How to Help a Teen Overcome Test Anxiety

Everyone feels anxiety when faced with stressful or frightening situations. By stimulating your body's instinctive fight-or-flight response, anxiety mobilizes you to take action or flee by triggering certain physiological reactions, such as increasing your heart and breathing rates. Anxiety isn't always a bad thing, but it can become destructive when it interferes with your normal activities. Teens who experience test anxiety may feel scared, develop stomachaches or headaches, become sweaty or shaky or even pass out when faced with exams, the website TeensHealth says. But with support and encouragement, you can help your teen overcome test anxiety and help her develop better coping mechanisms.

Instructions

    • 1

      Encourage your teen to recognize her emotions by talking about the situation. According to WebMD, admitting that the situation is stressful and being prepared to deal with anxious feelings can sometimes help reduce the signs of anxiety. Ask her to try to identify the triggers that cause her to feel anxious. Inquire about the specific issues she worries about, such as feeling like she must achieve nothing less than outstanding grades.

    • 2

      Reassure your teen that she does not have to be perfect. Help her counter negative, defeatist thought patterns that may contribute to her anxious feelings. TeenHealthFX, a website of the Atlantic Health System̵7;s Morristown Medical Center, suggests replacing negative thoughts with more realistic statements like, "I don't have to be perfect. I just have to take the test. I can be anxious when I'm finished."

    • 3

      Collaborate with your teen to develop a pre-exam preparation program. According to psychiatrist Daniel K. Hall-Flavin of the Mayo Clinic, a consistent pre-test routine can help alleviate stress and reassure your teen that she is well-prepared for the exam. For example, help your teen avoid cramming by developing an effective study strategy for several days prior to the exam. Suggest reviewing the material together the night before the exam. Advise your teen to stick to a reasonable bedtime -- a lack of sleep can exacerbate anxiety.

    • 4

      Help your teen learn specific relaxation techniques that can help reduce anxiety, such as mindfulness meditation or deep breathing. WebMD advises setting aside 20 minutes a day to focus on relaxation to achieve maximum benefits. Mindfulness is a type of meditation that cultivates awareness on the present moment. Tell your teen to sit in a quiet place, close her eyes and focus on her breathing. Ask her to pay attention to what is happening in the immediate moment. All other thoughts should flow out of her mind, as if they are floating down a river.

    • 5

      Talk to your child's teacher, advises Dr. Hall-Flavin. Her teacher should be familiar with test anxiety and may have additional suggestions to help your child perform to the best of her abilities.

    2. Previous:

    Next: