By- Prerna Agarwal
It's that time of the year again. Approaching exams set students off on a stress and panic regime, who end up losing sleep and appetite. While some manage to sail through, others find it difficult to handle. While it may seem beyond your control at time, there are things you can do to keep calm and approach exams with a positive mindset.
Take time off to recharge. You could hit the jogging trail, stretch, go for a walk or play an outdoor sport for half an hour. It helps improve blood circulation and get you re-energized. You could also listen to music.
While cutting off contact with the outside world may seem like be the right thing to do, you may want to think again. It is important to meet and talk to people just to maintain a balanced perspective on things and keep up your self-esteem.
Another mistake students often make is skipping meals and not eating right. Whether it's anxiety or just wanting not to waste time, many students end up paying little attention to their diets during exam season. It's the last thing you want to do. With erratic meals, blood sugar levels can drop and increase anxiety. What you could do is snack on healthy food - like fruits, nuts, cereal, eggs, sprouts, curd - at regular intervals. Keep yourself hydrated, drinking at least 1-1.5 litres of water to flush out toxins the body produces due to stress.
A myth that is prevalent among students is that by sacrificing their sleep, they can spend more time on quality study. What they ignore is that good sleep is essential to recover from the day's weariness and to regain the ability to concentrate. Sleep for at least six to eight hours, particularly on the nights prior to exams.
You could ditch studies sometimes and choose your favourite room in the house, your local neighbourhood cafe or that special bench in the park for a change.
When exams are upon you, its difficult to think about anything else. Place your examination in perspective - the world will not end if you don't do well. Trust yourself and stay positive. Good luck!
(The writer is a life coach)
