Managing anxiety during exams or performance evaluations

Anxiety about exams or performance evaluation situations is a common experience that can significantly affect the preparation, performance, and well-being of students and professionals.

It is characterized by excessive concern about the result, fear of failure, and physical and cognitive symptoms of anxiety.

Characteristics of Evaluation Anxiety

This form of anxiety manifests itself before, during, and even after the evaluation situation.

• Before: Intense worries about possible failure, catastrophic thoughts ("if I fail, it will be terrible"), difficulty concentrating on studying, physical symptoms such as insomnia or digestive problems.

• During: Mental block ("blank mind"), difficulty remembering learned information, increase in physical symptoms (palpitations, sweating, trembling), self-critical thoughts.

• After: Rumination about performance, excessive self-criticism regardless of the actual outcome, or concern about future evaluations.

The central fear is usually negative evaluation, not meeting one's own or others' expectations, and the perceived consequences of failure.

Cognitive-Behavioral Management Strategies

The cognitive-behavioral approach offers several effective strategies:

• Psychoeducation: Understand anxiety as a normal response that can become excessive and learn about the vicious thought-emotion-behavior cycle.

• Relaxation Techniques: Regularly practice diaphragmatic breathing or progressive muscle relaxation to reduce overall physiological arousal and apply them before and during the evaluation.

• Cognitive Restructuring: Identify and Challenge negative automatic thoughts and dysfunctional beliefs about performance and failure. For example, question the validity of thoughts like "If I don't get the top grade, I'm a failure" and replace them with more realistic and adaptive alternatives like "I will do my best, and one mistake does not define my worth."

• Planning and Study/Preparation Skills: Adequate preparation reduces uncertainty and increases confidence. This includes organizing study materials, establishing a realistic plan, practicing with practice tests, and developing effective study techniques.

• Gradual Exposure (if there is avoidance): If