Managing anxiety around exams and other assessment activities
As we have already noted anxiety is a natural response that can be uncomfortable but would not be evolutionarily beneficial if it could hurt us.
Avoidance of activities that make us anxious can either increase or maintain the anxiety response.
Generally, the more we perform an activity, the less anxious we will feel and the less adrenaline we will experience (see Anxiety exposure information here or the Get Self Help website for more).
If we leave a setting while we are anxious, our body never learns that the setting was not dangerous. However, if we stay in the setting until the anxiety subsides (see graph below), each time we engage in the activity, the anxiety response reduces.
Activity
Think about the first time you did something that you were initially nervous about and now can do without anxiety.
Use the table below to make some notes on how you felt and how you feel now
Where you have been
Where you are now
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