Exam anxiety: Symptoms and Causes

Hello amazing people! Hope you're doing okay💚

We're here to learn about exam or test anxiety today.

🌟 What is exam or test anxiety?
 Exam or test anxiety is defined as a common and often normal stress reaction experienced before, during and sometimes after exams. Exam anxiety presents an issue when it is intense, continues over time and impedes academic performance. So, the short answer is that most people have a level of anxiety relating to exams that is normal, but this can become problematic when anxiety impedes our ability to attend, engage with or perform on exams due to its effects and symptoms.

🌟Symptoms:

• Feeling panic or experiencing panic attacks
• Difficulties concentrating and/or paying attention
• Preoccupation with thoughts of failure or embarrassment
• Withdrawing from others or obsessing about study
• Using alcohol or other substances to distract from stress/study.
• Leaving the exam as soon as possible or before finishing
• Comparison to others during testing situation
• Making simple mistakes on exam despite knowing content
• Not attending exams      

🌟Potential causes:

⁛There can be many reasons a person may develop high levels of anxiety in relation to exams. Sometimes pressures coming from the individual themselves (such as perfectionism), or even their family or friends can also contribute to the degree of anxiety experienced in regards to exams.

⁛Exam anxiety may also intensify after a negative exam experience when confidence has been effected. A lack of preparation or study can also increase our sense of helplessness and stress.

⁛As with any mental health issue – biology and our personality and our life experiences play a role. Some people tend to worry or may be more prone to developing exam anxiety but this does not mean it cannot be managed and improved with practice and support.

Now, before we move forward to the solutions, I want to raise some questions (: 

✨Tell us about your experiences on exam anxiety, and how have you been experiencing the symptoms.
✨Is there any way that you found effective in reducing exam anxiety, or any tips you want to share? 

Let's share our experiences, our solutions, and try to keep it respectful! Or just say hi!