The following technique “444” will help you get rid of anxiety: Inhale for 4 counts; Hold your breath for 4 counts; Exhale for 4 counts. Do the required number of repetitions. Breathing will slow down, general condition will normalize. You can count to three or to six - whatever is convenient for you. “Square Breathing” technique. We focus our attention on any square or rectangular object. We concentrate on one of its corners, take a breath. Hold our breath and move our gaze to the next corner. We continue to hold our breath. We move our gaze to the third corner, exhale, hold our breath. We move our gaze to the fourth corner, continue to hold our breath. We return our gaze to the first corner - inhale. Exercises, of course, can make teenagers laugh and cause some skepticism. But in reality they are very effective. The main thing is to concentrate and strictly follow the instructions. Technique “Deep breathing” (diaphragmatic breathing). Take a deep breath, inflating your stomach like a balloon. It is important not to engage the chest muscles. Chest breathing is stress breathing. We exhale through tightly compressed lips for as long as possible. As you exhale, the level of oxygen in the blood increases, the level of anxiety decreases. Do 10-20 repetitions. Muscle relaxation technique “Maximum tension” First option: tense all the muscles of the body as much as possible, hold the tension for a few seconds and relax. Repeat several times. Second option: Alternately tense and relax various muscles of the body: left arm, right arm, stomach, left leg, right leg, and so on. Preparing for exams - preparing for stress. The “fight or flight” reaction saved us once - then from predators. Why is the exam perceived by the body as a threat to life, and why is the fear of “failing” so strong that it triggers the same processes? Objectively, exams do not pose a vital threat, that is, a danger to life. They take place in a safe environment; there is no need to run or escape from the enemy. And then why is everyone so afraid of the exam? And if I don’t pass, I can’t cope - what then? I’m pressured by a high level of responsibility. I’m afraid of losing my goal, giving up my dream. I’m losing strength and faith in myself, I’m afraid of looking stupid. The exam is limited time - what if I don’t fit into the framework? I’m scared by the unknown and uncertainty - what will they ask? I’m afraid to disappoint my parents and destroy their hopes. All stressors - situations, factors, problems - can be divided into three groups: those that are beyond our control, that is some sudden, tragic situations; those that we can and should influence; and, finally, those that we ourselves turn into problems. Stressors that we can and should influence When a teenager is just preparing for the first exam in his life, He has no experience of overcoming stress yet. So he needs help. Try to “play out” the situation of uncertainty at home - recreate the conditions of the exam in order to safely immerse the child in a stressful environment. By the way, practice exams will also help. Develop a preparation plan with the student, write down what steps to take to complete each stage. Find versions of exams from previous years - to improve your skills, you need to solve dozens of tasks. Ask your friends - what if the son of his mother’s friend also took biology and physics? At the same time, you will learn what not to do and get useful tips. Think over the route to the place where the exam will take place. Stressors that are beyond our control Everyone wants to live without stress, but exams are a mandatory procedure (at least today). Here we can only help the child reduce the level of stress, but, of course, it will not be possible to avoid it altogether. An exam is a situation of external assessment. During the exam, nothing threatens life and health, but there is a danger to self-awareness and self-worth, which is especially scary to lose in the eyes of parents and teachers. During times of stress, it is important to talk about your fears and share your feelings. Establish contact with the teenager, communicate more often, just listen andcalm down - it seems there is nothing special about this, but if you do this practice regularly, it will really help. The child will feel support, not pressure, hear encouraging words, not threats addressed to him. Provide the teenager with a sense of security, accept and understand all his emotions, make it clear: “I am nearby. I love you. The exam result will not affect my attitude towards you. If it doesn’t work out this time, there will be another opportunity. Life doesn’t end there!” Walking in the fresh air, sleeping at least 8 hours (it’s important to go to bed and wake up at the same time), healthy food, avoiding caffeine-containing drinks (coffee, cola, energy drinks), a sufficient amount of clean water, playing sports - yes, and these are also recommendations for reducing stress. A student’s body is already under serious stress before an exam, which means it needs a little support. Reframing. Another way of acting in a situation of uncertainty that we cannot influence is reframing (frame). He literally helps to change the frame so that we can perceive the picture differently. This is a good way to dismantle attitudes towards the same situation. This technique, by the way, is happily picked up by children. Reframing changes the attitude towards the situation and thereby changes it. With the help of reframing, you can identify the beliefs that worry a teenager and create different frames for them, redefine them. For example: “The exam is a problem, it’s scary,” we change it to “The exam is an opportunity.” “I won’t pass, I won’t succeed!” change to “I will do everything in my power, and then come what may.” Find the equivalent of a destructive attitude with a “+” sign, which will change the teenager’s perception. Motivation and inspiration. “Cloud” technique. Remember the sky. Our brain is somewhat like the firmament - thoughts constantly float across it, like clouds. They can be scary, like black thunderclouds, or they can be light, like airy cirrus clouds in summer. Try to track the path of a large thundercloud - a negative thought that has settled in your head. Once - and after a few seconds the terrible cloud melted over the horizon! If you calmly observe the progress of your thoughts, you will notice how smoothly they go to nowhere and do not leave behind a stressful influence. If you feel anxious or panicked, grounding techniques will help you feel the current moment, feel safe and reduce the level of anxiety: Switch your attention to the objects around you. Start counting, for example, everything white in the room, everything blue, passengers in transport, light bulbs. Anything. Concentrate on your breathing, count your inhalations and exhalations. If you are walking, count your steps. If you are sitting for an exam, place both feet firmly on the floor, feel the floor underneath you, feel your shoes. Place your palms on the table, feel the texture of the table, its temperature. Thank your brain for working productively. To anchor a good state - “this doesn’t scare me anymore, I’ve passed this stage, now I’m not afraid.” Technique “my path to the goal” When the fear that something will go wrong overcomes me, my dreams will not come true, “I’ll find myself on the sidelines life”, “I will not have a future”, perform these simple practices. Take a blank sheet of paper, pen, pencil or felt-tip pen. Arrange the sheet as you want. Draw a dot in the lower left corner. It is you. Sign: “I.” Now close your eyes and imagine in all details your dream job, dream life, etc. In the upper right corner of the sheet, record the goal in the form of any symbol. How else can you connect these two dots? What figures? How many options can there be? Try combining five different options. Now ten. Fifteen. Is this the limit? Connect the dots from “I” to “My goal” by saying “My goal is achieved in different ways.” These can be curved or straight lines, there can be as many of them as you like, they themselves can be of any color and structure. Look at the resulting drawing. Keep it in sight - above your desk, for example. Options for achieving goals -!