Most of us have done lots of tests recently or have them coming up, and we always get so anxious, but why? Usually, it’s due to the fact that you can’t predict the outcome of a test or the fear of not meeting the expectations of your parents, your teachers, along with any other people who expect you to do well in school. Some people might let their grades determine their self worth which is not healthy.
Now that you know the reason for your anxiety, how do you cope with it? Well it can be solved mostly by the way you think. Remember that you shouldn’t rely on the validation of others. You should be setting your own realistic goals for yourself and remember that people value you as a person, not just for the grades you get. Remember that one test won’t determine your whole grade, and a class includes many other assignments that will help your grade as well. Instead of being super anxious about a test and doing nothing but worrying, you can spend more of your time studying and being prepared for the test. If you get a bad grade on one test that’s ok! Mistakes happen and if the test does end up dropping your grade most teachers offer extra credit assignments that you can do to get your grade back up.
This is just test anxiety though, sometimes anxiety can become very serious and you may want to talk to a professional about it. If your anxiety has started to affect your physical well being and friendships or relationships, and affecting your average daily life in general and if your symptoms have persisted for more that 6 months you may want to consider talking to a professional about it. If you’re in an urgent situation you can call or text 988, 741741, 1-800-448-3000. Stay safe and remember, you matter.
