Anxiety Anxiety is among the most common mental disorders and many people experience periods of anxiety one or more times during their lives.
Exam anxiety is a type of anxiety that occurs in connection with an actual exam, the preparation for an exam or in some cases when thinking about an upcoming exam. Here, the focus can be on one's performance during the exam but also any anxiety symptoms that one fears may occur before and during the exam. These can be, for example, sweating, shaking, palpitations, dizziness, nausea, fainting or vomiting. The symptoms are experienced as very unpleasant and often embarrassing by the person affected.
Exam anxiety can lead to people trying to avoid enrolling in courses with exams. It can also make people not want to think about upcoming exams, and therefore postpone preparing for their exams. The consequence of this can in many cases be that you feel even less prepared and that your anxiety level increases for this reason.
In therapy, we will examine the underlying perceptions that maintain exam anxiety and make us so affected by this performance situation. Often, we will examine the self-perception that underlies this vulnerability, and start the therapeutic work from there. We will also examine whether there are circumstances in the current life situation that reinforce exam anxiety, as well as the way you manage your time and energy in everyday life. This often has a major impact on energy, mood and anxiety levels.
Contact a psychologist and get help with treating your exam anxiety. For questions about treating exam anxiety, you can call Note on 71 96 00 86 or send an email to info@bemerk.nu.
Signs of exam anxiety
If you experience any of the following thoughts, feelings or physical symptoms around exams, it may be a sign that you have exam anxiety.
- Thoughts like: “It will be a disaster if I fail”, “Now I am being exposed as incompetent” or “I am not good enough for this”
- Feelings such as: Hopelessness, depression, fear, and irritability.
- Physical symptoms such as: Tense muscles, diarrhea or constipation, palpitations, dizziness or nausea.
It is not uncommon for those who experience exam anxiety to also experience distressing anxiety symptoms in other situations. For example, situations where they feel they have to perform in front of others, or feel judged or compared to others.
Is this normal?
For most people, an upcoming exam will be associated with a certain degree of excitement, nervousness and even concern about one's performance. Many will sleep poorly the night before the exam day, and have a reduced appetite on the day itself. Sweaty palms and an increased heart rate upon arrival are not uncommon.
For some, an upcoming exam will trigger physical and psychological symptoms of a degree that has a detrimental effect on the affected person's performance during the exam. This can manifest as sweating, shaking, palpitations, tunnel vision, impaired hearing, impaired vision, stomach pain, headaches, thoughts of failing, thoughts of being exposed, and thoughts of failing in life. You will typically see a prolonged escalation of symptoms towards the exam date. During this period, you may experience decreased well-being, sleep problems, concentration problems, memory problems, periodic nausea, anxiety, sadness, and restlessness. In these cases, it is called exam anxiety.
Is it serious?
Exam anxiety is a condition that must be taken seriously, as if left untreated, it can develop over time into a more persistent condition that requires targeted treatment. Mild exam anxiety can often be alleviated with conversations and support from a study counselor or other relevant advisor at school.
If exam anxiety has a disruptive effect on other areas of life and jeopardizes the person's exam performance, a conversation with a psychologist is usually the best way to go.
Here, you will work therapeutically with the fear and develop strategies that help you move towards your goals without it having a destructive effect on your well-being and general quality of life.
4 good tips for overcoming exam anxiety
- Write down in detail what you fear most about an exam. For example, you might write 'I'm afraid of not completing my education' or 'I'm afraid of not getting a good job'. This creates awareness of your fear, and can already make you discover new perspectives.
- Write down in detail what options you have if you fail the exam. For example, 'Re-exam, conversation with my teacher, retake the semester'’
- Ensure regular exercise, a healthy diet and good sleep conditions in the week leading up to your exam. It is normal to sleep poorly the night before the exam.
- When studying for the exam, read in 25-minute intervals with 5-minute breaks in three sessions, followed by a longer break of about 30-45 minutes. Repeat.
If you are suffering from exam anxiety, contact a psychologist and get help via therapy and treatment of your exam anxiety. For questions about treating exam anxiety, you can call Note on 71 96 00 86. You can also send an email to info@bemerk.nu.
