{"id":22181,"date":"2021-09-23T19:51:08","date_gmt":"2021-09-23T19:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/?p=6690"},"modified":"2021-09-23T19:51:08","modified_gmt":"2021-09-23T19:51:08","slug":"yikes-not-another-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hancockhealth.org\/es\/2021\/09\/yikes-not-another-test\/","title":{"rendered":"Yikes! Not Another Test!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n Consejos de atenci\u00f3n m\u00e9dica<\/a> <\/div>\n\n

Yikes! Not Another Test!<\/h1>\n\n
\n\n September 23, 2021<\/span>\n\n
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Yikes! Not Another Test!<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>
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Do you feel nervous or sick? That\u2019s test anxiety!<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Today\u2019s the day of a big test at school, and you feel awful<\/a>. Your stomach hurts and you have a headache, maybe your mouth is dry, and you feel like you have to use the bathroom more than usual. Your muscles may also feel tense, and your body is shaky or sweaty. You know you haven’t been bitten by the flu bug, but you may have a case of the jitters, also known as\u00a0test anxiety.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Here\u2019s how test anxiety works. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re worried about your math test because you didn\u2019t do so well on the last one. Or maybe you\u2019re kind of tense because you did great on the last one and you\u2019re the kind of student who likes to get all A\u2019s. When you\u2019re feeling worried and tense, your whole body can be affected.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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What Makes Test Anxiety Happen?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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Well, because we can\u2019t outlaw tests, we might as well figure out how to ease test anxiety. Anxiety is a feeling a person gets when he or she expects something stressful to happen.<\/a> When you\u2019re under stress, your body releases the\u00a0hormone\u00a0adrenaline, which prepares it for danger, like when you\u2019re running away from your older brother! Adrenaline causes the physical symptoms, such as sweating, a pounding heart and fast breathing. These symptoms can be mild or intense<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Focusing on the bad things that could happen can make a kid feel more worried. A kid might think, \u201cWhat if I forget everything I know?\u201d or \u201cWhat if the test is too hard?\u201d Too many thoughts like these don\u2019t leave much room in your mind to concentrate on remembering the answers to the test questions. People with test anxiety can also feel stressed out by the physical reaction and think things like \u201cWhat if I throw up?\u201d or \u201cOh no, my hands are shaking.\u201d These thoughts can get the person even more upset, making the anxiety even stronger. Now, the person feels worse and is even more distracted and unable to concentrate.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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What\u2019s Performance Anxiety?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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Test anxiety is a type of anxiety called performance anxiety. Performance anxiety is when a person feels worried about how they will perform on a specific task, especially when they think it\u2019s really important. For instance, you might feel performance anxiety when you\u2019re trying out for the school band or for the basketball team.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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When you\u2019re taking a test or about to have some sort of performance, you might feel \u201cbutterflies,\u201d a stomachache or a tension headache. Some people might feel shaky, sweaty or feel their heart beating quickly as they wait for the test to be handed out. A student with really strong performance anxiety may even feel like he or she might pass out or throw up.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Sound familiar? You\u2019re not alone. Ask other people and you\u2019ll find that just about all people \u2014 adults and kids \u2014 feel some anxiety before a test. In fact, a small dose of anxiety can be helpful, keeping you sharp and focused. But when your symptoms take over so that you can\u2019t function or when you\u2019re so anxious that you feel sick, you might not be able to do your best.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Why Do We Take Tests?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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If teachers know that students get stressed out about tests, why do they still give them? Believe it or not, both teachers and students benefit from tests. Tests measure how well students are learning the skills and information their teachers have been teaching them, and teachers learn if they need to present information in a way that is better for students to understand.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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And tests are a part of life, from the driving test you\u2019ll take one day to the test you\u2019ll take if you decide you want to be a doctor.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Who Gets Test Anxiety?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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Anyone can get test anxiety, but someone who really wants to do well might be more likely to feel this way. This is called being a perfectionist. Kids who worry a lot also might feel anxious at test time. Perfectionists and worriers find it hard to accept mistakes they make or to get less than a perfect score. This creates more pressure for them. As we mentioned before, not being prepared for a test (duh!) can cause test anxiety. Kids who don\u2019t get enough sleep also can be more likely to have test anxiety.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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What Can I Do?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>
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You might be reading this article and saying, \u201cHey, that sounds just like me!\u201d If so, we\u2019re glad you recognize that this happens to you. Now you can start taking steps to lessen your test anxiety.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Here are some ways to do that:<\/p>\n<\/div>

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