anxious in class, it may be because you lack oxygen. Try this 30 second exercise--it may make a big difference!
1. Sit up straight
Put both feet on the floor, uncross your arms and legs, straighten your spine, and hold your head up straight.
2. Tense all your muscles
Take a deep breath and while you are holding it, tense the muscles in your body again. Start with the muscles in your feet, then your legs, thighs, stomach, chest, shoulders, neck, jaw, forehead, arms, and hands. Hold these muscles tense for five seconds and then relax.
3. Breathe deeply three times
Inhale slowly and deeply, breathing into your belly as well as your chest. Pause for a moment at the top of the breath and then exhale completely. When you have exhaled as much as you can, force out more air by contracting the muscles of your stomach. Do this breathing three times.
4. Repeat step #2
You have activated all of your muscles and filled your body with oxygen. You are ready to return your attention to the task at hand. Notable Failures
All people experience failures in their lives. Here are some examples: - Walt Disney was fired from his job at a newspaper because his boss said he "had no good ideas."
- Winston Churchill failed the sixth grade.
- Albert Einstein could not speak until he was four and could not read until he was seven--years--old.
- Isaac Newton got terrible grades in school.
- Beethoven's music teacher told him that as a composer he "was hopeless."
- Thomas Edison was told by his teachers that he was too stupid to learn anything.
- Leo Tolstoy flunked out of college.
Next time you fail at something, do not be too hard on yourself! |
