¶ Understanding and Managing Test Anxiety
Hello and welcome to our Licensure Exams podcast In today's episode . This is why passing your licensure exam might be hard for you . I'm your co-host , stacey Frost , and I'm joined , as always , by my other co-host , dr Linton Hutchinson . How are you doing today , linton ?
I'm M-OK today . Stacey , Thanks for asking . I'm looking forward to diving into today's topic and maybe providing some insights and advice for therapists who have been struggling with their licensure exams .
Absolutely . Obtaining your therapy license is a major milestone and a gateway to beginning your professional career , but for many people , the licensure exam represents a daunting , anxiety-provoking hurdle , and today we want to explore some of the reasons why individuals might have a hard time passing these high-stakes tests .
Okay , Stacey . As you know , there's a number of factors that make licensure exams really challenging , from gaps of your basic knowledge to poor test-taking strategies . But one of the most pervasive issues that hold people back is test anxiety .
Even though most students are prepared to take the exam and they're knowledgeable , they can be derailed by nerves and stress when that exam day happens .
And test anxiety is super common and I think some test takers underestimate how much it might be impacting their performance . So I think it's important that we talk about what test anxiety is , the different ways that it can manifest , and then we'll provide some concrete coping techniques . What do you say , Linton ?
Okay , let's do it . Test anxiety is a form of . You might think about it as performance anxiety . Stacey , do you get performance anxiety ?
Well , I did . But then there was wine Wednesday and just after practice and practice and practice . I'm a little less impacted by performance .
Basically , when you're in a situation where performance really counts , such as an exam , your body and minds can react with intense fear and worry . The anxieties cause the symptoms like a racing heart , sweating , shaking , nausea and , most important , difficulty concentrating and bringing back information .
Exactly , and these symptoms are , as you can imagine , part of the body's fight or flight or freeze response , which is triggered by the perception of a threat . And the problem is that , while this response can be useful in actual dangerous situations like you know , running from a mountain lion it's not helpful during an exam .
And the heightened arousal can interfere with your ability to think clearly and , as Linton said , recall information .
Those physical stress responses can really throw you off your game when you're trying to focus on a complex exam and it really becomes a vicious cycle the more anxious you feel , the more your mind goes blank , which then amplifies the anxiety , and on and on it continues .
Precisely Test . Anxiety has cognitive , behavioral and emotional components that interact as that negative feedback loop . Worries and negative self-talk interfere with your ability to think clearly .
The desire to escape the uncomfortable situation really makes it tempting to rush through the test , or even the freeze up , and the guilt , embarrassment and frustration over struggling with anxiety compounds all your emotional distress .
So we have this multifaceted problem of test anxiety that's very likely plaguing a significant portion of therapists who are seeking licensure . So , linton , why do some people experience this more intensely than others ?
There's a couple of factors . Genetic predisposition is one . If you had a family history of anxiety , you may be more prone to experiencing it yourself , so past experiences also play a role . If you had a negative experience with tests in the past , you might develop a conditioned response to them . Tests in the past you might develop a conditioned response to them .
I think that most therapists can be particularly vulnerable to test anxiety for a few key reasons . First , the mental health professional tends to be highly self-aware and reflective in nature .
While this is an asset in your clinical work , it can mean that you are more prone to rumination and getting stuck in cognitive distortions related to your performance and your abilities .
That makes a lot of sense . As exam day approaches , I've heard several test takers say that they find themselves constantly questioning whether they're really cut out for this field and whether they know enough to be an effective therapist . It's like their inner critic is in hyperdrive .
You know , I think most of us can relate to that experience . It's sort of like the imposter syndrome is rampant among high achieving professionals such as therapists . But for therapists there is an additional pressure at play . We work in a field where licensure and documentation of qualifications carry really heavy weight .
There's an understandable fear that if you can't pass the exam , all of those years of education and training are down the drain .
Right , and all that pressure and the fear of failure can really be paralyzing , especially since , as much as we might intellectually know that a test score is not the ultimate measure of clinical competence , there's still so much writing on it in terms of your career and livelihood , and failing can mean delaying job prospects , additional financial burdens you know those
exam fees can really start to add up .
Absolutely . The high stakes nature of licensure exams is a major contributor to test anxiety , as is the often grueling study process leading up to taking the test . Aspiring therapists are usually juggling work responsibility , family obligation and an intensive study schedule .
Sleep deprivation , inadequate self-care and lack of social support can exacerbate all the stress levels that you might be feeling , and let's not forget the one that some people I know- have . Perfectionism . Many therapists are driven individuals with high standards for themselves and others . While this can be a strength , it can also contribute to anxiety right .
Yes , that is very true , Very true . Now all of these factors converge to create this perfect storm of anxiety come exam day . Even the most competent , well-prepared individuals can find themselves overwhelmed by panic . So the question becomes how do we help people overcome test anxiety and show up as their best selves when it matters the most ?
There are a number of proven strategies that can make a real difference , and a good place to start is by first normalizing test anxiety and reframing it as a common , surmountable challenge . So often people feel really alone in their struggle , like there's something wrong with them if they can't simply push through the nerves .
If you stop and think and reframe the test like this , you have already started taking the test right now . You are in the exam at this particular moment . You're here listening to the podcast and that's part of the exam process , so you are already taking that exam . So another effective strategy is to practice relaxation techniques .
Deep breathing , progressive muscle relaxation and grounding exercises can help calm your body and mind . At the same time , the techniques can be practiced regularly and actually during the exam to help manage anxiety in the moment .
And one of my favorite grounding techniques is the 5 , 4 , 3 , 2 , 1 exercise .
What's that and ?
it's where you look around the room and you name five things that you can see . You close your eyes and identify four things that you can hear . Name three things you can feel like the ground beneath your feet , your clothes , etc . Two things you can smell that one's a little tricky .
And one thing you can feel like the ground beneath your feet , your clothes , et cetera two things you can smell that one's a little tricky . And one thing you can taste . So like maybe if you're really anxious there's probably some weird like . For me , like , sometimes it gets like a metallic taste . So anyway , I really liked that one . I think it's .
It helps me focus when I'm I'm thinking about things in a really structured way like that Five things you can see , four things you can hear three things you can feel , two things you can smell , one that you can taste . So , linton , do you have any favorite relaxation techniques ?
Yeah , I like students to practice breath awareness meditation in the weeks leading up to the test , starting with just a few minutes a day and building up your tolerance . You can use the anxious energy as a reminder to check in with your breath . Am I breathing Almost like an alarm bell , like cuing you to come back to your center ?
Ah , that's a good one . So you're basically conditioning a relaxation response to the anxiety triggers ? Right , so it really becomes an adaptive coping mechanism .
Yeah , you know I like students to practice breath awareness meditation in the weeks leading up to the test , starting with just a few minutes a day and building up your tolerance . You can use the anxious energy as a reminder to check in with your breath . Am I breathing Almost like an alarm bell , like cuing you to come back to your breath ?
Am I breathing Almost like an alarm bell , queuing you to come back to your center ?
Ah , that's a good one . So you're basically conditioning a relaxation response to the anxiety triggers ? So , it really becomes an adaptive coping mechanism . Oh Linton , you behaviorist . You Next thing you know , you'll be training people to fetch your BOGO sushi from Publix as a reward for every deep breath they take
¶ Zen Shopping Trend Born
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That's good . Let's see if it works . Stacey Okay , just imagine the aisles of Publix filled with relaxful , mindful shoppers , all taking deep breaths and loading up their carts with sushi . Maybe we should start a new trend Zen shopping .
There you go , folks . A trademark is born .