Exam anxiety and stage fright

In short: Nervousness before exams or performances is normal and can even enhance performance. If the fear becomes overwhelming, preparation, relaxation and conversations help.

In more detail: The body releases stress hormones: pounding heart, trembling, dry mouth (hormone-und-stoffwechsel).

In detail

• Prepare well: Study plan, revision, mock exams (vergessenskurve-und-wiederholen).
• Breathing: Slowly in through the nose, longer out through the mouth (stress-abbauen-und-entspannen).
• Check thoughts: Replace catastrophising with realistic sentences (kognitive-verzerrungen).
• Sleep and food: Be rested and fed before the exam (schlafhygiene-besser-schlafen).
• On exam day: Arrive early, check documents, read tasks calmly.
• Blackout: Breathe briefly, start with an easy task.
• Performances: Practise in front of an audience, eye contact, speak slowly (rhetorik-grundlagen-ueberzeugend-sprechen).
• Help: With heavy strain use counselling, such as student counselling.