Now that the new school year is upon us, it may be time, once again, to look at the role that fears and anxiety play in your test performance, and what you can do about it..
Intensity of test anxiety varies widely among individuals. Some may experience mild stomach tension while others struggle greatly to concentrate on the exam. A little bit of nervousness may help you to do better on exams but excessive anxiety can actually interfere with test performance.
In my practice I have found that understanding and valuing test anxiety and fear is as important as learning to relax and overcome excessive anxiety. You have probably heard of the primitive instinct that we have of flight or fight. Way back in the cave man days, we had to be able to instantly fight or flee to save our lives. This instinct has never left us. Even today when we are in unfamiliar or new situations we often feel a flood of anxiety, leftover fear from when we were in the cave. Fear has a value – originally it was to protect us but now that we don’t need it to protect us, it can be used in a positive way to help us prepare for events that are important. It can be helpful to have some fear when getting ready for a test or important life event. The fear or anxiety can help you focus on preparation and take things seriously. That’s the value of anxiety/fear. I’m going to suggest that when you feel fear or anxiety in the future, you ask yourself what is special about this event? Why am I reacting this way? I think you will probably find that whatever it is is important and needs to be paid attention to.
With hypnotherapy, we examine your fears and anxiety around test taking. What are you afraid of? What is making you anxious? Frequently, taking about those feelings can help to alleviate them or make them more manageable. We come up with some positive affirmations around the test that you can practice at home. I will encourage you to “run through” the day of the test, including before and after as well as receiving the grade or score you desire. You may practice this every night before bed as well as during the day when possible. This helps you become comfortable with the mechanics of taking the test and seals the score you want into your subconscious.
If you would like more information about how hypnotherapy can help with test performance or other issues, please give me a call at 818-929-4944 to discuss how I can help.