Mental health vs Exam Pressure

Various studies and researches done by WHO (World Health Organisation) and others have shown  that students with good mental health were more likely to attend classes regularly, engage with course material, and perform better on exams.

As per WHO ,mental health is directly linked to academic performance, with students who maintain good mental health showing higher levels of concentration, memory retention, and problem-solving abilities, all of which are crucial for exam success .

A study conducted by the University of Cambridge found that students who practiced mindfulness techniques reported a reduction in exam stress by 25% and showed a significant improvement in their ability to concentrate during exams. This, in turn, increased their overall academic performance 

Now the question arises, what may be the possible reasons of exam pressure and how  to avoid them…

Reasons – There might be lots of reason for stress but some major reasons are :

1. Fear of failure

What we fear the most is what our minds identify as the least likely threat that we cannot control. If the threat is highly likely, we don’t fear it,we respond to it. When someone constantly fears failure, they create a negative self-perception which cause procrastination, where individuals avoid starting tasks because they fear not being able to complete them successfully. This avoidance can increase stress and decrease productivity, creating a vicious cycle which in some cases makes students create random excuses for not appearing in exams.

2. Lack of preparation

When individuals are unprepared, they often experience elevated levels of anxiety, especially as deadlines approach. The fear of the unknown and the realization that they may not perform well can create intense anxiety the consequences of which one starts experiencing guilt and regret. This guilt can lead to self-blame , frustration , anger issues.

3. Overthinking

Overthinking can be of anything like regarding parents expectations ,covering backlogs etc. In most of the cases students  spend too much time analyzing how to approach assignments or study for exams, leading to indecision . 

Overthinking consumes mental energy that could otherwise be directed toward studying or participating in class. This reduced focus and productivity can lead to poorer academic performance, which then feeds into the cycle of overthinking and stress.

4. Ineffective study techniques

Students focusing on memorizing  rather than understanding it makes it difficult to apply knowledge to new situations, which can lead to lower exam scores. Relying on last-minute preparation is another ineffective technique, this can lead to cognitive overload, where the brain is unable to absorb or retain the large amount of information being studied in a short period. 

5. Distractions

Distractions might have lots of reasons like 

• Social media – Trying to study while also engaging in other activities like checking notifications for comments or likes, watching reels or texting in between reduces the brains ability to process information deeply leading to surface level knowledge or lots of errors in concepts which results in decreasing efficiency of your precious study hours.
• Friends – Friends can have both positive and negative impacts on  studies, depending on  how much time is spent together and how it is managed. If friends have a casual attitude toward academics, they may influence others to adopt similar behaviors, such as skipping classes, not completing assignments, or not taking exams seriously, staying up late for non-academic reasons, leading to sleep deprivation, which can negatively affect concentration, memory, and overall academic performance.
• Relationship issues – Conflicts and drama within a relationship can cause stress and emotional upheaval, impacting a student’s ability to concentrate and perform well academically.

So one has to prioritize in between relationship or academics

• Family  – Not in every case but sometimes family might also be the reason for stress or pressure among students as over-expectation by parents makes student to perform under pressure.
• Social Isolation – Socially isolated students sometimes misses the emotional support or encouragement that a good friend can provide you which leads to decreased motivation or sense of self doubt or feeling under confident.

How to cope up with these issues??

There’s a saying “mistakes teach us a lot.” By focusing on the above mentioned issues ,one can definitely enhance the potential within and little discipline is definetly going to create a huge impact Remember, the pressure to succeed shouldn’t come at the cost of your well-being. Create your boundaries like; having a bed time, not believing in negative thoughts, eating healthy foods that make you feel good, doing things in the moment to create your desired future, and most important sticking to your word. Learning how to connect with it in the first place and rewire how you respond to your mind, which is always jumping from one worst-case scenario to the next. Release all the negative energies and do to not repeat the same mistakes again and grow from it, to know how to act in same situation if happens in future. And above all just know you are a human. Making mistakes and learning from it is what define us. Don’t stress too much. If you regret something, learn from it, and let go with peace. Be in the moment. Worrying won’t make any less difference. Rather, it will cause stress. Live the life you always thought of. Work for it. 

It’s important to recognize that exams are just one part of your journey. Mistakes are opportunities for growth…

Good Luck.