Test anxiety - it's a real thing. Some people even have a trauma response to quizzes and exams. When this happens their "minds go blank", they hyper-focus on something trivial, or in rare cases have panic attacks. Their brains play tricks on them and instead of being able to stay in their frontal lobes, the amygdala takes over and produces a fight, flight, or freeze response. Has that ever happened to you? Because I have received some pretty intensive therapy in my day, my understanding of this has been necessary to overcome some of my personal trauma. No, I am not a shrink. I do not have a license to give medical or psychological advice, but I do have a method that I use, have taught many students, and have found to be helpful. A SuggestionThis method only works for me and others that I know who use it because we practice it when we are NOT taking an exam. We practice it when we are doing homework and feel our bodies shifting. We start to feel our hearts racing, curse words slipping through our teeth, shoulders tightening, tingling in our arms or shoulders.. something physically happening. We practice looking for "the tell". When we feel the tell coming on, we do the method below. Then we continue what we are doing. It becomes a habit. I find myself doing it in the car while my husband is driving, or when dealing with a particularly difficult person in my life. It gets be back into the here. It brings me back to NOW! THe MethodPlace both feet on the floor in front of you. Put down anything in your hands, Place your palms on the table in front of you or on the tops of your thighs. Close your eyes. Take a big, deep breath in. Then let it out.. Repeat twice more. Silently, to yourself, say the words "I've got this." Do you believe the words? If not, take another breath in and let it out. Try the words again. Only reopen your eyes when you truly believe the words. When you reopen your eyes, things might seem a little more manageable. This is not a cure-all, and definitely takes some practice before the exam for it to work, but if it can peel me off the roof when I have all but climbed out of my skin and up the walls, maybe it can help you too. Xo, Michelle
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AuthorI'm Michelle, and I've got a full plate! As a full-time dietetics student, step-mom, wife, study coach, and tutor in my late 30's, some days I'm barely scraping by. But, no matter what is on my plate, it's always gluten free! Categories
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