How to Calm Your Mind Before an Exam
Have you ever gotten pre-exam jitters?
I don’t know about you, but I find myself getting nervous before exams, regardless of how much I’ve studied. If you can relate — and I have a feeling you may able able to — keep reading for some awesome tips to calm nerves before taking a test.
Stress resilience expert and founder of StressFreeDC Rob Hartman says that the most important nutrient for the body is oxygen. “The brain uses 20% of our bodies oxygen consumption, and we use more oxygen when we’re in a stressed or in an important period, like taking an exam.”
Hartman says that the best way to boost your oxygen consumption is by doing deep breathing exercises. “When you need to perform well cognitively, you want to take time to breath fully into the belly. It could be ten minutes or more. If we’re full of oxygen, then we don’t get as stressed because the cells are not gasping for air.”
Breathing exercises are incredibly simple, and can drastically improve your focus and cognitive function during an exam.
If you find that your mind is racing out of control, Hartman recommends practicing the parachute breath a few times. It’s a quick and easy way to change your state and become more clearheaded.
To Practice the Parachute Breath:
1. Take a deep breath in through the nose.
2. Hold it briefly. Then inhale a bit more.
3. Pause and very slowly exhale through the mouth.
4. Repeat up to two to three times.
When the fall semester begins (and exams will inevitably follow), practice deep breathing whenever you need to reset and calm your nerves.
P.S: If you liked these tips, stay tuned for a Her Campus GWU x StressFreeDC training this fall!