Friday, 21 November 2014

MANAGING EXAM STRESS: 2. Relaxation & good food

PHYSICAL RELAXATION


It’s hard to panic if you are feeling relaxed. Try to establish a pattern of revision that gives you time to relax especially last thing at night. Go for a brisk twenty-minute walk, watch your favourite program on T.V. or call a friend. As a start, try this exercise. Sit or lie somewhere comfortable. Work through your whole body, muscle by muscle, tensing the muscle for 10 seconds and then relaxing it for 10-15 seconds. Work from your feet through your body to your scalp. Take your time and relax.

EAT THE RIGHT KINDS OF FOOD

Some foods are more calming than others. Milk and bananas for example contain naturally occurring morphine like substances which help to calm you down. Other healthy ‘comfort foods’ include mashed potato, bread and baked beans (although I would not recommend baked beans the night before or the morning of an exam). Lettuce and other raw vegetables are also helpful. Some foods on the other hand, just help to wind you up. Sugar is the main culprit here. It may give an instant ‘energy hit’, but that’s at the cost of making you even nervier than you were before. If you absolutely must eat sweet things during your exam time, then try to keep to chocolate rather that direct sugary ones. 



 

This article was written by Cindy Dring ofStudent's Services Health Promotion. If you have problems or worries you feel you would like to talk about confidentially, contact Cindy at 091-492048. Alternatively e-mail her at cindy.dring@nuigalway.ie or just drop in to Aras Ni Eimhigh.

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