Whether you're playing golf or baseball, singing or
dancing, studying or reciting, every good teacher will tell you to
do so in a relaxed way. Yes, work hard, but never under tension, and
do not strain. Relaxation not only makes you feel better and thus
work better, but it affects your memory as well. Memory doesn't work
well under tension and strain. You know how vexing it is when you
have a name on the tip of your tongue, but the name just won't come
forth. Then, when you stop straining and begin talking about
something else in a relaxed and normal way, the name comes bobbing
up like a cork. Your memory will work best when your mind is not
under tension and when you are not straining. This is important to
know because hours of studying will be useless if you can't remember
what you've just learned. Here are four sure-fire relaxation
methods, followed by one tension preventer.
The Count-of-Three
Method. Just before an interview, or just before
seeing a dentist, your palms are sweating, your body is tense, and
your breath is short and shallow. Here's what to do (count slowly
and calmly through each step):
- Through the nose, inhale slowly while silently counting to
three.
- Hold your breath for the count of three.
- Through the nose, exhale slowly while silently counting to
three.
- With breath out, count to three. Repeat the cycle several
times.
The Doctor's Method.
Medical science has come up with an extremely practical breathing
exercise to reduce blood pressure: Breathe in until the lungs can
hold no more and take in a quick extra gasp of air through
the mouth. Breathe out slowly and evenly. Repeat this seven times.
What works for high blood pressure also works for high exam anxiety.
You can quietly practice this exercise while studying for your exams
and during an exam.
The Palming
Method. Here's another
method that you can do easily, especially at your desk at home or in
the library. Close your eyes gently, and cover them with the palms
of your hands.
- Avoid any pressure upon the eyeballs by resting the lower part
of the hand on the cheekbones and the fingers on the forehead. The
eyeballs should never be pressed, rubbed, or massaged.
- Now, the light is fully excluded from the eyes, even though
the eyeballs remain untouched.
- Mentally visualize some pleasant scene or incident. Move your
eyes to different parts of the visualized picture. Don't stare at
any one spot. For example, if you are seeing a lake, first look at
the near shore, then at the forests at both ends. Movement of the
eyes is important in this method. In less than a minute, you'll
feel relaxed again. Repeat this minute's worth of relaxation
whenever you feel stress.
The Optimum-Rest
Method. Five minutes in
the position of optimum rest are equal to hours of sleep. So if you
still have a lot of studying to do but find yourself tense, tired,
and tempted to take a nap, here's a better substitute:
- Lie flat on your back on the floor.
- Raise your knees, keeping your feet flat on the floor.
- Separate your feet to about eighteen inches (about shoulder
width).
- Point your toes in and your heels out.
- Allow your knees to come together in a relaxed way.
- Cross your arms so that your hands hang limply alongside your
neck.
- Close your eyes, relax your mind, and imagine your favorite
serene quiet scene.
