Managing CAT Stress
Recognize what you can change
- Once you have identified your weak areas and your reactions to them,
examine how you can change your stressors by avoiding or eliminating
them. In other words, each mock test that you undertake from now till the day of
the examination must be carefully analyzed, not just to identify the errors you
made but also your reactions to each sub-section. Work on your weaknesses so as
to dispense any negative feelings that they might arouse.
Build your emotional reserves
- Ten minutes of meditation and deep-breathing exercises can help build your
body's emotional reserves and, thus, make you a more resilient person. This
would be especially helpful during the first fifteen and the last fifteen
minutes of the examination, because it is during these time periods that maximum
number of students experience nervousness and anxiety. Learn to remain calm.
This would definitely improve your productivity. The results would show in terms
of a higher accuracy rate.
Improve your internal dialogue
- Monitor your internal dialogue! As you must have observed, we're
constantly talking to ourselves. The next time you find yourself anxious or
worried, pause for a moment and pay attention to what you're saying to yourself.
For instance, if you haven't performed well in a mock test instead of saying,
"God! The test was too difficult for me," you should say, "This was an
interesting test, it will help me better analyze the areas where I lack
prowess."
Take Control - Be
flexible, yet have an idea beforehand of what works for you. Which section would
you like to attempt first, and within the section which questions if attempted
first would boost your confidence. Having a plan gives you a sense of control
over what can seem like a difficult situation. Feeling out of control only
exacerbates anxiety and stress.
Be positive - Do you see
your glass as half empty or half full? In either case, fill it up all the way
with a healthy dose of optimism. A positive attitude goes a long way in securing
better results.
