Mindfulness, Test Anxiety, and Tea

Using Mindfulness As A Way To Answer Questions.

During the pandemic many were forced to work from home. No longer were some forced to drive from home to office and back home. Daily commutes evaporated much of our quality time with ourselves and loved ones. This newfound freedom allowed many to enroll in some form of online education, to complete the degree they so longed for many years ago. 

After finding a suitable school and registering for classes sooner or later the inevitable test would present itself. 

People don't like tests, especially when we don't pass them. We feel that the instructor judges us. We also judge ourselves to harshly. As a result test anxiety creeps in and robs you of the performance you're certainly capable of, if you prepared studiously.

Anxiety is living in the future and as mindful practitioners you know that the future does not exist, only this precious moment.

So how do you minimize the anxiety before a test? 

Acknowledge that you're feeling anxious. Don't try to shove anxiety into some dark corner of your mind. What happens to any emotion when its been bottled up too long? Imagine a tiger who has been in a cage for many hours on a bumpy trip. What would you do when released? 

Instead sit with your anxiety, invite it to tea. As you sit, breath in, pause, and slowly exhale. Do this several times before and during your test. The more you get to know your anxiety the less afraid you become.

But as you prepare for your wonderful studies here are several testing suggestions I offer as you drink tea with your new, harmless friend:

First, this test doesn't define you. Pass or fail, you are still the loving, caring, and wonderful person you were yesterday and will be tomorrow. Don't let a a few questions from perfect stranger rob you of this peace.

Second, take your time. We live in a fast paced society and this pace seems to inundate every facet of our lives. But speed is the opposite approach you want to take. Be slow. Be methodical. Skip questions and come back to them. Take the same approach here as you would holding hands with your significant other or enjoying a sunny day in the park.

Third, write or draw what's described or listed in the questions. Too often we rely on the visual images in our head. This can lead to missing key components of a question. When you write or draw what's being asked you'll find you might have skipped an important aspect of the question.

Fourth, preparation. Practice with questions already given to you in your text book. When you're familiar with these practice questions you'll begin to notice certain recurring themes and verbiage. These themes and wording will show up again on your test. 

And the fifth, ties in with the fourth suggestion - have confidence in yourself. The more you get correct with practice questions the more confident you'll feel when you take the real test. Don't second guess your answers either. You're two-thirds likely to change your correct answer to an incorrect one. 

I've administered many tests in my past and these suggestions are the culmination of mindfulness and effective strategies. I know they are successful tips too.

Wishing you peace and ease,

Vladimir

Blue Lotus Meditation and Mindfulness Center is a registered 501(c)(3) religious organization.