Exam fear is OK. Yes you read it right, exam fear is OK! And it is OK because it is bound to happen to everyone. No one faces exams without experiencing exam stress -not even the topper of your class!. But the way you deal with this exam pressure is what creates the difference.

Before understanding about handling exam stress you should understand that exams are not your choice. You can't, unfortunately, make the exams to go away. But dealing with exam stress is completely your choice. You can combat it easily, if you decide to do so.

Handling Exam stress

As you gear up for your exams, realize that though you need to put in more hours of studying, it definitely does not mean that you have to completely cut down on your leisure activities, relaxation time, dinner time or sleeping hours. That is called falling prey to the exam stress. Instead you just have to make certain adjustments here and there, but if dealt well, you can find the exam pressure slowing going away.

Here are some pointers you can keep in mind while trying to deal with the exam pressure:

· Food:

o Have a nutritious meal. Eat a lot of greens and fruits, and drink plenty of water. These options make you feel light and fresh.

o Avoid rice and junk food. Though they may seem an easy and enticing choice, you must know that they make you sleepy.

o Avoid caffeine intake (tea, coffee etc.) or restrict it to minimum because they may help you stay awake at night, but they take a toll on your memory. Of course you don’t want to forget the answer you have prepared so well, right during your examination.

· Sleep:

o You may not afford to sleep more during examinations, but to cut down on a healthy sleep of minimum 6-8 hours is a really bad idea. More hours you cut down, more restlessness and anxiety it will generate, thus paving pay for exam stress.

o Never sleep with a heavy overdose of new tough answers, it will keep you awake for longer. While you are about to sleep, turn towards revising what you have already studied earlier.

o Do not watch TV or listen to music to get sleep. These do anything, but soothe you to sleep.

· Exercising:

o It is totally understandable that you cannot hit the gym during your exams but a small walk, jog or cycling would serve the purpose. It increases the blood flow and releases you of any anxiety or stress under the exam pressure.

o Always remember that your normal attention span ranges from 40 to 50 minutes. So take small breaks in between and do some stretching to make yourself feel fresh and gear up for another round of studying.

· Go through a lot of sample question papers from the beginning of your preparations and don’t keep them for the end. This is because they give you an idea of the pattern you are going to see in the exams, which will make your studying approach easier. These also depict the selective important portions you need to concentrate on.

· Pray. If you believe in God, praying for some time before the examination will indeed fill you up with a lot of positive energy and a hope that everything is going to be alright. And believe me, optimism works!

· The best practice as you would already know is to study regularly, but that rarely happens with many students. If you are touching books at the last moment, you should be readily prepared for the exam stress too. But if you have studied throughout the year, it would not be that difficult for you. If it is too late to follow this point now, take a lesson for the next time!

And lastly, remember that exams are not the end of the world. They create a lot of panic but they go away. And they will come again of course. So sit back, take a deep breath and promise yourself that this time you will follow all the points mentioned above and successfully fight the exam stress!