Do you have panic attack while studying or is it just that you have panic attack during exam? As a hardworking student, you have studied all year long for your exams. You have got great dreams about your future. Everyone else expects great things from you. All these expectations dreams hopes start piling up in the corner of your mind, weighing you down. The day of your exam finally arrives and you freeze up during the exam. Sometimes you start panicking due to the stress of performing well which can lead to panic attack during exam. In severe cases, you may also have stress vomiting. In this article, we will be mentioning certain ways which will help in how to stop feeling sick from anxiety and overcome panic attack during exam.
Table of Contents
What is test anxiety?
When the physical, as well as emotional reactions, interfere with the ability to perform well on tests then it is called test anxiety.
Test anxiety causes
- Lack of proper preparation
- Fear of performing poorly in test
- History of poor test performance
Symptoms of Test anxiety
Physical Test Anxiety Symptoms
There may be an occurrence of headaches, excessive sweating, and shortness of breath, light-headedness, nausea, and diarrhea. Exam anxiety can often lead to a full-blown panic attack.
Emotional Test Anxiety Symptoms
Fear, helplessness, and disappointments are common emotional symptoms of test anxiety.
Behavioral Test Anxiety Symptoms
Negative thinking and comparison to others are common cognitive responses to test anxiety.
Panic attack symptoms are
- Feels like you are choking
- Pounding or racing heart
- Sweating
- Chills
- Trembling
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Numbness in hands
- Nausea
- Abdominal cramping
- The feeling of unreality or detachment
Tips on how to overcome panic attack during exam
Before Examination
- Plan and prepare beforehand helps to overcome freezing on tests
Planning and then actively implementing your plan for the preparation is the key to feel
confident during an exam.
- You have been preparing well for the exam but just a few hours before the exam what if you start panicking?
- Try to laugh and joke around before the exam with someone you are comfortable talking to, it helps reducing anxiety before exam.
- Eat something light like bread made of whole grains, have some cereals to settle your stomach.
- Go for a walk before going for the exam.
- Wear comfortable clothes for your exam
Avoid buttoning up your collar button. If wearing a tie then loosen it up a bit.
- Know your examination venue beforehand
If possible visit the examination hall one day before the exam. Know where your allotted seat is. This will help a lot in relaxing your mind. Giving your mind to process and prepare how and where you would be seated during the exam.
- Always arrive at least half an hour before the scheduled time
Rushing only leads to feeling panicked and we don’t want to trigger it.
- Keep your exam stuff safely beforehand
If it’s an exam that’s going to be conducted with pen and paper and not with a computer then make sure all your stationery items are working. Most importantly keep your admit card safe with you.
- Avoid discussing your past exam performance before your exam
Don’t compare your performance with others before the exam. Instead, talk about some light topics like what you and your group would do after exams? Where you would like to travel or hang out?
Ways to overcome panic attack during exam
How to over come panic attacks during testing?
- Make sure you are comfortably seated
If needed use the toilet before the exam. Keep a water bottle filled with cool water with you or you could always ask the invigilator for it. This is important because firstly one of the anxiety symptoms is dry mouth, drinking water rehydrates us, and secondly, drinking is a sensory action and allows our focus to shift to the act of drinking water. This helps in distracting the chain of thoughts about future worry which could help in avoiding panic attacks.
- You are not the only one who is tense
If you are feeling a little anxious it’s ok, everyone feels a little tense before the exams. Just remember that you have given your best shot at preparing for this exam. It’s no use to worry about anything at this point.
- Take care of yourself during the exam.
Are you feeling tensed? Is your chest feeling confined? Loosen up your shoulder muscles. Have you got enough fresh air? You can always ask the invigilator to open a nearby window.
- Don’t try for perfection
You don’t have to check and cross-check your every action. No one is judging you while you are writing answers.
