Best Self Family Post
(Almost) Stress-Free Finals
5/8/18
Teens are heading into a stressful time of the year, balancing the exhilaration of looking ahead to the end of school with the dread of upcoming finals. While no one can promise wholly stress-free finals, the following tips can help your teen reduce their test-taking anxiety and be ready to showcase their knowledge during end-of-year tests.
Positive Thinking
When feeling overwhelmed with stress, it can be hard to focus on anything other than worst-case scenarios. To calm their thoughts, teens can visualize breathing out stressful thoughts, leaving a blank slate for studying. Teens can also practice replacing negative thoughts with positive mantras. These can vary from the simple (e.g., “You can do this!”) to the complex (e.g., “I am prepared for this exam. I have studied and asked for help. I thoroughly understand this material. I am calm, focused, and prepared for this exam.”). This strategy is helpful while studying, but especially so while taking exams. A calm mind is better able to access memories of what has been studied.
Time to Process
Memorization requires not just dedicated studying, but time for our brains to assimilate the information. In other words, our brains need breaks! Many students benefit from studying directly before bed, letting their brains transfer studied material into longer-term memory while they sleep. Taking a movement break or a walk outside can provide the same benefit.
Taking a Break
Many people–teens and adults alike–struggle with concentrating for long periods of time. The Pomodoro technique, created by Francesco Cirillo, often helps with focus. Using this technique, the teen sets a timer and focuses on a specific task (e.g., memorizing the quadratic formula or finishing a chapter on mitosis) for 25 minutes. Once the time is up, the student can take a break for a few minutes before focusing for another 25 minutes. Longer breaks are taken after four work sessions. Rather than dread an entire afternoon of studying, the teen only has to focus on the next 25 minutes. Your child or teen may be surprised at how much they can accomplish!
Self-Care
Many teens make the mistake of sacrificing sleeping for studying. While more study time may seem like the smart decision, the effects of sleep deprivation negates the added study time. Sleep decreases stress hormones and increases the brain’s ability to concentrate and focus. Self-care also involves eating a balanced meal, including protein and avoiding excess amounts of sugar. Caffeine can seem like an easy fix when feeling tired, but too much can provide an empty energy boost without the needed focus.
Rewards
Instead of viewing studying as a slog to get through before the joy of summer break, teens can identify a reward for their hard work. Internal motivation, such as visualizing oneself celebrating after acing a test, is one type of reward. Others benefit more from external motivation and more concrete rewards. These could include a celebratory dinner, extra screen time, or buying something from a favorite store.
Recognizing Stress Symptoms
All of the coping skills in the world won’t help if your teen doesn’t remember to use them. Stress symptoms vary, but you can help your teen identify their own. There are often physical tells, such as headaches, restless legs, or fidgeting hands. Once your teen recognizes their stress symptoms, they can remember to use their coping skills to relax.
A certain amount of stress is normal and can be beneficial. Many teens say the pressure of stress is very motivating and contributes to high performance. However, too much stress can be paralyzing, leaving a teen unable to concentrate. The above tips should alleviate excessive test anxiety and help your teen perform their best on their exams.