7 simple tips that will help you study by avoiding depression and exam anxiety

Many of us have been competing in this competitive world to achieve our respective milestones.

As a parent, you always want your child to do well in every stream he has set his foot in, like mathematics, dancing, singing, playing guitar, badminton etc.

When you are in a job you are always under the stress of doing well to climb up the corporate ladder.

As a student, you have the pressure of scoring well in the upcoming exams and maintaining a good reputation in the eyes of your teachers and classmates.

All this pressure when accumulated over a period of time results in academic stress, under which, the smooth flow of time seems to halt and it becomes difficult to breathe and live sometimes.

Whether you are a student or the parent of a student who is very depressed by the performance pressure to score well in the upcoming exams, this post is for you.

The solutions to the problem in this post are a result of thorough research and survey of the people who have experienced this stress in the school or university days, but despite they have been able to find their way up in life. 

This post will help you in coping exam anxiety if you are a student, doesn't matter if it is as big as  physics exam fear and if you are a parent then of course, the tips mentioned below will leadyou to help your child overcome the panic and anxiety caused especially during exam period. 

This post is also for those who wish to read or study but are a having a hard time concentrating because of the problems in their lives.

The Obstructions

When you sit with the book you don’t find the zeal to read, as the mental depression or the exam fear has shattered your self-confidence.

During this state of mind, you experience a deadlock and it seems almost impossible to come out of it. And your mind gets engulfed by all the panic and anxiety in the world.

At this moment, you might feel something like -

• Oh my god! There are around 3 chapters remaining to be studied and each contains around 20 questions. 
• What should I do?
• What will my relatives think if I don’t score well in tomorrow’s exam?
• What will my parents think?
• Moreover, how will I stand the humiliation of scoring less among my classmates?
• When I open the book, I can’t even read the first sentence because my mind doesn’t allow me to.

If you feel all of them then certainly your confidence has sunk to the lowest level. 

Well, there is nothing wrong when you feel such things because the tendency of human mind is always negative.

I wish if this happens..

Nobody wants to stay in problems. Everyone wants to get rid of their problems hence when you are depressed by test anxiety or by depression caused due to exam anxiety you would

• Wish to get an instant relief.
• Want your exam to get cancelled the next day.
• Wish that an angel drops from the sky and saves you..

Well, there is nothing wrong if you think such because the fact is you care for yourself, your parents and above all your reputation, probably way more than others.

These are obviously good signs and you are on your way up the ladder of life

The only thing that can heal you at this time is the TIME. You will only be relieved once the exam, for which you are upset now, is over.

But, it can’t be determined whether you will be happy, satisfied or sad once it is over.

#1 The First Step towards killing the Fear

Therefore, how the problem gets solved?

The answer itself lies in re-framing this question.

Start thinking from this moment like ‘how do I solve the problem? Are there any ways to overcome test anxiety or depression?’ rather than ‘I am depressed what should I do?’

Once you change the question in your mind, 40% of the work is over because you’ve taken the matter in your own hands rather than leaving it to any angel. (Sorry! no offence against the angels)

#2 These Pictures will help

The image on the right shows the state of your mind when you are very depressed or worried or carried away.

Your composure gets scattered like the red dots in the image.

Now after following the tips in this post you can gradually bring your composure to something displayed in image on the left.

And, when you hang in there and repeat these steps for some time, you will achieve full composure displayed in image 3.

The reason I have put these 3 images here is, the next time you are tense then try to map your mind with these images and you will see an instant relief.

#3 Running

The period of examination is cruel and when combined with depression it becomes ruthless.

Under this test anxiety, life seems very difficult and when one has to study despite depression it is like a big iron ball kept on your head, you seem to do nothing, you can’t concentrate anywhere and opening a book for reading at this time doesn’t help either.

So what is required at this moment?

How to get rid of the giant iron ball kept on your head?

The answer is that the mind needs an activity which can outperform the heavy load prevailing in your mind which is better termed as depression.

Running is an activity which can totally bring the composure of your mind back. So, take a deep breath, put on your running shoes, leave everything aside and start running.

Run for a kilometer or a kilometer and a half and come back.

