Start from the "heart" and don't let pre-exam anxiety become a stumbling block!

There are two important exams in June - the college entrance examination and the high school entrance examination. Many students and parents have begun to feel anxious. Anxiety is contagious, so dealing with exam anxiety is not just a matter for students, but parents also need to take action. So, how to deal with pre-exam anxiety and let students perform at their best?

Correctly understand anxiety

Anxiety is mainly caused by concerns about uncertain future events. In the minds of many people, anxiety is a "bad emotion" and they hope to "not have anxiety" and think that "it would be better if they didn't have anxiety . "

In fact, moderate anxiety is not a bad thing. Moderate anxiety is a signal that reminds us to do what we should do. For example, a student spends a morning that should have been spent reviewing on short videos. After a morning, he begins to feel anxious. These anxieties are actually signals that remind us that such arrangements are not appropriate and we need to re-plan our time.

However, excessive anxiety can be like a dark cloud that can't be shaken off, making us feel uncomfortable, reducing work efficiency and affecting our performance. This kind of anxiety needs to be dealt with actively.

Change your thoughts and adjust your excessive anxiety

Emotions are a product of thoughts. When thoughts change, emotions are likely to change as well.

The first thought that needs to be adjusted is to blame yourself for anxiety and think that you have poor psychological quality. This thought is an "amplifier" of anxiety, which will make you more and more anxious. Candidates and parents need to realize that anxiety before the middle school entrance examination or the college entrance examination is a very normal phenomenon, and your situation is not a special case, nor is it unacceptable. Cognitively accept your anxious state, and move forward with anxiety in your attitude, rather than rushing to get rid of it.

Another mental burden that needs to be put down is the fear of failing the middle school entrance exam or the college entrance exam, which will have a "lifelong" impact on oneself. Anxiety is like this. The more serious the assessment of the importance of uncertain events in the future, the stronger the anxiety. With the changes in society, we have entered a learning society. Learning is something that needs to be continued throughout life. Although the middle school entrance exam or the college entrance exam is important, the road of life is long. Compared with the results of a single exam, what is more important is persistent learning.

There is a 10,000-hour rule in life. As long as you keep doing what you want to do, the result will not be too bad. Some people we admire are indeed from famous schools, but others are not. Therefore, even if you don’t perform well in the exam and the result is really unsatisfactory, it is not a good thing, but it is not so bad that it will have a "fatal" impact on your life, and it does not mean that your life has failed.

Generally speaking, schools will emphasize the importance of test results. Parents have much more experience than candidates, so parents should dare to be their children's "pressure reducer" rather than "pressure source" , actively help candidates establish a growth mindset, and dispel their idea that "one test determines the rest of your life".

Some methods that seem to relieve anxiety are not good methods

When an individual feels anxious, if there is a suitable "hook" in real life to "grab" his attention, the anxiety will be relieved.

Many teenagers are accustomed to using the Internet or playing games to relieve anxiety. This type of "escaping" anxiety technique can have a temporary effect, allowing individuals to temporarily not feel anxious, but once they leave the Internet, put down their phones, and face reality, individuals are often more likely to fall into unbearable anxiety.

This anxiety-avoidance model can explain why teenagers are prone to Internet addiction or mobile phone addiction - often to escape the anxiety induced by reality. Today, when smartphones are already popular, how to control the screen is not only the student's own business, but also the whole family's business.

When candidates feel overly anxious, a feasible "handle" is to reduce the difficulty of learning, review the subjects they like, or the relatively easy parts of the subjects they find difficult. Committing to studying seriously can not only relieve anxiety, but also put oneself in a better state of preparation for the exam.

Coping with anxiety through exercise

Exercise can also effectively fight anxiety, especially outdoor exercise. Moderate exercise can excite the body and thus effectively relieve negative emotions. If you have the habit of exercising, you can continue to do so before the exam; if you don’t have the habit of exercising, you can choose any sport you are interested in, starting with walking or jogging is also a good idea.

When the students are not in the right state and are obviously anxious, parents can suggest going for a walk outdoors together. Before the big exam, exercise should be moderate and avoid excessive exercise.

Coping with anxiety by getting support from others

Interpersonal support can also relieve anxiety. Candidates can talk to teachers or classmates about their situation. It is also a good choice to seek help from the school's psychological counselor. They are not only suitable people to talk to, but also can provide some skills to deal with anxiety. In addition, you can also talk to your parents about your anxiety and get emotional support.

If parents feel that they are too anxious, they can talk to their friends or acquaintances. At this time, they should avoid using their children as the object of their confession, so as not to pass on their anxiety to their children.

Try taking some action

For most people, deep breathing or "abdominal breathing" can effectively relieve anxiety. People who have no experience in deep breathing find it hard to believe that breathing techniques can solve anxiety, and often think that breathing is not something that needs to be learned.

When you feel anxious, the sympathetic nervous system is often in an abnormally active state. The sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system can antagonize each other. Once the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, the activity of the sympathetic nervous system will decrease. Deep breathing can activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Once the system is activated, people can slowly experience a sense of calmness and anxiety is relieved.

Normally, we breathe through the chest, which is relatively shallow. When we are anxious, our breathing becomes even shallower. When asked to take a "deep breath", untrained people usually take a deep breath, lift their shoulders, and then exhale quickly. This seemingly "deep" and forceful breathing method is not a true "deep breath".

Before starting deep breathing training, whether standing or lying down, you can put your hands on your abdomen. First, take a slow and deep breath until you feel your stomach bulge; if possible, do not exhale immediately, stay for a while, and then exhale slowly. Repeat this for ten minutes, whether you open your eyes or close your eyes, it can significantly improve anxiety.

If you feel that you cannot enter the state of deep breathing, or feel that deep breathing is not suitable for you, a body scan in a quiet state is also a good method. Using this method, you can slowly pay attention to each part of the body from head to toe or from toe to head while breathing naturally, be aware of the feelings of each part, and establish a connection with each part.

For those parts that are more tired, you can pay more attention to them.

It is normal to feel bored and distracted when using this method for the first time. The important thing is to slowly pull your mind back to the body scan process after you find yourself distracted, and do not criticize or blame yourself. If you persist for more than ten minutes, you will generally see good results.

Facing the college entrance examination, please believe that the tension and anxiety are only temporary. All the efforts and preparations over the long term are for the arrival of this moment. Believe in yourself, believe in the knowledge and abilities you possess, and I wish all candidates a successful start and success!

Author: Wang Kui, Associate Researcher, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Second Class Psychological Counselor

Editor: Dong Xiaoxian