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HOW TO
"OVERCOME ANXIETY AND FEAR FROM EXAMS"

Question: I am not able to concentrate on my studies effectively. I sit for some time and again I am distracted by some thought (mainly about what will happen if I don't get selected in competitive exams). What should I do?

Psychic Advice:
The first thing you must do to overcome your anxiety and fear from exams is to relax and breathe. Many people have fear of test taking and worry about their performance, but this fear and anxiety are absolutely counter-productive and detrimental to your success.

Fear and anxiety constrict blood flow, which limits the amount of oxygen flowing to the brain. To make matters worse, when people feel stress, they often hold their breath, or breathe shallowly, which further starves the brain of oxygen. The brain requires oxygen in order to be able to think and function properly, so you must allow yourself to breathe and relax while studying for exams, and especially when you are taking tests.

The key to studying for tests is to feed both your brain and your mind. Your brain is an organ that requires certain conditions in order to function optimally. You must give your brain vital nutrients, including protein, vitamins and minerals, and essential fatty acids. You must remain hydrated so drink lots of good quality water - this alone will help you to think more clearly as dehydration clouds the mind (note that many drinks such as coffee and sodas can actually be dehydrating). The brain also requires adequate rest, so all-nighters are not the best ways to study for tests.

The mind is like a computer that stores every bit of information you encounter. This is why you can remember commercials from your childhood, or odd bits of trivia. The key is to learn how to program your mind so you can access and retrieve the information you desire.

The mind is most open and receptive in the semi-conscious state on the way to sleep or upon awakening, so this is really the best time to review and study for tests. You can create an audio recording of key information, and play this while you sleep.

The biggest problem when studying for tests is boredom and distraction. Most textbooks present information in a way that is dry, boring and two-dimensional, so there is nothing interesting for the mind to absorb. You must find a way to bring the information to life and make it more interesting and engaging for you and your mind.


Here are some strategies for studying for exams:

- read the information a little at a time, then close your eyes, breathe, and visualize what you have just read, taking a moment to digest that information.
- write out the important information on cards, and make them colorful, or attach a relevant image to them, and review these cards last thing at night and first thing in the morning.
- write out key points on large pieces of paper with strong and colorful graphic images, and put them up on the wall in your room so they are right in front of you, or all around you (this is great for things like anatomy, biology, history, geography, and even for driving tests). If you have many tests to study for, you can dedicate one wall for each subject (focus only on one wall/subject at a time).
- it can be very helpful to make rhymes, songs, or associations. Rhyme is a powerful tool for the mind that makes it easier to remember things, especially dates of events.
- join a study group with one or more people in your class - if you can teach it, then you know it!
- take practice tests, or get someone to quiz you.
- get up and walk around frequently while you are studying to keep the blood flowing and help you digest the information. Also, keep healthy snacks around so you can feed your body and your brain.
- people learn in different ways: some learn best by what they see, or read, or hear, and others must actually experience it in order to learn. Get to know how you learn best, and use strategies for studying for exams that support that.

Affirmations can also be very helpful, because our thoughts influence and determine our outcomes and experiences. Tell yourself, "I know that I know all I need to know to ace this test with ease. I am relaxed and at peace knowing that I can recall and remember everything so I can excel on my exam." Visualize yourself taking the exam and knowing all the answers, relaxed, at peace, and even enjoying yourself as you write the answers calmly and confidently. Visualize yourself smiling as you get your results, and feeling really proud of yourself. You can create a vision board for your success: get a photo of a graduate and put a smiling picture of your face in it.

On the day of your test, set the clock an hour or two early (4 a.m. is an ideal time to study when everything is still and quiet), turn on the lights to avoid falling back asleep, sit up and read over your notes, breathing them in. You can even go back to sleep for a while after you've read your notes, making sure to reset your alarm clock, then read the notes again when you wake up.

Get an image or symbol that you associate with victory and success, and wear it into the exam room, ideally on your wrist or hand where you can see it. Choose clothing and colors that make you feel good, comfortable, relaxed, and confident: yellow is the color of power, violet is the color of intuition, and blue is the color of calm and truth.

During the exam, relax and breathe slowly and deeply. Read the question carefully, close your eyes and repeat the question. Picture the answer first in your mind, get clear then calmly start to write it down. As you remember pieces or get new ideas, write them as notes in the margin to come back to. To help with recall, close your eyes and rub your third eye in the center of your forehead in gentle circles with the tips of your fingers holding the intention of bringing the information to the forefront of your mind. If your test is multiple choice or fill-in-the-blank, trust the first thing that comes to you - trust what you feel is right rather than how the answers look.

Remember that you mind is like a computer that stores everything you've ever seen, heard, read or experienced. All you have to do is relax and trust that you know all you need to know. Negative thoughts simply affirm what you don't want, so use positive and encouraging thoughts and affirmations to overcome your anxiety and fear from exams.

Help with getting answers

Your body, mind and intuition have access to all information, and can tell you what you need to know. Muscle testing is a way to let your body, mind and intuition communicate with you in a way that you can clearly see and feel. This can assist you in knowing whether an answer is correct or not, which can be especially helpful when faced with many choices, as in multiple choice tests.

There are several techniques one can use, but the following two methods are very subtle. Either method can be used to answer any question that has a "Yes" or "No" answer, or to verify if an answer is correct.

Method 1 - Eyes (E-yes!):
First, you must determine what your "Yes" and "No" responses are. Close your eyes and think of the word "Yes" while trying to open your eyes. If your eyes don't want to open, then "Eyes closed means YES" for you, therefore "Eyes open and blinking means NO"; otherwise, if your eyes open easily when you think of the word "Yes" and you start blinking, then "Blinking means YES" for you, and "Eyes closed means NO". Try it out with various questions that you know the answers to.

Method 2 - Fingertips:
Again, we must determine what your "Yes" and "No" responses are. Using the hand that you don't use for writing, touch the fingertip pads of your middle finger and thumb together. Think of the word "Yes" while trying to move your fingertips apart mentally. If your fingertips want to stay pressed together, then "fingers together means YES" for you, and "fingers apart means NO". Otherwise, if your fingertips come apart easily while you are thinking of the word "Yes", then "fingers apart means YES" for you, and fingers together means NO". (It is very simple to do, but complicated to write!) Again, once you've determined your "Yes" and "No" responses, try it out with questions that you know the answers to.


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