One of the most common problems faced by
students while studying for an IIT entrance exam is severe anxiety or
nervousness. Since the result of the exam can totally change your future, so
the very process of preparing for the IIT entrance exam can be a stressful
experience. Any delays in the preparation schedule, an inability to solve
problems, or even a few hours of time wasted can lead to anxiety and create
stress, which can adversely affect your studies, so it is very important to
learn how to manage stress or anxiety.
Even Famous People Do It
I still remember watching a video clipping
of a famous singer that I saw on TV years ago. The camera had been following
him around, while he went for rehearsals, got made-up and spoke to his manager.
The scene I remember most was the shot of
him as he waited backstage for his name to be announced. Now, remember, this
was a man who had been doing stage shows for decades. You could hear the
audience: They were excited to be in his presence. It was a friendly
atmosphere. Yet he looked nervous, horrified, petrified, regretful that he'd
ever entered show business and extremely vulnerable. (Presuming he remembered
he was being filmed, this was controlled panic.)
But, when the announcer called his name and
the roar of the applause began, he transformed. He walked with a determined
gait to the stage, the lights hit him, he smiled and took the microphone, the
band began and he never looked back. His famous voice filled the auditorium,
and the audience went wild. If he could face such regular panic attacks and
still pass the test, why can't you?
Remember that a certain level of anxiety is
good and a must for you to accomplish faster learning. Remember that a certain
level of anxiety will enable you to be more alert, attentive and concentrate
more fully. It can sharpen your IIT Entrance Exam performance, make you feel
full of energy and cause you to work at the most effective speed and be more
attentive to detail. So, achieving optimum arousal (anxiety) is the key to
success. But the moment that anxiety level becomes higher and it starts
disabling you, it is time to take immediate corrective measures.
It is a natural human reaction to worry at
times while studying for a subject like Physics for IIT JEE exams. It is also
natural to express an emotional reaction to the ups and downs of tackling
tasks: angry or frustrated at one time, exhilarated at another. The ideas in
this article are intended to help you avoid becoming locked in that state of
anxiety, where your interaction with exams, tests and course deadlines (the
potential 'stressors') results in unhelpful stress for you. This is the type of
anxiety that gives you that disabling feeling.
Before we learn how to handle stress &
anxiety while preparing for IIT entrance exams or rather difficult subjects
like physics for IITJEE, let us understand what are the signs and symptoms of
stress?
• Your heart beats at an accelerated rate.
• Your breathing rate increases.
• Your body sweats.
• Your mind becomes agitated and you feel
restless.
• Your stomach feels queasy. In other words
you feel butterflies in your stomach.
You can control these problems by training
your mind and body to relax on command. In relaxation you are really training
to control the functions of your mind.
Relaxation Techniques: You can relax while
sitting on a chair, lying on a bed or stretched out on a comfortable spot. To
relax focus on your breathing first, close your eyes and listen to the sound as
air flows in and out. As you breathe your belly should be moving in and out.
Next, start counting one to ten, on your inhalations and saying to yourself
"relax" in your mind. Continue this process, until you feel quiet and
your mind is focused and undisturbed by fleeting thoughts. The idea behind counting
is to shut your mind from other thoughts and not to be disturbed.
Palming: Close your eyes and keep your open
palm pressed against your eyes. Hold this position for 5-10 minutes every day.
You will feel the heat being transferred to your eyes. Do this exercise
regularly everyday or press a folded cloth to your mouth, blow air into the
cloth so that it becomes warm and then press the cloth against your eyes.
Whenever you are tensed or anxious, close
your eyes and take a deep breath. Slowly breathe out. Do this about ten times
and watch the difference. This should calm your nerves and reduce your anxiety.
Other methods for Reducing Anxiety when
preparing for an IIT entrance exam
• Self-Assertion - Do a realistic review of
the situation, and decide on a course of action and carry it out; assert
yourself, take charge of your life.
• Sleep habits - In order to get more time
to study something like Physics for IITJEE exams, several students sacrifice
their normal sleep. Occasional loss of sleep may not affect your thinking, but
loss of sleep over a longer period of time can create stress. Do not carry your
problems and anxieties to bed. They will leave you mentally sluggish the next
morning and impair your ability to perform in any IIT entrance exam no matter
how confident you are. Cultivate methods that enable you to get enough restful
sleep.
• Relaxation - Practice physical and mental
relaxation exercises before and during preparations for an IIT entrance exam.
• Quiet time - Cultivate and then use a
"quiet time" to review your situation, to compose yourself, and to
prepare yourself for a project, subjects like Physics for IITJEE, or other
stressful situations in the day.
• Friends - Talk to one or two friends a
day, for support and encouragement, to renew your self-confidence and morale,
even while you are preparing for your IIT entrance exam.
• Consultation - Help yourself by seeking
consultation from peers, instructors, or professional counselors. A lot of
students report feeling stressed when studying alone for something like Physics
for IITJEE, try calling a friend over to help practice and perfect your
concepts, to be able to face IIT entrance exams square in the face.
Practice to relax every day: The more you
practice, the better you will be able to relax. Practice relaxing for five
minutes in the beginning. Plan for at least 3 relaxation breaks each day, five
minutes in duration, before and during your IIT Entrance Exam preparations. On
very busy days, do not be tempted to do away with this practice. It is more
important to relax on such busy days. Remember, anxiety affects people of all
abilities.
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