We’ve all been there: heart pounding, sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach, even nausea and vomiting, insomnia, racing thoughts, and that cold shiver of fear that comes over our bodies when we are faced with stress and anxiety. These physiological symptoms bring our bodies into a state of fight or flight, utterly inconsistent with positive performance.
High-stakes testing, a current hallmark of public education, has become a major cause of stress and anxiety in students, parents and teachers.
Since the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act, (NCLB), high-stakes testing has steadily increased in public education, subjecting students to upwards of 112 standardized tests between pre-kindergarten through senior year.
The 2009 Race to the Top initiative added more pressure on students to perform well, as their schools were now in competition for federal funding.
The Common Core, rolled out in 2013 in New York State, added an additional burden, abruptly changing curricula in core subjects and mandating standardized tests in English, Math and Science every year for students as young as eight years old.
The 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act, replaced NCLB, in response to criticisms, including an excess of standardized testing, but did little to alleviate the problem.
It is no surprise that stress and anxiety among students has risen steadily, as the number of required tests has increased. The fear and uncertainty of a global pandemic has only added to these levels among students, parents and teachers.
Most of the techniques I offer below are individual components of a larger overall strategy referred to as mindfulness. The benefits of mindfulness extend to better mental and physical health, and overall happiness.
Technique #1 – Focus on the Breath
Focusing on our breathing is a concrete and effective way to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which alleviates symptoms of fight or flight. Slow, controlled breathing lowers the heart rate and brings us into a state of rest and digest. As an added bonus, slow and controlled breathing also improves high blood pressure!
Let’s give it a try! First, open your mind, without judgement, to the possibility that this technique can work for you, even if you’ve never tried it before. This is called a beginner’s mindset. Find a comfortable seat and remove any outside distractions, such as phone, T.V. and pets. Place both hands on your stomach and inhale to a slow count of four, feeling your belly expand into your hands. Exhale, also to a count of four as your belly flattens. Continue breathing in and out slowly for at least 10 repetitions. Do not try to empty your mind of thoughts, simply accept each thought as it enters your brain, and let it float by like a cloud. When you feel ready, return to your normal breath and take stock of how you feel.
Technique #2 – Visualization
Visualization can add another layer of relaxation. Racing thoughts often accompany fear and anxiety and visualization uses mental imagery to create a more positive mindscape.
Let’s try it! As always, start with a beginner’s mindset. Make sure you are comfortable and have removed distractions. Removing outside visual stimuli also helps us focus on our inner mindscape, so slowly let the eyelids drift closed.
As an example, imagine yourself on a beach. Look out at the clear blue water and cloudless sky. Feel the sand between your toes, and the warmth of the sun on your face. Hear the waves rolling onto the shore. Smell the salty air of the ocean, and allow yourself to relax into this mental scenario. When it feels right, imagine yourself getting up and moving away from the beach. Keep in mind that this space exists within you and you can return to it anytime. When you feel ready, slowly open your eyes, and take stock of how you feel.
If the beach does not appeal to you as a space of calm and relaxation, think of another scenario that feels right to you.
Technique #3 – Affirmations
Positive affirmations, if practiced regularly, can increase motivation, boost self-esteem and break the cycle of negative self-talk and patterns of thought most of us have lurking in our subconscious mind.
Although it may feel awkward to make positive statements about yourself, remember your beginner’s mindset, and give it a try. Think of 1-3 positive statements about yourself that will challenge the negative self-talk you have about any issue. To combat test-anxiety, perhaps, “I am prepared, I am a great student, I will rock this test,” can serve. The best positive affirmations, however, will be ones that resonate with you individually, so it is best to craft statements to fit your unique circumstances. It may help to look at yourself in a mirror and say these affirmations aloud at the beginning of your day. Or perhaps write the statements and tape them to your mirror. Positive affirmations can be used throughout the day, whenever the need arises.
Technique #4 – Essential Oils
Essential oils, such as lavender and bergamot can change the brain’s chemistry to induce feelings of calm and relaxation. Never ingest an essential oil, or put undiluted oil on the skin. At home, a diffuser is a great way to infuse the oil of your choice into the air. Although, of course, you cannot bring a diffuser to school, you can put a few drops on a tissue or a cotton ball and bring it with you to the testing site.
Technique #5 – Plan ahead
Lastly, arrive early to the testing site and allow yourself time to get comfortable with the space and practice your relaxation techniques. Although visualization and positive affirmations may distract from the actual test-taking, you can practice slow, controlled breathing at any time, as well as using your essential oil of choice.
It is important to note that all of these techniques for reducing test-anxiety can be used in any other stressful situation, such as public speaking, annual performance review, difficult conversations, resolving conflict, and even sports competitions, to name a few. Many people may not know that current and retired pro-athletes, such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Derek Jeter use(d) similar techniques before big games.
Strategies and techniques for reducing test-anxiety, are an integral part of any test prep program. If you are worried about an upcoming standardized test, I offer many strategies and techniques for both content-mastery and mindfulness honed over my 20+ years of experience. Don’t wait!
TEMPUS FUGIT! TIMES FLIES!