Enhancing Academic Performance Through Relaxation & Attention Control

Awareness - Identify Your Cues that Tell You to Initiate Coping


Welcome these cues!
They tell you to initiate coping through deep breathing and attention control.

a. Emotionality: Become aware of Bodily Tension
Such as - feeling overly upset, jittery, nervous, tense, heart pounding, shallow breathing, panicky, knees bouncing, hands sweaty or shaking. lump in throat, eyebrows knit tightly, shoulders hunched.

b. Worry: Become aware of your Negative Self Talk
Such as - Worrying about your performance, comparing yourself to others, ruminating too long and fruitlessly over alternate answers or responses, being preoccupied with bodily reactions associated with anxiety, ruminating about possible consequences for doing poorly on the test (disapproval, punishment, loss of status or esteem, damage to career plans), thoughts or feelings of inadequacy (active self criticism or labeling self "stupid" or "worthless).

Coping Through Deep Breathing and Relaxation

a. Take a Deep Abdominal Breath - long and slow - exhale and "breathe" through areas of tension - each time you exhale, feel the tension melting away... and feel more and more relaxed... Your abdomen rises as you inhale, not your chest.

b. Say to Yourself - (abdomen rises as you inhale) "I am calm..." (abdomen falls as you exhale) "I am warm..." Increasing the feeling of warmth in your hands actually initiates the relaxation response.

Coping through Refocusing and Attention Control (TIC - TOC)

Strategy 1: Increase Your Focusing Skill
Train your mind to hold your attention to a word or task. When your attention wanders, gently bring your attention back. These techniques are similiar to those taught in Raja yoga meditation or Benson's Relaxation Response.

Strategy 2: Develop Performance Rituals
Create a physical and mental atmosphere that helps you to concentrate, and use it every time you study, write a paper, or take a test. These rituals are designed to cue both the body and the mind to initiate focused concentration. 

Strategy 3: Thought Stopping
When you notice "Task Interfering Cognitions," use a trigger word to stop the negative self talk, such as "STOP!" or "TIC-TOC".

Strategy 4: Use Coping Self Talk to Refocus Concentration
Practice using short phrases that focus on positives rather than negatives, the present rather than the past or future, and the process rather than the outcome. These are called "Task Orienting Cognitions." Write your phrases on cards to pull out and use while studying or writing. See examples.

Combine: Mental Rehearsal / Relaxation & Coping Imagery
Imagine yourself taking the test and "choking." Note your increase in anxiety. Next imagine yourself coping and recovering from choking through deep breathing, attention control, and initiating positive coping strategies. Note your decrease in anxiety. You did it!

Examples of Coping Self Talk To Refocus Concentration

Refocus Concentration Back to the Task/Exam using Task-Orienting Cognitions*


You can learn to lock your concentration onto the task or exam by monitoring your self talk. Practice using short phrases that focus on positives rather than negatives, the present rather than the past or future, and the process rather than the outcome. These are called "Task Orienting Cognitions."

Write your phrases on cards to pull out and use while studying or writing so that you can learn to use them "automatically" when you are in a test-taking situation:

What is it that I have to do?

Focus on the task; exactly what does the question ask? It doesn't say this...or this...it just asks...

Just think about what I can do about it. That's better than getting anxious.

Don't look for tricks, just what does it say?

What's the basic question, what’s the main point?

I'm getting lost in detail; stand back and look at the big picture.

That's a stupid question. O.K. Maybe I just don't get the point. Let me do a quick job on it and invest my energy where it will pay off more.

Now let's see, what does it say exactly...no need to interpret or add anything - just exactly what does it say?

Damn, I should know that .... TIC-TOC. Just let it go now, no need to get upset. I'll mark the question so I can come back to it later for a fresh look at it -- that often works.

Well here it comes, just as I expected; I'm feeling anxious. Just take a moment now to breathe deep and slow...I am calm...I am warm...good.

A little anxiety is good...just keep it manageable.

Uh oh! Lots more to do before I finish... STOP! Now, relax... just take one question at a time.

They finished the exam early. I wonder... O.K. Stop. There's no way I can know what's going on with them. Forget them and just focus back on what I'm doing.

I'm not going to be able to do it! I'm going to lose control! Stop. Take a deep breath, refocus... now, what does this next question say?

It's working. I can control my attention and refocus. Good!

* Phrases adapted from Meichenbaum, D. (1972). Therapist manual used in study of "Cognitive modification test anxious college students," Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 39, 370-380.

Settle, Wendy (2001). Enhancing academic performance through relaxation and attention control. University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN. World wide web http://www.nd.edu/~wsettle/Concentration_attention.html