Find Calm: Breathing for Exam Stress Relief
Are you feeling overwhelmed and anxious about upcoming exams? If so, don’t worry.
Read on as we provide you with some helpful breathing techniques that can help reduce your exam anxiety and make studying easier.
By learning how to manage your stress levels through breathing exercises, you will be able to stay focused, confident, and relaxed as you prepare for the big day(s).
So lets get into it:
Here are five effective breathing exercises to help you stay calm during exams:
1. Diaphragmatic Breathing
Diaphragmatic breathing is one of the most powerful relaxation techniques for reducing stress and anxiety levels quickly. It involves taking deep breaths into the lower part of your lungs and pushing out all the air with each exhale through pursed lips – as if whistling or blowing out a candle.
This technique helps signal to your body that it can relax and refocus on managing its energy efficiently, rather than getting stuck in negative thought spirals.
2. Alternate Nostril Breath Technique (Nadi Shodhana)
The Alternate Nostril Breath Technique is an ancient yogic practice designed to promote physical balance between both sides of your brain by calming down mental chatter that distracts from focusing on important tasks such as studying for an exam!
To perform this exercise correctly you must use your thumb and a finger on one hand to alternatively block off each nostril (one at a time) while inhaling deeply through whichever is open, then switching nostrils after each exhalation so both nostrils receive equal attention over several rounds of breathing.
3. Counting Breath Method
This technique uses controlled counting while consciously inhaling and exhaling deeply in order to keep track (and maintain focus) throughout this simple yet powerful exercise. Counted breathing helps reduce restlessness caused by excessive worrying about exams. To do this – take three deep breaths into your abdomen before slowly counting backwards from 5 to 1 with each exhalation.
4 . Mindful Awareness Meditation
Mindful awareness meditation is another great strategy for calming down pre-exam jitters when used regularly alongside other activities like yoga or stretching exercises – perfect for those who struggle with sitting still due to their anxious state prior to tests/assessments.
The goal here should always remain focused on being present within each moment judgement; noticing whatever arises naturally and without running away from any uncomfortable feelings which may arise during its practise.
You can work towards greater acceptance & peace within yourself before facing challenging tasks head on.
5 . Deep Abdominal Breathing Exercise
The last technique we will discuss involves taking slow & steady abdominal breaths through every inhalation and exhalation cycle whilst making sure there’s no pause before beginning again. This can create an overall sense of deep relaxation despite your heightened level of nervousness prior entering their examination hall.
This process also encourages more oxygen rich blood flow around our bodies which supports better cognitive functioning when needed most ie in solving tricky questions; thus providing us some much needed respite, mentally speaking, when faced with intense academic pressures.
Conclusion
Utilising different types of breathwork has been proven to be beneficial in helping people cope better with stressful situations like preparing for and taking your exams; even if done just once per day or whenever required ie just before entering the exam hall.
The main philosophy of each exercise is to focus on the moment and concentrate on taking control of your own mind. By removing the emotion students feel before and during exams will help to provide clarity on what they need to do in the exam.
FAQs
Q. How quickly can I expect to start feeling the benefits of breathing techniques for managing exam anxiety?
Depending on how regularly you practise, it can take 2 to 3 or 4 weeks before you may notice any improvements in your level of stress or anxiety.
Q. Should I be focusing on my breath only when I’m feeling anxious?
No, regular practice is key; even if you don’t feel particularly anxious at the moment, practising a few times throughout the day can still help build up your resistance to feelings of stress or panic during exams or other stressful occasions.
Q. What type of breathing exercises are best for managing exam anxiety?
There are several different types of breathing exercises that may be helpful in reducing exam anxiety such as diaphragmatic (or belly) breathing, paced respiration and 4-7-8 breathwork technique. Experiment with each one and see which works best for you.
Q. How often should I be practising these techniques?
It’s recommended to practise them a couple of times a day – once in the morning and once in the evening – but depending on how much time or energy you have available, anywhere between 5 minutes to 30 minutes per session could work well. You have to find out what fits your own thoughts.
Q Can these techniques also help me manage other forms of anxiety besides exams?
Absolutely – many people find that they can use these same techniques to help reduce their levels of stress and/or generalised anxieties over time as well.
Other Interesting Info
- Taking slow, deep breaths helps to reduce physical stress reactions like increased heart rate and sweaty palms.
- Practising diaphragmatic breathing can help you stay focused during an exam by providing more oxygen to your brain.
- Research suggests that taking a few minutes of mindful breathing before an exam can help improve overall performance by reducing anxiety levels and increasing mental clarity.
