Short- and Long-term Solutions for Test Anxiety

Do you suffer from test anxiety? Does just the thought of taking a test make you feel queasy and lightheaded? Test anxiety can dramatically affect your exam performance and cause significant discomfort in the days leading up to the test and during the test itself. But with a few changes, your next test doesn't have to be a negative experience.

Short-term solutions for an upcoming exam. If you're looking into the barrel of an exam right now, there are several things you can do to improve your anxiety level. First, assess the remaining time before the exam and jot down a quick study plan, even if it's only for 15 minutes during your lunch break over the next week. Studying can reduce test anxiety significantly. Next, decide how to handle anxiety when it happens during the test. The best plan is to accept the anxiety as normal (rather than fight against it), practice deep breathing, and go for a quick walk around the building before sitting down to take the test.

Long-term solutions for lasting relief. Getting through the next test is one thing, but when you want test anxiety to be less of a problem overall, you will need to make some lifestyle changes. Reducing the amount of caffeine in your diet, striving for well-balanced meals, and getting enough rest will all help you to better cope with exam stress. You may also want to adopt an exercise program - several sessions of aerobic activity a week, like brisk walking or jogging, will help your anxiety level.

If you tend to procrastinate, you should also work on holding yourself accountable for "baby steps" by studying a little at a time, over a longer period of time, rather than saving all of your studying for the last day. Procrastination will make your anxiety levels skyrocket, and a long-term plan for test-anxiety relief must always include learning how to do things ahead of time.

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