Exam seasons can feel like sprinting a marathon with a backpack full of what-ifs. Heart rate climbs, palms sweat, and every page of notes looks the same. The good news is that exam anxiety is not an unstoppable force. Researchers keep testing practical ways to quiet the body’s alarm bells so the brain can do its job. This long-form guide unpacks seven strategies that hold up under peer-reviewed scrutiny. Pick one or combine several until you find a calm-exam toolkit that works for you.

Master Diaphragmatic Breathing

Slow, deep breathing resets the nervous system within minutes. An eight-week study of middle-school students found that a simple breathing exercise program cut test-anxiety scores while also boosting self-esteemScienceDirect. The mechanism is straightforward: extended exhales signal the vagus nerve to lower heart rate and blood pressure. Try the 4-7-8 pattern right before opening the exam booklet: inhale for four counts, hold for seven, exhale for eight. Even two cycles can shrink the fight-or-flight surge.

Try Expressive Writing Before the Test

Grabbing a pen may sound counterintuitive when the clock is ticking, yet a recent experiment showed that high-anxiety students who free-wrote worries for ten minutes performed significantly better and “choked” less under pressure. The act of dumping fears onto paper frees working memory for problem solving. Keep a spare sheet, jot every nagging thought, then crumple it and start fresh.

Reframe Stress as Fuel

Psychologists call it stress reappraisal: interpreting pounding pulses as preparation rather than danger. Classroom studies demonstrate that students who read a brief handout explaining the body’s stress response as helpful scored higher and felt calmer in subsequent exams. Before your next test, remind yourself that adrenaline sharpens focus. This mental flip switches the narrative from threat to challenge, which research links to improved performance.

Move Your Body

Moderate aerobic exercise releases endorphins that blunt anxiety and sharpen cognition. A review published last year concluded that regular cardio sessions noticeably lowered anxiety symptoms across age groups, including students heading into assessments. A brisk twenty-minute walk or jog the morning of an exam can elevate mood and cognition without exhausting you. If space is tight, try jumping jacks or stair climbs until your heart rate rises for a few minutes.

Practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) walks the body through a tighten-and-release circuit from toes to forehead. Multiple trials show PMR cutting test-anxiety scores among nursing and medical students. Close your eyes, clench each muscle group for five seconds, then let it go. By the time you reach your jaw, the difference between tension and ease feels obvious, and the ease lingers.

Sleep Like It Matters

REM sleep is a secret weapon for calm recall. A 2024 sleep-tracking study found that students who logged more REM the night before a test reported lower anxiety and fared better on the exam itself. Aim for a consistent seven-to-nine-hour window, and protect it: dim screens an hour before bed, keep caffeine to early afternoon, and cool the room slightly. Quality sleep banks memory traces and steadies emotion circuits for the next day.