Revision periods can be stressful. Between the deadlines to be met, the amount of information to be assimilated and the pressure to succeed, the stress can quickly become overwhelming.
In this article, you’ll find simple, effective tools for managing stress and maintaining a calm, focused state of mind.
Here are 5 exercises for this revision period:
Square breathing: a simple yet powerful technique for calming the mind and reducing stress:
📌Sit comfortably and concentrate on your breathing.
📌Inhale deeply: 4 beats.
📌Hold your breath: 4 beats
📌Expiration: 4 beats
📌Repeat this cycle for a few minutes while remaining focused on the regular rhythm of your breathing.
Positive visualisation: an exercise that involves imagining pleasant scenes or situations to relax the mind and reduce stress.
📌Make yourself comfortable.
📌Close your eyes and imagine yourself passing the exams. Imagine the places, the people, the smells, the sounds.
📌Visualise yourself answering all the questions, feeling calm and confident.
📌Let the feeling of success and satisfaction wash over you.
Relaxing the body: this exercise involves gradually contracting and releasing the different muscle groups in the body to release physical and mental tension.
📌Feet: inhale, curl your toes, contract your foot muscles, inhale, relax your feet, relax your toes.
📌Effect this for calves, thighs, glutes, abs, back, arms to face.
📌Inhale, contract for a few seconds then release the tension completely, exhaling.
📌Be aware of the feeling of relaxation that spreads throughout your body with each release.
Anchoring through the breath: a technique that involves using the breath as a focal point to bring attention back to the present moment.
📌Find a comfortable place and concentrate on your breathing.
📌Feel the air moving in and out of your lungs as you focus on the physical sensations associated with breathing.
📌Each time stressful thoughts come up, gently bring your attention back to your breathing.
By practising these sophrology exercises regularly, you’ll be able to manage the stress of revision more effectively, improve your concentration and cultivate a calm, centred state of mind. Don’t hesitate to make them part of your daily routine to reap all the benefits.
Source : Noémie Riefolo, Sophrologue
