Heart Care Foundation of India released tips for stress prevention for before, during and after the exams. The best treatment is prevention, said Padma Shri, Dr B C Roy National & DST National Science Communication Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India and Senior National Vice President, Indian Medical Association.
Before the exam: Plan, Prioritize and Practice; do what needs to be done first; prepare well, do timely rehearsals; review often, and test yourself as anxiety can lead to “blanking out”; be regular as its what you’ve studied through the year that will be useful, not what you do at the last minute; gather information about the exam; learn quick relaxation and breathing techniques; take compulsory rest for 10 minutes every hour, and do something different. Do not focus on any past experiences of blanking out or performing badly in exams. Instead, focus on the quality of your performance and not the outcome as this would only damage your concentration.
During the exam: Jot down hard to remember formulae; quickly scan the exam paper before answering; decide where to begin; decide how much time to spend on each question; read directions carefully; do easy questions first and relax.
After the exam: Reward yourself, keep practicing positive self–talk and analyze your exam.
