The causes
The anxiety , has to do with how each student values or interprets the situation to which it is subjected. In general, explains "the anxiety is not caused by an examination itself, but by the consequences that each student derives from it". As an example, we can think of a student who needs to obtain an enrollment or an outstanding qualification to continue maintaining his / her scholarship. This situation, the thought that he will not get that grade, will lose his scholarship and will not be able to continue with his studies, it is what will cause his stress level to have an amplifying or multiplying effect and that ends up becoming anxiety.
It is important to detect this anxiety and stress in order to be able to fight them later. " The symptoms of anxiety during the exam period are given in three levels that are related and feedback each other" , explains the coordinator of the GOE: First we find the mental or cognitive level . The most common symptoms would be: extreme worry, insecurity, lack of confidence, deconcentration, difficulty making decisions, apprehension, feelings of inferiority, feeling of loss of control, difficulties when reading and understanding, difficulties to remember words or concepts, mint lock l ("stay blank"). In second place, we found the physiological level The most common symptoms would be: agitated or choppy breathing, sweating, dry mouth, tightness in the chest, nausea, stomach pain. And finally, at the behavioral level, the most common symptoms would be: lack of appetite or overeating, stuttering, rapid talking, nervous laughter, continually manipulating objects, impulsive reactions (like giving up an exam), responding without thinking
Stress is nothing other than energy that helps us get going. Therefore, we can say that "stress (at its right point) is a normal and positive reaction because it acts as a protector preparing us for action; Without that dose of vital energy we would not face the challenges that life poses.
Therefore, regulated and adequate stress contributes positively to concentration, to physical power. In fact, athletes when they go to compete tend to get better results if their level of anxiety is higher than usual.
In the field of psychology there is a well-studied evidence called the law of Yerkes and Dodson that describes the relationship between anxiety and performance and states that optimal performance is obtained with average levels of activation.
However it is not always so. Sometimes, anxiety stops being adaptive and ends up causing a lot of discomfort, restlessness and suffering. "In this case it becomes a performance inhibitor, hindering attention and concentration," says the psychologist.
The planning and organization of time is the best measure of prevention of anxiety and stress during exams," says the expert. Knowing what we can cover is fundamental. When we have to perform more tasks than we can really attend, we create a feeling of worry and anguish that negatively interferes with our ability to concentrate which in turn aggravates our anxiety and we find ourselves in a vicious circle where it is difficult to leave . Therefore, being able to know what we can cover makes us calm , a factor that directly affects attention and therefore performance. It is what in psychology is known as mindfulness that is the attention or full consciousness (without distractors) in the present moment or what is the same "live the here and now ".
Other tips
Finally, it would be convenient to take into account certain basic aspects of daily life that will be essential to take care of. Among them, take into account:
1) Perform physical exercise since it is one of the best ways to find a state of "dynamism" by secreting endorphins and releasing stresses.
2) Perform a healthy and balanced diet. If you eat something between meals, nuts are a good option because they contain slow-release sugars, which benefits concentration.
3) Be very careful with the use of stimulants such as caffeine since they lead to a state of "nervousness and confusion" in which we are very active but not with the ability to retain ideas and concepts.
4) We should not stop sleeping between seven or eight hours every night since rest is one of the best guarantees to achieve a good concentration and a positive mood.
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