23/11/2023
EXAM PHOBIA
Phobia, in its simplest terms, is a fear towards a certain phenomenon which tends to vary from person to person. Phobia can be diagnosed as uncontrollable anxiety in relation to heights, exams, needles, animals, sounds, visual elements. It’s an extreme, irrational fear. Some would define it as a mental disorder too. In the modern world, among many other phobias, some become victims of a rare kind of phobia called “Exam Phobia”. A person affected with this phobia finds it harder to face various kinds of examinations.
How to Overcome Exam Phobia?
The main way to overcome this fear is to avoid being a perfectionist. Instead of being perfect at everything, we must learn to accept failures as well because no one is exceptional in everything.
Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses, and that’s what makes us all unique and human. You should not have a mindset, where you believe that, you should get higher marks for every single subject you do. Despite what society says, it destroys you internally. It’s okay to not be good at one subject, because we’re humans and not computers or robots. Therefore, we should avoid being perfect and we should be the best at what we love and good at.
The other strategy you should implement to get rid of this fear is to be positive or optimistic. We should banish our negative thoughts away. If you keep thinking that you can’t do it, or you’re not good enough, you should throw those negative thoughts away and be positive. It would help you build up more confidence, which could lead to passing of the examinations.
Another more common way to calm down is to take deep breaths. This method helps in the case of other fears or anxiety disorders too. Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Focus on one question at a time. Do not get overwhelmed.
In conclusion, if you’re struggling with “Test Anxiety or Exam Phobia”, try the above methods to lower your anxiety levels, and if you’re still struggling, visit therapy. And remember, you shouldn’t be good at everything. It’s okay to be bad at something. It’s okay to do mistakes. It’s okay to fail.
