Many students get nervous about exams or having to give a presentation. Even professionals with many years of experience can sometimes feel flushed cheeks, stomach butterflies and sweaty palms. This is completely natural. What matters is whether you use nervousness constructively or whether nervousness takes control and hampers both you and your performance.
There are usually two main causes of nervousness. The first is that you're afraid your mind will go blank and you suddenly won’t be able to remember anything.
The second is that you become self-conscious and begin doubting yourself. Your inner critic begins downplaying your good work and confuses genuine praise with courteous platitudes. The inner critic drains you of energy, and in the worst case, deprives you of a sense of pride and contentment, leaving you with doubts and insecurities.
You can take back control and reduce your nervousness by understanding it and learning to deal with the uncomfortable thoughts that trigger it.
Nervousness can take several different forms. Firstly, there is a difference between spontaneous nervousness that strikes shortly before an exam, and more prolonged nervousness or worry that may make you uncomfortable for days or weeks before an exam.
Secondly, there is nervousness that can have a positive effect and nervousness that can hamper your performance.
Types of nervousness | |
|---|---|
Constructive nervousness | Helps boost your performance. You may get butterflies in your stomach, sweaty palms and a sense of restlessness. If you're well prepared, this kind of nervousness can give an adrenaline rush, sharpen your senses and help you perform better. |
Debilitating nervousness | If the nervousness becomes overwhelming, you may develop thoughts like:
It often only takes a brief time before negative thoughts manifest into a physical reaction. You may experience a lack of control over your own body, vomiting or that you go blank. And that's when nervousness begins to hamper your performance. |
Dealing with spontaneous nervousness or prolonged nervousness requires different strategies. But common for both is that if you learn to identify signs of nervousness in yourself and the negative thought patterns that come with them, you’ll be better able to react and deal with your nervousness before it takes over. Then you can use your nervousness constructively instead.
If you feel nervousness creeping up or rumbling before an exam, there are various things you can do to manage it and use it constructively instead. It's about putting your thoughts and nervous system at ease.
Try different methods to find out what works for you.
| Take breaths deep into your diaphragm | Calm your breathing by taking deep, slow breaths into your diaphragm. This will help calm your nervous system, so you can better collect your thoughts. |
|---|---|
| Relax your body | Your body and mental state are closely intertwined. Therefore, getting your body to relax will relax your mind as well. Try stretching, doing a few yoga exercises, or taking a brisk walk before giving a presentation. |
| Shift focus away from yourself | Try to focus on what you need to do and the people around you rather than yourself. Being too self-aware and self-critical can cause nervousness. Therefore, it can helpful to replace those negative thoughts with more supportive thoughts. For example, remind yourself that the examiner and co-examiner want you to do well. |
| Acknowledge your nervousness | When you feel your nervousness brimming up, try to acknowledge it by telling yourself it's okay – it's just adrenaline getting you ready to perform. And leave it there. Adrenaline can be constructive, but if you think too much about your nervousness, then it can begin to hamper your performance. |
Press both palms against a wall and then push as hard as you can. You will automatically begin taking deep and slow breaths once you let go.
If you experience prolonged nervousness, or even anxiety, it might be a good idea to focus on the thought patterns that trigger your nervousness. This can help you make sure that your nerves don’t take control of you before or during your exam. Try different methods to find the one that best helps you deal with your particular nervousness.
| Thinking about the exam | Remember, thoughts are just something you have, they do not define you. Usually it’s not the exam itself that makes you nervous but rather the importance you attach to it. This is why it’s important that you become mindful of your thoughts. Thoughts such as:
It's normal to have thoughts like these. But if these thoughts become frequent or begin to hurt, then you need to do something about them. For example by contacting a student counsellor or the Student Counselling Service. |
|---|---|
| Take notice of patterns | Once you’ve identified the thoughts and reactions associated with nervousness, you can more easily act on them before they turn into inhibitory nervousness. So ask yourself:
The next thing is to look at your patterns and ask yourself if there is anything you can change there. |
| Remember former achivements | Reflect on the positive experiences you had at previous exams:
|
| Set expections for yourself | Ask yourself what you expect and what is realistic to expect of yourself in relation to the time and resources you have available for preparation. Let your own expectations guide you, rather than what you think your parents, your teachers, your friends or fellow students expect of you. |
| Prepare well | Being well prepared and knowing what to do will help you stay calm. Preparation and good notes can help you keep going if you suddenly go blank. You can practice for an oral examination or presentation with your study group or with friends. The more you practice, the more the exam/presentation situation will feel familiar to your body. |
| Eat and sleep | Try to give your brain the best conditions. It will be easier to keep your thoughts calm if you are well-rested and well-nourished. A tired brain can easily move towards unconstructive thoughts. |
| Seek help | If your nervousness is so serious that it impairs your ability to perform, then contact a student counsellor. You can also try contacting the Student Counselling Service, where they have many years of experience in helping students who are afraid of exams. Help is free of charge. Read more on the Student Counselling Service website. |
