Stress is one of the most common challenges that students aspiring for the NEET exam struggle with. Out of the total number of students appearing for this exam, roughly 15% succeed in clearing the cut-off percentile. This stiff competition for getting enrollment in ace medical colleges engenders apprehensions of failure among most NEET aspirants. The stress levels amp up as the examination day approaches and it is likely to affect the performance of aspirants adversely. Here are a few ways that will help NEET aspirants to de-stress and focus better, before the examination.
Train Your Mind To Be Calm
When the fears of failure and aftermath of NEET seep in your mind, the first thing to be done is to calm yourself down. Train your mind to remain calm under all the exam pressure, through meditation. The best way to overcome anxiety and stress is meditation. Meditation also helps in improving your concentration and memory. It becomes easier to meditate and calm your mind with the help of meditation audio clips. It will be more beneficial if you schedule a time slot for meditation, early in the morning, and start your day with a trained mind, free from all the stress. A calm mind will help boost your performance in the examination as well.
Analyze Your Preparation Through Mock Tests
Several NEET mock test series are available online that will help you understand where exactly you stand with your preparation for NEET. You can try the mock test series on Vedantu, which is designed in a way to simulate the real-time NEET examination scenario. Taking consecutive mock tests will help to reduce stress as you will be well aware of your preparation.
Before taking a mock test, you need to have your list of do’s and don’t’s for it. From the moment the on-screen timer begins, don’t let any time go waste, and try to attempt or at least go through all the questions in the test. When you get the mock test scores, remind yourself of the sole purpose of taking the test in the first place. You are supposed to analyze your performance in the mock tests instead of being happy or sad about the scores. Note down the number of correct and incorrect answers and identify the topics in which you scored less. Check if there is any particular pattern for the incorrect answers. For example, check if you are making mistakes in the latter part of the test when less time is left. Work on such problem areas and try to analyze if there is an improvement on the same in the next mock test.
Bid Adieu to Your Social Media Handles For a While
As they say, social media takes a toll on your inner peace at times, it is better to stay away from your social media handles for a couple of months before the NEET examination. One of the most challenging things to deal with is peer pressure and trolling for NEET aspirants. Social media platforms such as Facebook, and Instagram, in a way, make the situation more conducive for trolling by peers. Also, the social media posts of your peers’ success or failure can impact your confidence level, in one way or another.
Even though inspirational and fun social media posts helps in reducing stress, using social media for a longer period of time takes a toll on your study hours. Rarely, can students control their social media usage and end up wasting a lot of their time. So it is better to steer clear all the distractions on social media when you prepare for the NEET examination.
Follow a Healthy Diet
As the stress levels seem to be higher before the examination, a healthy diet will bolster de-stressing. Most students end up eating junk foods like wafers, burgers, etc, just to reduce their meal hours, and this is where they go wrong. It is important for NEET aspirants to devote most of their time to studies but a healthy eating habit cannot be skipped. Eating light food rather easily digestible food will help you stay fit and not let your body susceptible to any diseases due to stress. A healthy body will help you to make the most of your time for exam preparation.
Take a Walk or Work-out For At Least Half An Hour
Working out is another key to a healthy body, and it greatly helps in releasing stress before the NEET examination. Due to the norms of social distancing, it is not possible to exercise in gymnasiums, so devoting 30 minutes for yoga and cardio exercises at home, will be sufficient to release your stress. If possible, take a walk early in the morning or in the evening to refresh your mind. Walking on the treadmill can be very well replaced by taking a stroll in your garden or by a cycle-ride in your residential neighborhood. After all, rarely do we get to inhale the fresh air and refresh our minds.
Practice Proper Sleeping Habits
It is said that our brain works best when we clock a good 8 hours of sound sleep. Well, it is advisable for all NEET aspirants to practice proper sleeping habits instead of overworking themselves till late at night. A sound sleep of 8 hours improves your productivity to a great extent and thereby will help you study more efficiently. A tip from the horse’s mouth says that a good night’s sleep before the examination day will help you perform better in the examination.
Multiple rounds of the revision should ideally boost their confidence levels and help them to put their best feet forward in the NEET examination.
