Exercise! Going on walks, running and getting moving at least 3 times a week will increase cognitive retention rates. Especially with tests that require logic and reasoning skills. Research has shown that exercise is associated with reducing anxiety and increasing cognitive ability.

Learn about deep breathing. Learning how to deep breathe is easy and something you can utilized during the exam when you feel your heart beginning to race. Deep belly breathing is used by yogis and people who meditate for a reason. Learning how to control your breath is linked with learning how to control your heart rate, your decreasing anxious feelings, and calming your mind so you can thinking clearly during the exam. 

Find a hypnosis series for relaxation. If your test anxieties, need a bit more calming, try an audio hypnosis series. This practiced with deep breathing is a great relaxation technique the day before or the day of the exam. 

Self-care and relaxation. Find ways to relax the day before the exam. Imagine if a horse was running hard right before a race and had no time to rest before the big race day, how well would that horse perform the day of the race? Probably not as great as if the horse had time to rest and recoup before race day. Giving yourself time to rest and relax by doing your favorite activities. Try going on a long walk, going for a run, seeing a movie, having a spa day at home, or watching your favorite show.

Go out there and give these anxiety reduction practices a try!

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