“Neither comprehension nor learning can take place in an atmosphere of anxiety.”
~ Rose Kennedy
What is Stress?
Stress is the body’s reaction to a challenge. Though stress is often perceived as bad, it can actually be good in many ways. The right kind of stress can sharpen the mind and reflexes. It might be able to help the body perform better, or help you escape a dangerous situation.
Stress produces a physiological reaction in your body. When a stressful event is perceived, the subconscious mind directs the release of certain hormones, which results in a physical reaction. These reactions can include slowed digestion, shaking, tunnel vision, faster breathing and heart rate, dilation of pupils, and flushed skin. This process is often referred to as the “fight or flight” response. That is just what it sounds like: Our bodies are poised to either run away from the stressor or stick around and fight against it.
According to the American Psychological Association, there are three main types of stress: Acute, Episodic Acute, and Chronic Acute.
Acute stress. Acute stress is the most common form and is the result of recent or anticipated stressors. Acute stress can be both positive and negative. For example, the excitement before a fun event is a type of positive acute stress. Getting into a car accident is negative acute stress. As long as the acute stress doesn’t last for extended periods or occur too frequently, there is nothing wrong with suffering from acute stress. It happens to all of us, and it passes with time.
Episodic acute. Episodic acute stress is acute stress that occurs frequently. This is the kind of stress that continuously pops up in your life, sometimes in a pattern. It is accompanied by worry about things that are happening to you or around you. You might be especially prone to this type of frequent stress if you have a “type A” personality. People with this personality type often feel a sense of urgency and a need to get things done that might actually become overwhelming. Episodic acute stress is a recurring type of stress, happening over and over.
Chronic acute stress. Chronic acute stress can be thought of as never-ending stress that relentlessly wears away at you. If you cannot see an end to your stress, or if you are in a situation that makes you feel trapped, as if there is no way out, then you are likely to begin suffering from chronic stress. This type of stress will eventually begin to affect your health, and can lead to heart problems, strokes, and even cancer. Chronic stress definitely requires that you reach out for help.
What is Anxiety?
Worry. Apprehension. Fearing the worst. Anxiety is all of these things and more. When you are constantly feeling on edge and worried about something, you are probably suffering from anxiety.
Anxiety is a general term that can cover several different types of disorders. All of them share the common symptoms of nervousness, worry, fear, and apprehension. Sometimes the emotional feelings can be so overwhelming that they create, or manifest, physical symptoms. People with anxiety often experience a rapid heartbeat, sweating, trouble sleeping, an inability to concentrate, shortness of breath, fidgeting, fatigue, and others.
How is Anxiety Related to Stress?
When it comes to stress, we know exactly where it is coming from: That deadline, the decline of a relationship, the argument with the boss at work. Anxiety is much harder to pinpoint, and can be a collection of problems that seem to build up at the same time. Then the physical problems begin to set in. Stress can be the fuel for building anxiety, and anxiety causes more stress.
According to Melissa Cohen, LCSW, anxiety takes on a life of its own. “We are less aware of what we are anxious about and the reaction we have becomes the actual problem,” she said. “We get anxious when we keep thinking about the same thing over and over. We develop a sense of uneasiness and since we don’t want to forget, we fixate. Mild anxiety can actually be a positive experience for some but when it is prolonged and happens in the absence of a stressful event or begins to interfere with normal life, it needs to be addressed.”
What Causes College Stress?
Living Away From Home. For many students, college is the first time they have lived away from home or been away from their family for any significant period of time. Besides that, it’s a very unfamiliar environment. Everything is different – the food, the people and the living accommodations.
Even though most students eventually get used to these new things without a problem, the first few weeks of college can create a stressful environment. This is true even if you are truly excited about the changes. Remember that even positive changes can induce stress.
There is also a change in the support environment. When there is a big test, a bad day, or confusing situation, family members and old friends are not readily available for support. This can be tough to adjust to, especially during those first few months.
Academic Demands and Test Anxiety. This may be the most common long-term cause of stress for high school and college students. After all, students go to school to learn. When you don’t get the results you think you should get, or you feel pressured to get certain academic results this can cause a lot of stress. For some students, college is the first time they are academically challenged. If high school was a breeze for you, college may be the first time you get a low grade on a test.
Consequently, test anxiety may be experienced for the first time or with increased intensity. Test anxiety is anxiety that usually starts before or while taking tests. The symptoms are both physical and mental, and usually inhibit your ability to perform.
Ways to Minimize Test Anxiety
Be prepared. Develop good study habits. Study at least a week or two before the exam, in smaller doses of time, and over a few days. And get enough sleep the night before the test. Try to simulate exam conditions by working through a practice test, and following the same time constraints.
Use good test-taking skills. Read the directions carefully, answer questions you know first and then return to the more difficult ones. Outline essays before you begin to write.
Maintain a positive attitude. Remember that your self-worth should not be dependent on or defined by a test grade. Creating a system of rewards and reasonable expectations for studying can help to produce effective studying habits. There is no benefit to negative thinking.
Practice relaxation techniques. If you feel stressed during the exam, take deep, slow breaths using your abdomen. Consciously relax your muscles, one at a time. This can invigorate your body and will allow you to better focus on the exam.
Stay healthy. Get enough sleep, eat healthy foods, get some exercise, and give yourself time to unwind. If you are exhausted, either physically or emotionally, it will be more difficult for you to handle stress and anxiety.
Visit the counseling center. Schools are aware of the toll exams can take on students. They have offices or programs specifically dedicated to helping you and providing additional educational support so that you can be successful.
The Role of Hypnosis
Hypnosis is extremely effective in helping people eliminate stress and anxiety in their lives, and the same naturally goes for test anxiety and student stresses. There are four main ways that hypnosis helps to address and eliminate test anxiety in students:
Creating and programming good, strong study habits, eliminate procrastination, and tune out distractions.
Building test taking skills while programming performance and confidence boosters.
Improve your ability to recall any previously studied information.
Prevent any blocks that cause you to blank or answer incorrectly when you know the information.
Hypnosis works by making suggestions directly to the subconscious mind - the part of your mind that is in charge of your emotions, fears, imagination, and habits. These suggestions change the reactions and responses at the source, drastically decreasing and even eliminating anxieties altogether.
Self Hypnosis for Students
Self hypnosis allows you to enter hypnosis on your own and give yourself suggestions. The more you practice self-hypnosis the better you become at it and the more powerful the results will be. Some common examples of suggestions for test anxiety are:
"Hearing the word 'quiz' or 'test' or 'exam' causes me to feel completely relaxed and at ease."
"I easily retrieve information from my memory."
"My confidence increases the moment the exam beings and remains strong throughout the entire exam."
"I am relaxed and comfortable while taking a test."
Hypnosis isn't a magic potion for getting perfect grades without trying. You still have to learn and understand the material. However, hypnosis can help you to focus better, recall information more easily, and increase your confidence while taking exams.∎
Karen Gray is a Certified Hypnotist, a Registered Nurse, and the owner of Green Mountain Hypnosis in Lebanon, New Hampshire. For more information on how you can use hypnosis to change your life, you can visit www.greenmountainhypnosis.com, contact Karen at karengray@greenmountainhypnosis.com, or call (802) 566-0464.