Study Prof

Test Stress Can Shut You Down!

From the series Better Test Performance the Navy SEALs Way. In a recently televised interview, the Navy SEALs command psychologist, Eric Potterat, listed four key mental techniques taught to SEAL candidates.  Arousal control, the third technique listed, concerns how we keep calm in stressful situations.  Here’s how you can apply this to help increase your own test performance.

You know that sinking feeling you sometimes get when you first turn over that exam and see a question you don’t know how to answer?  Often times you’ll start to sweat and you may feel jittery and hot.  That’s a panic response.  It worked great 5,000 years ago when your great-great-great-great grandfather was being chased by a bear. His heart rate shot through the roof.  Cortisol–the stress chemical–flooded his system, making him hyper-vigilant to environmental cues and allowing him to react quickly and instinctively.  Blood flowed away from non-essential organs, such as the stomach, and rushed to major muscle groups so he could fight or run away. Helpful for getting away from bears; very unhelpful for concentrating on tests.

So how do we convince our brains to stop panicking so we can do our best on the exam?  The answer is what psychologists term “arousal control,” and one of the easiest ways to do it is by breathing carefully and deliberately. Taking slow deep breaths with controlled exhales works to convince the brain that we are not in a situation where panic is helpful.  Expectant mothers in Lamaze classes, meditating monks, the SEALs, and folk wisdom all agree.  “Just take a couple of deep breaths,” is good advice. Follow this formula…

1. Inhale deeply, slowly counting to six as you do so
2. Hold the breath for a count of two
3. Exhale slowly for a six count, trying to completely expel every bit of air from your lungs.  Feel your face, neck, and shoulders relax as you exhale.  Blow the tension out with your breath.
4. Hold for a two count
5. Repeat three times at least
6. Practice this on a daily basis–in traffic, in line at the grocery store, waiting for class to start–and you’ll soon master the technique

From the Series “Better Test Performance The Navy SEALs Way” Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

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Cody Blair has spent over a decade helping students and teachers discover the secrets that make learning simple! His ebook, Secrets Smart Students Know, reveals how the best students use powerful study skills, maximize their memory, avoid procrastination, and maximize their focus to achieve fantastic grades with much less work! Click now to find out more about simple methods to maximize your study skills.

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