You will feel much more relaxed now and will be up for reading again.

The key here is to outperform the negative feeling which your mind is surrounded by ,so spending some time with your favorite game on Playstation can also work for you.

Or, if there is any other activity you know, which can keep your mind totally engaged at this hour then you can certainly pick it up.

#4 Affirmations

Most of the issue can be solved using the opening in the lower human face known as ‘mouth’.  There is a mantra which, if followed regularly, can do wonders to your personality.

So, do not underestimate the power of talking to yourself and repeat sentences such as ‘I am not depressed’, ‘I am a highly motivated person,’ I will finish this book in a snap’, ‘Reading is my thing’, or ‘I will perform amazingly well in my exams’ for overcoming exam anxiety.

It is up to you to decide which affirmations you choose.

Saying these affirmations to yourself for once or twice doesn’t help in most cases; you will have to repeat  several times to let them create a positive impact as repeating them transforms all the negativity around into positive energy.

Therefore believe in yourself and go ahead with the affirmations. The mental effects of depression can be unusual and dangerous; with time you can find yourself spiraling downward in the dark if you don't control it.

Not only you should practice affirmations during exams but everyday when you are doing some chore in which you don't require much focus.

#5 Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

A giant task of remembering answers of around 40 questions is in front of you; obviously, life will not seem easy at that time. But you have 2 choices at this moment either give up or stop worrying and get to work.

A key thing to note here is not to worry, because worry puts the mind in a deadlock and all the symptoms described above generate due to this deadlock. 

This deadlock will disturb your composure and cause panic and anxiety.

Once you restrict yourself from worrying, it is the time to set an alarm in your smartphone for 30 minutes and experiment how much you can read in those 30 minutes.

After the first 30 minutes are over, take a 5 minutes break to re-energize yourself and set the alarm again.

Keep doing this activity for the next 3 hours and you will observe a terrific improvement.

This is no rocket-science but you are breaking a big task into smaller pieces and finishing 1 at a time.

Pull yourself together and give this activity a shot and you will be totally surprised to see the increase in your self-confidence.

Remember, self-confidence is the king of all.

#6 Family and Friends to the rescue

In the case of being depressed, the mind requires consolations. Affirmations can play a vital role here but your family and friends can supplement it too.

Therefore, when you are feeling low call your mother or your sibling or your closest friend to come and sit with you in your room. If they are busy in their work then take the responsibility to go wherever they are.

The important thing to note here is you stay with anyone of the closest people in your life in the same room. Let them carry on with their work and you carry on with your own.

In a matter of minutes, you will feel the presence of courage and determination in yourself.

The presence of your loved ones can trigger the will to first fight the test anxiety, pick up the book again, finish the syllabus and score well in examinations.

#7 Stay disconnected

As a student, during exams, one has a tendency to know how much syllabus others have covered. 

Out of this feeling, instead of focusing on the studies at this critical period you call your colleagues to ask their coverage.

You need to know here that the world is very cruel and it may happen that your colleague may give you false information while hiding the original one.

In case if he/she tells you that his syllabus is almost over then you waste no time in turning nervous; but as stated above, this information could be false.

However it’s not your job at this moment or ever to verify this information, instead it would be better if you stayed disconnected from all the colleagues during this period.

However, you can of course stay in touch with the colleagues you trust a lot.

A similar thing happens in normal life too,a person gets depressed or feels low when his/her connected friends show how lavish, successful and happy life they are living by posting photos or updating status on social media.

But, it is very important to understand that each human being, currently breathing on earth, has his or her set of problems.

Keep in mind that you are not the only one chosen by God for problems.

Never fear because you are not indebted to anyone for anything and as a part of this activity here is one more affirmation for you “I was born free and I will live free”.

WRAP UP

It is as easy to overcome exam anxiety and depression as reading this post from start to bottom.

Remember, you read this whole post because  you needed a solution to your problem and that is why, it’s you who will have to follow these steps.

Now the next time if your mind is clouded by test anxiety or depression, just look yourself in the mirror and ask "Can you get rid of depression ?".
Say 'yes' to yourself like a bunch of times and then start following these steps, you will definitely see the results.