- Think of a Test-taking Mantra
If you feel panic rising, stop writing and try not to escape the examination hall, instead think this shall pass too or it’s just 10 minutes I have to pass. Make it your test-taking mantra. The panic attack reaches its most within 10 minutes of its onset and then symptoms start to decline. You just have to tolerate ten minutes somehow and then you will automatically start to relax.
- Follow the instructions
Read the question paper carefully from the first word to last, this will help avoid anxiety-inducing exam instruction. Every instruction should be understood and followed to avoid panicking later.
- Concentrate on what is being asked in examination
Underline the key points of the questions so that you can remember to focus on them.
- Don’t get distracted
Try to solve those questions first that you are sure that you know their answer. Focus solely on writing your answers and avoid helping your friends or getting distracted by them. It will save you a lot of your time.
How to remain calm during a timed test?
Manage your time carefully. Allot equal amount of time to answers every question. Always keep an eye on the clock to avoid regretting and panicking later about missing answering the questions that you know would have helped you score even better.
Some relaxation techniques on how to overcome panic attack during exam
Before the exam
Epsom salts bath
Soak in a warm bathtub full of Epsom salts for approx 20 minutes before the exam. Epsom salts contain magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. A warm bath helps absorbing magnesium through the skin. The magnesium helps feel calm and relaxes the body. Magnesium deficiencies are known to induce anxiety.
Scalp Massage
According to a study, the scalp massage helps to decrease cortisol by 31 percent. Cortisol is a hormone released during stress. Scalp massage also increases serotonin by 28 percent and dopamine by 31 percent. These massages increase the blood circulation to the brain and reduce the muscle tension in the back of the neck.
Listening to sound waves
Studies show that the use of binaural waves influences mood. It is a sound wave therapy that creates an auditory illusion by causing low-frequency tones and brain wave entrainment. This greatly helps in reducing anxieties. So next time you feel panicky imagine yourself looking at a vast ocean. Let the sea breeze wash over your face. Hear the sea waves calling you out. Just imagining the sound of sea waves will help you with palpitations.
Overcome panic attack during exam in following ways
Take deep breaths
By taking slow abdominal breaths, you can calm down your nervous system. When the Vagus nerve is stimulated in the middle of a panic attack –it releases stress enzymes and hormones such as acetylcholine, prolactin, vasopressin, and oxytocin which helps in calming down. The trick is to just inhale to a count of six, moving the breath from your chest to your diaphragm.
The use of Lavender
Lavender is known for bringing a sense of calm and relaxation. Lavender helps relieve anxiety. If you have a perfume containing lavender as the dominant note then dab it over your handkerchief to smell at the time of distress. If you don’t like the lavender fragrance then try replacing it with orange, bergamot, chamomile, or lemon.
Splash your face with cold water
People often feel warm when having a panic attack. Research shows splashing cold water on the face produces physiological changes by stimulating the parasympathetic system. It quickly stirs the vagus nerve by lowering the heart rate thereby activating the digestive as well as immune systems. When the water is splashed the vagus nerve present behind the eyes is stimulated.
Warming your Hands
You must have noticed that during stress the hands get cold. This is because the blood gets directed to the tensed shoulders and hips. Rubbing your hands together warms them up and thus triggers parasympathetic relaxation.
Having a bar of dark chocolate
When J.K. Rowling wrote about Remus Lupin offering chocolate after a dementor attacks Harry Potter than she probably was talking about the calming effects of dark chocolate. Dark chocolate has the highest concentration of magnesium with one square having 327 milligrams or 82 percent of the daily value. Dark chocolate helps reduce stress. Tryptophan is an amino acid that is also present in large quantities in dark chocolate. It is a precursor to serotonin.
Think of a happy place
A happy place is something that you enjoyed be it a movie, a book, or a person. Thinking about them helps distract your thoughts from thinking about a distressful event or fearing an upcoming event. So always make a happy place for yourself in your mind where you can recede whenever you want.
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Dr Amit Sharma is a Doctor and writer with a particular interest in mental health. He helps individuals by combining practical advice with emotional support.