It All Comes Down to State of Mind
Sometimes, it´s hard not to imagine worst-case scenarios as the exam day looms ever closer. But did you know this negative thinking could actually harm your test score? Being pessimistic is not only worse for your health in the long run, but it also results in less productivity and more stress.
We live in an era where performance in exams is crucial in deciding our career. Competition in entrance examinations is getting fierce. Millions of aspirants try their luck for a few seats at coveted institutions every year. This process creates a lot of anxiety in the youth, but students should train themselves to deal with this pressure. One’s mind should have the capacity to face challenges and not get intimidated. A healthy mindset can take you a long way towards achieving your goals, especially when it comes to your entrance exams.
In a recent study, scientists proved that when in a peak state of mind, your visual cortex absorbs more information. In contrast, negative moods literally result in tunnel vision! Therefore, staying happy and optimistic while you’re taking a big competitive exam is a major factor in your test performance.
What You Can Do to Achieve a Peak State of Mind
So, how do you reach that peak state of mind and become a performer? A lot of people, including me, automatically tend towards negative and random thoughts. I remember walking into the test room on the day of the JEE and thinking I would utterly fail! There are so many benefits to optimism, but it´s frustrating when a negative mindset is preventing you from achieving it. There are lots of ways to slowly adjust your state of mind…here they are!
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Fine-Tune Your Thoughts
This is the absolute biggest part about reaching the best state of mind. The moment you catch yourself thinking negatively (i.e. “I´m going to do terribly tomorrow.”), stop yourself! If you can’t convince yourself with a positive thought (“I’m going to ace this test!”), at least think neutrally (“I’ll just try my best, and what happens, happens.”) Try to catch yourself every time pessimistic thoughts start to flood your mind.
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Live & Breathe Positivity
Write down encouraging messages on index cards and stick them around your study table! Change your phone and Facebook wallpaper to an inspirational message. Every day, write down three things that made you happy. If you’re surrounded by positivity, it´ll be a lot easier to think positively.
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Take a Chill Pill
I know, this sounds very silly, but most students underestimate its importance. Don’t just cram the nights before you prepare for the test. Do things that make you happy. Go to a yoga class or read a good book. Remind yourself that there are really more important things in life than the JEE or other competitive exams that you are giving. Better yet, make fun of yourself. For real! When you tease yourself and take control of your negativity, you´ll feel a lot less pessimistic.
The D-Day Hacks to Stay Sane
So, here’s how you can maintain your peak state of mind on the exam day.
- Come up with a nice little reward for yourself after you complete the test. For example, have some nice cupcakes waiting for you when you get back! How can you stay irritated when there are some nice little bundles of sugar in your car regardless of how well you do on the test?
- On the day of the test, try not to talk to very negative, stressed-out people. You’ll see a lot of these on test day—typical uniform: sweatpants, coffee in hand, wide, freaked-out eyes…Stay away! At least for now. Negativity can be contagious.
- Smile! It actually makes you happier…even if it’s forced. The action of smiling releases hormones that produce positive feelings.
In this age of cut-throat competition, a healthy mind is the biggest positive one can have. It’ll add another dimension to whatever you do and make competitive exams an extremely heady experience. So, don’t stress much about exams and beware of anxiety and depression.
So, guys, obsess a bit over the health of your mind and feed it good things. For if used properly, your creativity will know no bounds.
That’s all for now. Cheers!
