What to do about test anxiety?

This is the 4959th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

One day, Xiao Li and his mother came to the clinic together. His mother said anxiously, "Doctor, my child usually studies well, but he often gets nervous during exams, and even his mind goes blank, so the test results are not ideal. When the test papers were reviewed, I found that many of the wrong questions were ones he knew how to answer..."

We have also told him to relax, but the effect is not ideal. Can you see if you have any good way to help him?

When facing an exam, we will all be a little nervous, which is normal. Moderate nervousness can help us improve efficiency and perform at a higher level, but if this nervousness seriously affects our concentration, causes a series of physical discomforts, and affects our normal performance, it can be called test anxiety.

Test anxiety is affected by many factors: on the one hand, differences in the examinees' own physical condition, personality traits, test motivation, self-expectations, knowledge reserves, test-taking skills, etc. will lead to different emotional reactions. For example, some examinees "always feel that they are not ready", or exaggerate the impact of test scores, such as suggesting that "if I don't do well in the test, my parents will not love me anymore", etc. Under the influence of these wrong cognitions, the examinees' pressure will inevitably increase. On the other hand, parents' education, school study arrangements, social public opinion orientation, etc. will also have an impact on examinees. For example, some parents have excessively high expectations that are higher than reality, schools have intensive test arrangements, grade rankings, the tense atmosphere created, and social remarks that "one test determines your whole life" will all contribute to children's anxiety.

Test anxiety will directly affect learning ability and test scores. After failing a test, anxiety may further intensify, leading to worse results in the next test. This is a vicious cycle. Test takers should accept the existence of anxiety, overcome the misconceptions that cause anxiety, face up to the impact of the test, and seek psychological counseling if necessary, and receive scientific interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and relaxation training.

Here are some ways to deal with test anxiety:

1. Prepare your test materials before going to bed the day before the test to avoid panicking yourself.

2. Before entering the examination room, don’t talk too much with your classmates about review or exam topics. Encourage yourself instead of saying discouraging words to yourself.

3. Go through the test paper first to get a good idea of ​​what to expect. Start with the easy questions, read the instructions carefully, and focus on the test paper. Don't worry about what other students are doing, and don't think about past tests or how they will affect the future.

4. If you feel anxious or nervous, stop and relax yourself first. You can use muscle relaxation techniques or close your eyes and take three deep breaths, and then return to the exam.

5. When you encounter a difficult question, mark it and do other questions first. Remember not to say words that discourage yourself, such as "It's over, I failed again this time", etc. Encourage yourself by saying "I will calm down and think about it, and I will be able to do it."

6. After the exam, you should reward yourself; if you don’t have any exams next, you can go to a movie with your classmates; if you have an exam the next day, you can relax a little; don’t review the questions or discuss your mistakes in the exam.

7. Get enough sleep, especially in the days before the exam.

8. Learn time management and improve learning efficiency. Adequate preparation is half the battle.

9. You can strengthen physical exercise on weekdays to enhance your physical and mental qualities and improve your ability to resist stress. You can also practice muscle relaxation training and slow breathing training to learn how to relax. Learn to adjust your expectations and avoid the pressure caused by too high or too low expectations.

References:

1. "Talking about Mental Health", edited by Shanghai Medical Association, Shanghai Medical Association Psychiatry Branch, Shanghai: Shanghai Science and Technology Press, 2017.12.

2. "Psychological Counselor Training Course, Second Edition", edited by Fu Anqiu, East China Normal University Press, 2005.12.

Author: Shanghai Fengxian District Mental Health Center

Psychiatry Department Attending Physician Wang Chunlian

Wang Jinde Attending Physician