Relieve stress during finals week

McKenzie Fleeman 
mdf001@marietta.edu

The last two weeks of the semester very well may be the most difficult. I talked to Andrea Euser, a College Counselor at the Marietta College Center for Health and Wellness about some helpful tips to keep yourself calm during stressful times. She shared her ten best tips for reducing anxiety about end of the semester exams below.

1. Be prepared – set up a study schedule ahead of time to avoid cramming at the last minute – cramming is a major cause of exam anxiety.
2. Keep it realistic – Set realistic goals for the grade you want to earn on the exam and work toward that. Remember that your entire future does not depend on this one exam. Make sure that the amount of time you study for the exam is balanced with its value in your overall grade – for example: you should put more time into studying for an exam that is worth 40% of your grade vs. one that’s worth 10%.
3. Arrive early to the exam – and while waiting for the exam to begin, do something relaxing such as deep breathing and mindfulness techniques (look at #4 and #5 on this list). Anxiety can be contagious so at this time, avoid talking with other students who are stressed out about the exam. Focus on relaxing yourself.
4. Deep-breathing technique: Gaining control of your breathing helps prevent hyperventilating and promotes calm. Sit down and take a breath in through your nose if possible for 4 seconds, fully filling up your lungs. Hold this breath for 2 seconds. Exhale slowly for 6 seconds through your nose or mouth, get all the air out of your lungs. Pause for a second or two and then repeat. Do this exercise when you feel overwhelmed and anxious, before you sleep at night, and before taking an exam. It will slow your breathing down and can reduce your overall level of anxiety. Practice, practice, practice.
5. Mindfulness technique – Mindfulness techniques reduce anxiety. You can do this one while you’re walking, or sitting down somewhere. As you do some deep breathing, bring awareness to each of your 5 senses, one at a time, for about one minute each. The point of this is to focus on the present moment, without judgment. Notice 5 things you can see – what colors are they? What textures do they have? What are their shapes? 4 things you can hear – it might be car traffic outside, birds singing, or people talking. 3 things you can touch – your coat or backpack, your keys in your pocket, or your desk. 2 things you can smell – the air outside, car fumes, food cooking in the dining hall. 1 thing you can taste – maybe you just had lunch, or are chewing gum, or drinking coffee.
6. Get rid of negative thoughts – focus on what you do know rather than what you don’t know. Watch any negative self-talk and replace it with something positive. Keep your thoughts rational instead of emotional. If you make a mistake, ask yourself how you might avoid that in the future – learn from it instead of dwelling on it.
7. Get some sleep – this can be difficult to maintain during the last few weeks of school, but it’s important. If your body is worn out, your brain will be too. You will perform better if you can get on a regular sleeping pattern.
8. Eat regularly and try to limit caffeine and sugar which can increase stress levels.
9. Avoid cramming the night before. This usually just increases anxiety. If it causes you too much anxiety to not look at the material, review it during the day.
10. . Focus on the present, not the future. Thinking that you should have studied more or that you won’t do well on the exam won’t help you. Spend your energy on what you can control, such as calming yourself down and positive thinking. Visualize doing well on the exam.Take some deep breaths and do your best.

If you have additional questions about managing stress, you can reach the Center for Health and Wellness at 740-376-4477.