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Examinations are very stressful, it does not matter at which level you are taking them, they take a toll on our mental, physical and spiritual beings, this is usually termed stress. There are many articles on how to deal with stress before and during the examination but not many people realise that unfortunately for some, the stress doesn’t automatically disappear once you hand in your exam — you want to know how you did, what you got right, what you got wrong.This week the examiner will try and give some simple advice on how to keep calm and de-stress after taking examinations.

Exhale!

Take a deep breath in, and let it out. The exams are over and the temptation to ‘hold your breath’ until the results come back is very high.

Don’t do it! Let it go and move on, there’s no point in having restless days while waiting, life must go on.

Deep breathing is very rejuvenating. It centres the mind and calms down the bodily vehicle. Start by counting to 20 and then counting backwards. Let the tension and stress melt away with a few deep breaths

Reward yourself

Treat yourself to something, after all, you deserve it. Go and get that chocolate cake you have been wishing for, buy the CD you’ve been saving up for, or take a break from homework to watch a movie. You’ve been working hard, so treat yourself.

Hang out with your friends

The better part of the time you would have spent studying with your friends rather than chatting and laughing.

It’s time to catch up on the latest movies and trends, get together with your friends and do some relaxing activities. Make sure you laugh. . .it is indeed the best medicine.

Resist the urge to go over your notes!

The test is over! And unless you are sitting for the same examination at a later stage it is not advisable to keep stressing on whether you answered correctly or if you were accurate. It will stress you. There is nothing you can do to change your submitted exam sheet so forget about it.

Believe in yourself

Always think positive, you did the best you could and you will be rewarded for it. So sit back and keep telling yourself that you worked hard, you know the material, and you were well prepared.

With that combination, the results should be just fine. And what to do if you know you did your best to prepare, but the grade doesn’t reflect your hard work?

Think of that test as a way to see what you need more help with rather than a judgment on how smart you are.

Maybe you need to look at the way you’re studying, or ask for help in certain areas. Keep everything in perspective: one bad grade is not the end of the world.

Exercise

After a stressful situation, it is often a good idea to get a quick jog or run in. Nothing takes your mind off of finals and the intensity of studying like an energising exercise.

Many activities including basketball, soccer, and swimming are good ways to wind down after making it through what could be considered the madness of academia.

Don’t do anything

This recommendation may sound dull and humdrum, but in fact just sitting and not having any concrete thoughts for about 5 minutes, or for as long as you can makes a tremendous difference.

Your body will be able to wind down from the day to day activity of testing. Hint: the quieter the environment, the better.

Create a relaxation space

Removing yourself from the usual routine of life is easier said than done, but this particular tip will help you to de-stress after finals.

The space itself can be an area in your house, room or even in your car.

Whatever space that you find relaxing will be doable to incorporate this, post-exams.

The suggested time needed to spend in your relaxation space is at bare minimum 30 minutes.

Dance

Listen to some music and dance to your heart’s content. Dance has been proven to be a great for restoring energy and in renewing the mind and body after it has been stressed out.

Dancing also has been shown to reduce anxiety and strengthen the immune system because of the serotonin levels that increase while moving. Music only adds the desired effect for an exceptional de-stress therapy.

Find an event to attend

There are many events that cities have that are free that will allow you to de-stress. Look around to see what events you can attend that will ease the stress after finals.

Read

While many may not want to even think about picking up another book, sometimes moving to a different type of material other than school is a good idea.

Many studies have shown that certain types of books that are exceptionally engrossing are ideal picks to de-stress from finals.

Sleep

Taking naps is good for the mind. Finals often tire you out, so what better way than to lessen the fatigue than to curl up under the covers and catch a snooze.

(Some adaptations from scholastic.com)

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