How to de-stress before and after a test
By: Nihira Pathak
Do you have a test or a quiz coming up? Well if you do, this article will help you. Today you’ll learn how to de-stress after and/or before a test. One thing is to know that you’re prepared before you start and to calm down while there’s a tough problem and after you’re done with the test.
The most important thing is to believe in yourself. That means knowing that you’re prepared and you are. First, you have to arrange everything before-hand. No, I don’t mean the period before the test. I mean the night before. Put all the materials you need in a place where you won’t forget. If you have a written test, make sure you have two pencils nice and sharp ready for you in a place that you can’t miss it. If it’s a computerized test, keep your device fully charged and a mouse with headphones preferably in the same place that your device is so that you don’t mess it up. Have a good night’s sleep!!!! This is the part where everyone messes up. But it really affects your grade. Your brain needs to relax before it stretches itself out. Think of it this way, before you run even more, your legs need to relax. If your test/quiz is 8th period, before you start the test, take a deep breath. On the contrary, your brain also needs to exercise a bit. If you have time, try a few practice problems beforehand.
Wear the right type of clothes. If you know that the room in which you’re testing is cold, make sure to wear layers. If it’s hot, wear something shorter. Anyway, wear comfortable clothes. Have a good breakfast even if it’s not something that you usually do, have a heavy and filling breakfast that won’t make you sleepy. A bagel with peanut butter is the best breakfast along with a Greek yogurt or chocolate milk.
Bring a water bottle along with you. Cold water tends to wake you up and if it is a long test in which they have to give you a break, for the bathroom or a snack, bring apples, oranges, grapes, or granola bars. You can eat them quickly and they give you instant energy. IF YOUR TEACHER ALLOWS AND ONLY IF YOU TEACHER ALLOWS, you should bring gum or mint to keep your mind awake. But if you do this and you get caught don’t blame it on me, it was your choice. The gum or mint should be minty for this to be effective.
Another thing that is just as important is being calm during a tough question in the test. One thing is to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth a few times. Put your shoulders down. A lot of times, your shoulders just are propped up. If you let them down, it feels much better. Keep a few quotes handy. At the end of the article, I have gathered a few quotes that might help you. Think to yourself what you’re actually scared or nervous of. That you’ll get a bad grade on the test? Is that really going to kill you? As long as you did your best and the teacher sees that, maybe they’ll give you a second chance and if not, you know that you did all that you could do.
You should challenge your thoughts. Sometimes when there’s a lot of pressure your mind has a thousand negative “what if” questions. Stop yourself and think,
Would that really happen?
Has that happened before?
What’s the worst that could happen? How could I handle that?
Go out of the room for a bit. Go out and free your mind from all the pencil scratching and the typing of everyone around you. Sometimes this just doesn’t work. There’s nothing embarrassing about going to the bathroom and crying as the last resort. After the test, write your feelings down and that sometimes makes you feel better. Don’t worry about proper grammar or anything. Just write your thoughts down. Also, try listening to upbeat songs after the test or a stressful situation.
Hopefully, this article helps you and always remember, if you’re nervous, then someone else in the room is too. Other than that, have a good and stress-free day!😊
List of helpful quotes
~Cry a river, build a bridge, then walk over it
~If plan A didn’t work, calm down! There are 25 more letters to go.
~God would never give you a challenge that you can’t overcome. So if there is a problem that seems impossible, think of it as a compliment, God knows you can do it.
~The stars can’t shine without darkness
~Every mistake is one step closer to success
~There are no limits to what you can accomplish. Except for the limits you place on your own thinking.
SOURCES
Grover Middle School's Jagazine 