With exam season approaching, it can be helpful to have a few tricks up your sleeve to be able to calm your nerves, re-focus your attention and help to perform to the best of your abilities. The next time you begin to feel stressed, anxious or uncomfortable, why not try this simple calming technique using your senses– it’s as easy as 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!
5: Acknowledge FIVE things you can see around you. It might be a bird, a pencil, or a spot on the ceiling. However big or small, state 5 things you see.
4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. Maybe this is your hair, a piece of jewellery, the ground, grass, pillow, etc. Whatever it may be, list out the 4 things you can feel.
3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. This needs to be external – so try not to focus on your thoughts; maybe you can hear a clock, a car, a dog, or maybe you even hear your stomach rumbling before lunch. Pick 3 sounds and list them.
2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. This one might be harder, depending on your location. It could be the scent of hand soap or lotion, smells found in nature such as grass or flowers, or even the smell of your pencil. Take in the smells around you.
1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste. What does the inside of your mouth taste like – gum, coffee or your sandwich from lunch? Focus on your mouth as the last step of the process.
At the end of this exercise you should feel calmer, more focussed and ready to return to the task at hand.
To learn more about stress, anxiety and coping techniques, Enabling Services will be running two different workshops this spring: Understanding & Managing Exam Anxiety on 11 May and The Art of Calm: Practicing Relaxation on 18 May, 25 May, and 1 June.
There is no need to register – simply turn up on the day. For more information, please visit the website.