Think positively to deal with performance anxiety

exp. Clinical psychologist Enise Öziç made statements about exam anxiety. Öziç said: “Emotional and physical changes such as palpitations, sweating and shivering can occur due to the anxiety that occurs before and during the exam after the thoughts created by unrealistic expectations in the student. In other words, anxiety can cause not only emotional symptoms, but also physical symptoms, and this can be misinterpreted.

“Get out of the vicious circle”

Emphasizing that these thoughts, which create a vicious circle, combined with negative past experiences, can also prevent the student from realizing his potential. Clinical PS. Öziç said: “The negative meaning attributed to the symptoms leads to negative thoughts such as ‘I will not pass’ and ‘I am stupid’ towards exam performance. This vicious circle must first be broken in order to get us on target. concentration and exam success. It is possible to start with it. It is very important to be flexible to the situations we encounter, to evaluate our performance and, above all, to be flexible about ourselves,” he said.

“Leave the negativity aside”

Öziç explains that it can be good to focus on alternative thoughts as a first step in managing stress. “We can try to find positive thoughts instead of negative thoughts when dealing with exam anxiety. For example, instead of not being distracted at all, one can say that I can be distracted, I will try to use my attention sparingly. Instead of not getting excited at all; It may be thought that it is normal to be excited during exams, but my excitement is necessary for me. I shouldn’t dwell on a question, rather than do it right away; There may be questions where I get stuck, if I see I can’t I can move on to other questions. Focusing on alternative thoughts, like any question here that gets me points, can be the first step in managing stress. In addition, you can reduce and manage the stress level in your body through muscle relaxation and breathing exercises to bring the stress level back to normal. By trying to stay calm, you can evaluate the good aspects of the situation and turn stress into an opportunity.