Welcome to this short mindfulness exercise based around test anxiety.
So we're going to begin by finding a comfortable seated position.
Take a deep breath in through your nose and as you exhale you can gently allow your eyes to close.
And focus for a moment on your body posture.
Is your back upright and your feet firmly on the floor?
Are you sitting with dignity?
Allow yourself to become fully present where you are.
Aware of the sensations in your body.
Aware of your breath.
The feeling of the air moving into your body and the feeling of the air leaving your body as you breathe.
Your breath is your anchor to the present moment.
It's something that's always with you.
It's something you can always bring your attention to,
To stay present.
Now bring your attention specifically to physical sensations in your body.
Are there any areas of discomfort or tension that you're aware of?
If so,
Simply acknowledge them.
Don't try to judge them or to change them.
Just recognize that they're there.
And now bring to mind thoughts and feelings that you've been having about upcoming assessments or tests or exams.
Just allow those thoughts and feelings to run through your head.
Are you worried about not having enough time to study?
You afraid of simply not doing well enough?
Are you worried that some of these things are just too hard for you to do?
Maybe you're comparing yourself to other people who you think find this easy or will do better than you.
Or maybe you're just overwhelmed by how much there is to do,
How much there is to learn.
As each of these thoughts pops up in your head,
Try to imagine them like clouds against a blue sky.
The sky is your mind.
The clouds are thoughts.
They arrive and you can watch them.
You don't need to hold on to them.
You don't need to get caught up in them.
You can just watch them,
Observe them drifting through the sky and let them pass by.
And now shift your focus to some more positive and helpful thoughts.
Picture in your mind a time in the past where you've been successful at anything at all.
You've been riding a bike,
Reading a book,
Taking a test.
Hold on to that feeling.
What did that feeling of success feel like in your body and in your mind?
Now remind yourself of the work you've put in already for this upcoming test or assessment.
Recognise that you are capable of facing challenges and that you very probably have the skills and the knowledge necessary to succeed.
Recognise that any test or assessment is a snapshot,
Not of who you are,
But of what you can show you know at any one time in your life.
Some tests seem far more important than others.
Some tests do indeed have high stakes.
If you're an older student and taking your IB exams or your A levels,
Then they can seem life-changingly important.
But people take exams all the time.
People pass them,
People fail them,
And life goes on.
Most tests and assessments we take are not huge stakes,
Vitally important.
They provide a number or a grade,
They measure where we are in relation to content or skills,
And they inform future teaching and learning.
What they don't do is put you in a box and tell you who you are.
You are not your grades.
You are so much more than a snapshot of what you know at any one time.
So yes,
You've put in the work and the time.
There is an upcoming assessment or test that you're feeling anxious about.
But recognise that whatever the outcome,
This doesn't fundamentally change who you are.
Doesn't change your abilities,
Your personality,
The fact that you're loved.
Doesn't change the fact that you have friends,
That you have people who care for you.
So go forward into this test or assessment experience,
Keeping in perspective its real importance in the grand scheme of your life.
And yes,
Try hard.
And yes,
Do the work that you need to do.
But know that you are so much more than the outcome of these processes.
Take another deep breath in through your nose,
And as you exhale,
Allow yourself to feel a sensation of calm and relaxation washing over you.
Trust that you are doing your best,
And that is the absolute most that anybody can ask you to do.
Stay with your breathing for a few breaths.
Notice how it feels to breathe in and to breathe out.
And when you're ready,
You can gently open your eyes.
And remember to come back to a place of mindfulness and calm whenever you feel anxiety or stress arising.
Enjoy the rest of the day.
