Welcome back! This is our final blog post dedicated to dealing with anxiety while in school. We will share more practical approaches to managing anxiety as well as ways to develop a more confident perspective.
This is a cognitive approach which helps with transforming negative self-talk into positive self-talk. How does it work?
First, you will think about certain aspects of taking a test that cause:
Second, you will think about why these thoughts are unrealistic to have, given the circumstances. This will help you to develop a more balanced, positive response to your impression of the testing environment in the long run.
Third, you will judge whether the intensity of your negative beliefs surrounding the circumstance provoking anxiety have lessened (Cornish and Gilleta, 2019).
Below is a cycle chart of how this restructuring process may look like for you:
Also, here are two cognitive based work-books that can help you identify and resolve your test anxiety triggers:
If you find anxiety is interfering with your ability to do well on exams, despite trying these techniques, consider booking an appointment with Red River College Polytechnic’s counselling services. You can follow this link to request an appointment.
Click here for more resources on how to hone your test-taking skills.
Cornish, P., and Gilleta, K. (n.d.). [Work-book]. 6 Steps in Cognitive Restructuring. Retrieved February 6th, 2019, from https://www.drscornishgilleta.com/userfiles/1076525/file/6%20steps%20in%20cognitive%20restructuring.pdf
