Prevention is better than cure. There’s no argument to that. Why do you need to deal with stress if you can totally prevent it from happening? Make sure you study well before the exam. Don’t clutter up your to-do list. Finish your tasks as early as possible. Do not leave them for the next day. And if you have to collect any study materials, do so. Don’t plan to do all the research and find the text books when you’re one or two days away from the exam. That’ll stress you out even more. So, get ready for the fight even before your enemy prepares its weapons. Here are some tips —

Avoid stressful people at all costs: Stress is contagious. It can spread like the Swine Flu virus. Imagine if you’re in a room full of students walking around with books on their hands, studying, reading out loud. They all look tensed, worried and stressed out. When you’re surrounded with negative energy, it will also get infected to you. It is better to study alone than in groups. Only go for a combined study sessions if your friends are confident about the exam. This will help you to gain some confidence too.

Make use of graphs: While you’re studying, take notes using graphs, diagrams, illustrations and figures as possible. This will help you to improve your learning process, thus helping you to get out of the stress zone easily. Using visual images can help you to recall the information you’ve learned later like a piece of cake. You don’t need to be the Picasso or Da Vinci. Just draw out things that will help you to understand the data better, and convert it into understandable information.

Eat healthy: Just like a vehicle needs fuel, your body also needs food to work. But, not just any food, but you’ll have to crush in some healthy food for the effective functioning of your body. Make sure your diet has a lot of nutrients in it. And avoid junk food at all costs. You’ll have the cravings to grab a spicy burger from the local store, but don’t. While sugar might give you a quick burst of energy, it lows down the same energy much faster and leaving you tired and exhausted. Eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to keep your blood sugar stable.

Get plenty of sleep: You recharge your mobile phone’s battery before going out. Sleeping is when you recharge your bodily energy. Even if you’ve completely studied for the exam and haven’t slept the other night, you won’t be able to ace in your exam. It’s more stressful to try memorising a lot of things or complicated concepts on less than six hours sleep.

Take breaks: You’re not a robot. You’re a human, a kind of species which can’t continuously work for hours. For every hour you work, make sure you take a break of at least 10 to 15 minutes. Let yourself do whatever you want. Breaks are important for your brain to rest and keep you more focused when you’re actually working.

Believe and visualise success: This is one thing that really works, even though it sounds stupid for some people. When you’re stressed about the upcoming exam, picture yourself writing the test and feeling confident that you know all the answers. Imagine all the good things that could happen to you after the exam including all the appreciation. This helps you to believe you can do it, thus, helping you to do succeed in real time.