With board exams and college evaluations looming, you may be wondering how exams affect mental health. Here are some tips from psychiatrists. Exams can cause sleepless nights and can even lead to self-harm. Stress from exams is a major cause of depression, but it doesn’t have to be a life-threatening situation. Learn how to cope with exam stress by preparing for exams in advance. This way, you can keep your mental health intact while still performing well in the exams.
Try to avoid ruminating on negative thoughts. Negative thoughts can exacerbate exam stress. You can avoid them by changing your mindset to a positive one. You can do this by paying attention to your thoughts and trying to change them. If you cannot stop thinking about negative thoughts, try cognitive restructuring, which helps you change ineffective thinking patterns. This technique helps you change your negative thoughts and reframe them into positive ones. Taking care of your body, mind, and soul will allow you to feel more confident during exams.
Teenagers face many tests. National board examinations are particularly stressful. In addition to the pressure, students may not have access to mental health services, including support clinics. Often, they don’t have access to the experts in their schools. Additionally, the structure of the educational system and assessment methods play a role in exam anxiety. Exams and standardized testing should be considered synergistically in order to reduce exam anxiety in schoolchildren.
