Any tips for panic attacks/stress relief

[theTruth_97]

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Just took the UWSA and got rocked- got a 221 which was very disappointing considering I had studied very hard for 3 weeks and had gone through all of Uworld.

Now as I am going through test I am realizing that I made extremely stupid mistakes- like questions where i correctly identified disease or pathological process yet for who knows what reason I chose some completely irrelevant answer choice.

During the test I knew I was having a mental breakdown/panic attack- which also happened last year during step 1 (I had gone into the test thinking I would safely get 235+...ended up with 229 after panicking on real test)

Like during this "attack" I feel like my brain shuts down and even simple concepts seem impossible.

Does anyone have any relaxation tips they use or have heard of?

I would really appreciate your help. Thank you!

 

[lymphocyte]

Just took the UWSA and got rocked- got a 221 which was very disappointing considering I had studied very hard for 3 weeks and had gone through all of Uworld.

Now as I am going through test I am realizing that I made extremely stupid mistakes- like questions where i correctly identified disease or pathological process yet for who knows what reason I chose some completely irrelevant answer choice.

During the test I knew I was having a mental breakdown/panic attack- which also happened last year during step 1 (I had gone into the test thinking I would safely get 235+...ended up with 229 after panicking on real test)

Like during this "attack" I feel like my brain shuts down and even simple concepts seem impossible.

Does anyone have any relaxation tips they use or have heard of?

I would really appreciate your help. Thank you!

Anyone who struggles with anxiety should see a psychologist. They're often quite helpful at suggesting practical and effective strategies to manage stressful feelings.

Things that have worked for me:

Try not have feelings about your feelings. Just feel what you feel and let it wash over you. It's very easy to get trapped in a vicious cycle about panicking over panicking over panicking over... you get the drift. That's called a "mindfulness-based approach." It takes practice.

No mistakes are stupid. Mistakes are mistakes. You need to stop making mistakes and then ascribing them to stupidity. Stupidity can't be fixed. Mistakes can be. There's something concrete and tangible that you're doing which is wrong. Your test-taking strategy isn't working. You need to fix whatever is leading you to the wrong answers over and over again. It's not stupidity. It's a correctable problem. Maybe focus on reading the question more carefully or practice hiding the suggested answers until you've guessed the answer yourself.

Another suggestion. Wear a comfortable undershirt or bra. Something soft. Maybe something you've worn to bed. That's your totem. Fixate on that when you're panicking. Feel the softness. Focus on how warm it is. Remember how comfortable it was when you wore it bed. Etc. Reconnect yourself with something tangible and positive when you're feeling panicky. Get out of your head.

I know these all sound silly, but they've worked for me.