Exams are usually stressful for students and their parents equally. Even though all of my previous posts were written for parents, this one is directly for the students who are getting ready for their exams. ( And for parents of younger children who cannot read this). The Integrative Health Coach, Vally Hamza, shares with us 8 tips to perform better in exams.
1- Eat For Your Brain
Eat regular, well-balanced, healthy meals that is filled with nutrients and vitamins
Eating regular meals (3 meals +2 snacks) helps keep nutrient and energy levels more stable, limit the temptation of unhealthy snacks such as chips and chocolate
Be sure you are eating food to build up the power of your brain.
The brain has more fat – good fat – in it than any other part of your body
Some of the great brain foods include:
– Wholegrains such as wholegrain bread, brown rice
– Fish with healthy fats, such as salmon.
– Pumpkin Seeds
– Broccoli
– Nuts
– Spinach
– Legumes
2- Drink Water
Be sure you are drinking plenty of water during exam!
Why?
• Drinking Water Improves Memory and Attention
• Drinking Water Improves Mood
• Drinking Water Improve How Alert You Feel
• Drinking water can reduce anxiety during test-taking
Studies show that Students who take water into the examination hall may improve their grades.
Dehydration can cause difficulty with concentration. Avoid high sugar/caffeine drinks if possible as they can have the opposite effect, causing dehydration, giving low energy/low mood after an initial energy boost.
3- Exercise
Physical activity can be a great way to relieve stress when you are studying hard. Even a few minutes of daily activity will help when you are spending all day on your desk.
During exams, therefore, it is helpful to continue to exercise.
Exercise also has proven benefits for brain activity: it gets the blood flowing faster around your body, including your brain.
Try to do at least simple exercise each day, even if it is only 20 min walk. This will not only help your brain and blood flow, but will also give you a break. This is a good thing when you are working hard, and can also wake you up and re-energies you if you are struggling to concentrate.
4- Get a Good Night’s Sleep
It is important to get a good amount of sleep at night (8-10 hours).
If you find sleeping difficult there are many natural remedies available such as:
• Sprinkling a couple of drops of lavender or chamomile oil on your pillow.
• Taking a bath with a few drops of lavender oil in the water.
5- Plan Your Time
Starting exam preparations without a plan is going to make it so hard for you and could impact your end results.
It is so important to know what you are doing, how much you are doing and why.
You can create a schedule (it can be really simple) that you can follow to help priorities your time so you don’t miss certain topics or not eating properly or exercising for a week or two.
Make sure to include room for all topics, a walk or other form of exercise, relaxation/quiet time, eating and sleeping.
When studying, it is super important to use your time wisely to avoid any stress or panic.
6- Keep Your Desk Clean
If you’re working at your desk in your room, or a table in the library, keep it clean!
Cluttered spaces can add unnoticed stress. A clean workspace will allow you to focus on your work, and your mind clear.
7- Take a Break
Studies show that for around every hour that you study, you should take a 10-minute break. this give your brain a break, you can get up, walk around, and just relax.
8- Breathe
Mindfulness and breathing techniques can help you enter your body and mind into a state of calm, helping you to relax and focus.
Here’s how in 4 easy steps:
1. Inhale through your nose gently for two seconds.
2. Hold your breath in for one second.
3. Breathe out through your mouth slowly for four seconds.
4. Repeat for one minute (or longer if you like) and you should feel a difference in your mood!
Finals are stressful, and sometimes the best thing you can do is just breathe.
The Kangaroo Mamas 