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Exam Stress

So it’s coming up to exam time . . . Well, much of your success is up to you, as you know, to do the work and revision, yet the most important thing is to be fresh and ready, feeling as relaxed and confident as possible.

Let’s tackle that bit here to shift those exam nerves.

You can do this by accessing your subconscious mind with a brilliantly effective visualisation called The Swish. If done properly it will make a big shift for you and will be something you can use for any event in your life that you feel anxious about, be it doing a presentation at school, having a first date with someone, a sports event, facing up to someone, your driving test, a job interview, your wedding and so on and so on. It really is worth practicing this to be able to turn to it whenever you need. (Remember your brain can’t tell the difference between real and imaginary; see Part One, chapter four, Reprogramming your subconscious mind).

It’s written below, but click here to download the audio where I guide through it (It won’t play direct, you’ll need to download it when prompted). When you’ve got the hang of it, you may prefer to do it without my guidance so you can use the right time frames for you and also to be able to use this wherever you are if you need to. (Remember, you don’t need to be good at visualising – you can hear it or feel it too – just focus as much as you can and whatever you do will be fine).

Visualisation – The Swish

Firstly, make yourself comfortable and be somewhere quiet, on your own, where you can concentrate. Just chill and close your eyes . . . and just for a moment I want you to forget everything around you . . . nothing exists except you and this moment . . . just focus on your breathing, gently breathing in calmness and breathing out tension and tightness . . . let your breathing become just a little bit slower . . . deeper . . . more relaxed . . .

Allow those little muscles on your scalp to relax and feel a sense of peace and calm flowing down over your face . . . let go of your cheeks and jaw . . . letting the peace and calm flow down the back of your head, slowly down your back, relaxing every part . . . gently breathing in peace and tranquility and relaxing your chest as your exhale . . . letting go of your stomach, your hips, buttocks . . . feeling the calmness coming into your legs, relaxing those heavy thigh muscles . . . letting go of your knees and lower legs . . . slowly into your feet and toes.

Now imagine a big picture . . . a big picture of you with all that stress and worry, the exam room, or anything else that’s bothering you that you want to shift to a more confident place . . . fill your mind’s eye with it . . . make it full colour and brilliantly lit. . . this is your anxiety picture.

Now put that picture to one side and create another picture in your mind, this time of how you do want to be and feel . . . calm and relaxed, perhaps smiling as you walk to the exam room feeling focused and ready . . . you sitting there working away with it all going well . . . Or for any other situation . . . Fill your mind’s eye with all the detail, in full colour and brilliantly lit. In the middle of the picture see yourself with a big smile on your face, saying “Yes!” with the pass note in your hand or the achievement accomplished. Yes, I’ve done it! Feel it, the relief and excitement! This is your achievement picture.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel you’re good at visualising, whatever you do will be good enough . . . just focus as best you can . . . Now shrink that achievement picture down till it’s about the size of a postcard, black and white and dull and just tuck it in the side of the frame of the big colourful anxiety picture . . .

In a moment, just Swish them over so that the achievement picture is the big one and the anxiety picture is the small, dull, black and white post card one tucked in the frame . . . when you’re ready . . . Swish! See that achievement picture – big and colourful and detailed . . . you in the middle smiling . . . “Yes – I’ve done it” . . . and make the anxiety picture the small, dull postcard.

Now put them back as they were, with the anxiety picture big and the achievement picture the small black and white postcard . . .

Now let’s do that again . . . and Swish . . . see that achievement picture – big and colourful and detailed . . . you relaxed and calm and working well . . . your face in the middle of the picture, smiling, looking so confident – “Yes – I’ve done it” . . . and shrink the anxiety picture down to the small, dull postcard . . .

Now put them back as they were again, the anxiety picture the big one and the achievement picture the small black and white postcard . . . and again Swish . . . Yes! Feel that feeling, seeing yourself there calm and relaxed . . . working well. Yes! I’ve done it . . . that big smile in the middle . . . Yes! See the anxiety picture as the small postcard . . .

And again, put them back as they were, the anxiety picture big, the achievement picture the small postcard . . . you may even already be finding it harder to see that anxiety picture, perhaps it’s a bit faded or broken up . . . just do the best you can . . . and again Swish . . . Yes! See that achievement picture, big, bright and clear . . . feel that feeling . . . how calm and relaxed you look, that smile – really buy into that achievement picture . . . see it, feel it . . .

Once more, put them back again, get up the anxiety picture, even if it’s fragmented or faded . . . and Swish . . . see that achievement picture easily . . . big and colourful and detailed . . . you in the middle smiling . . . Yes – I’ve done it . . . the anxiety one the small, dull postcard . . .

Keep going, as many times as you need, slowly Swishing them back and forth . . . until the anxiety picture is hard to find or see and the achievement picture is dominant and clear . . .

And then for the last time, put them back again, bring up the anxiety picture as best you can and now flash the achievement picture on top, on and off, 5 times in quick succession: flash it On – see that achievement, that smile, feel it . . . Off . . . Now On – yes, so calm and confident – you’ve done it . . . Off . . . Now On, that big colourful picture, clear and feeling good . . . Off . . . Again On . . . see it, feel it . . . Off and for the last time, On . . . you in the middle with that big smile . . . Yes I’ve done it . . . hold it . . . hold it . . . and Off to a blank white screen. It is done.

And then just very gently bring yourself back to the room and time you are in and open your eyes . . .

I have found it often only takes 6 to 8 times to Swish the pictures back and forth to feel ownership of the ‘achievement’ image and move onto the end ‘on – off’ part. Yet, depending on your level of anxiety or your connection with the visualisation, you may need to do the Swishing quite a few more times until your mind lets go of the anxiety picture and is willing to fully take on board the achievement picture. You may even need to do it over a few consecutive days. It really depends how much inner resistance you have to letting go of the old picture and embracing the new one. But I promise if you do this properly, the anxiety picture will get more fragmented and feint and the achievement picture will become stronger and far more dominant until the achievement picture has replaced the anxiety one in your mind and you are feeling the desired positive feelings. The anxiety will no longer being an issue and you’ll be feeling a whole lot more confident, calm and relaxed about the task ahead.

Just know that you can only do your best and that any exam grade is just a measure of your knowledge or ability at a subject, not your worth. You may well have other talents and skills to offer the world that are outside the school curriculum, so don’t get too hung up on them . . . even if you need the grades for uni or to get a job. See the list of intelligences in Part two, School – A Different Vision to identify yours – it could be an eye-opener!

Bill Gates, who is one of the richest men in the world, said “I failed in some subjects in exam, but my friend passed in all. Now he is an engineer in Microsoft and I am the owner of Microsoft.”

I promise, you feeling good about you, so that you, others and the world can benefit from what you have to offer, is far more important in life in the greater scheme of things, so relax, rest well and just do your best, keeping that achievement image in your mind!

You can do it.