We've all been there - tapping our pencil, bouncing our knees, wiggling our feet- stressed out right before the big test. When you're sitting in the desk, it's a little too late to manage your stress physically. Sure, you can take some calming breaths while tensing and relaxing those muscles, but the toughest de-stress war can be waged in your head.
The following five mental ways to manage your stress will help get those nerves settled before you take the big test. So read on!
Set Realistic Expectations.
You may never score perfectly on the SAT, GRE, or GMAT and you know what? That's okay! Drop the image of who you think you should be. Before you head to the testing center, set a realistic goal for yourself (no one else) before you ever arrive. Practice with a test booklet, so you know what you can and can't do. Part of your stress may be coming from lofty expectations.
Say, "I choose to."
Instead of saying "I have to take this test," practice saying, "I choose to take this test." By focusing on the fact that the test you're taking (or anything you're doing in life) is set up by your own design, you take ownership of the stressor and that possession can have a relaxing effect.
Envision Positive Imagery
Obviously, the most relaxing place in the world is not a classroom – all those right angles and hard textures don't make for serenity. But you can transport yourself to a place that is soothing to you from the comfort (or lack thereof) of your desk chair. Bury your toes in imaginary sand. Feel the warmth of the sun on your shoulders. Listen for the lap of waves breaking against a warm beach. Put yourself mentally in a relaxing place, even when the only sound you hear is the ticking of a clock.
Repeat an Uplifiting Phrase
Make like the Dalai Lama, and repeat a mantra to yourself. It needs to be something meaningful to you. Try something like, "I can do this," or "I deserve to achieve my goals." Choose something positive to tell yourself, and you may just start believing it.
Shoot Down Negative Thoughts
We all have them in our lives – the naysayers. Those people who aren't happy with their own lives and want to pull someone else down into the muck with them. Maybe they've told you you'd never make it to grad school. Maybe they said you'd bomb the big test. Before testing, take a few moments to jot down the negative thoughts that someone has planted into your head on a scrap sheet of paper. Then, write down your rebuttal to those thoughts. If someone has always told you you'd never amount to much, then counter with the notion that you're sitting for a big test, one that could possibly alter your future for the better.
As an added stress relief, wad up the entire piece of paper and toss it into the trash right before testing begins.