Stick in if it doesn’t help initially because after 2 or 3 times it is guaranteed to help and restore your self-confidence.

I would also like to hear from you if any other technique you know that can help people solve this problem. Do you feel good after reading these tips? Or are these tips helping you if you have already started following them?

Even if you have scored well by following any one of these tips do let us know.

Also, do visit my 24X7 online book store www.bx-zone.com where you can sell and buy second hand books from people around you.

10 facts about books and libraries of the world which will make you raise your eyebrow

‘Reading books turns ordinary into extraordinary’ – the significance of this proverb is known to the people who consider books as their friends.

Books are our best friend. They are the greatest company one can ever have.

If you are a parent and your child is in the company of books then you can assure yourself that he/she is proceeding towards a good future.

Books build knowledge, and believe it or not, knowledge brings power and happiness. Moreover, your mind gets accustomed to grasping many things in a very short amount of time.

Since I am talking about the importance of books here, it would be unfair if I didn’t tell you a real incident which has affected me deeply.

During the first year of my new job, I stayed in an apartment which was on the 3^rd floor of an independent building with a very small compound. There would be a guard at the gate, always greeting residents going in or out of the compound with a smile.

It was a regular activity for him and just like other residents I would reciprocate with a smile too, and go on with my life.

After a few days, I saw him reading newspaper and  when he would see a person passing in front of him he would stand-up, greet him or her, sit down again and get engrossed in the newspaper again.

But it didn’t catch mine or anyone else’s attention in the first place then.

He would do this daily and suddenly after a couple of months I observed him reading a book.

 To a guy like me that was phenomenal. I could not resist approaching him at that moment.

He greeted me like always with a grin and his body language changed to “I am all ears”.

“What you are you doing today with a book?”, I asked

“Reading”, he replied innocently.

I made a fool of myself asking that question; obviously he was reading. There could have been better ways of expressing surprise.

“I mean, every day I have seen you reading a newspaper, why book today?”, I framed my question differently.

“Actually, I have come to know from a very reliable friend of mine that reading books can make your life better, so I am just trying out, first few days I got myself acquainted with reading through newspaper. Now I think I can read a book”, he replied enthusiastically.

I could say nothing as I was totally amazed at his spirit.  Like I always do, I suggested him a few more books and went on.

Days passed, months passed and practically most of the time I saw him with a book in his hand.

After a year and a half, on a drenched monsoon morning, the door bell of my apartment rang. 

When I opened the door, he was standing with a box of sweets and I could see happiness spilling out of his eyes.

“Sir! Got a job that pays 3 times better as a junior assistant of a journalist in the city’s popular magazine.”, he spoke with tremendous joy.

“It required very minimum qualifications but they were very impressed by my knowledge and the way of presentation.” he continued speaking.

I was very happy at his success; his 'reading of books' coupled with his hard work had paid off.  He bid adieu that very day and left for his new job.

I was wondering at the role the books played in his life. He just picked one at a time and kept reading it consistently.  He grew as a person, as a human and achieved success he deserved.

Also read : 10 amazing, rarely known facts about India that will fill you with surprise and pride

Such is the importance of books!

And to make the respect, one should have for books, more robust this post will do the job of presenting facts about books and libraries around the world to you such that you get more informed and increase your knowledge.

Isn’t it amazing that you borrow a book from a city and return in some other city? Wouldn’t it be nice if you wanted to read a very expensive book during your train travel from New Delhi to Mumbai in which you borrow it in New Delhi, finish reading it during your train journey and return it in Mumbai? 

This is a book widely known from children to elderly listing world’s records, shining achievements of people, and wonders. I was also amazed to know that it is the most stolen book from public libraries of the United States.

The purpose of stealing is not known but may be somebody is trying to list him or her in this book for stealing it maximum number of times.

A dilemma has always surrounded us which came first in the world ‘Hen or Egg’, well I cannot answer it even but I am quite sure that St Catherine Monastery, better known as Sacred Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount Sinai is the oldest library of the world in the at the foot of a deserted mountain in the Sinai district of Egypt.

Can you imagine what must have been the vision of the architect who constructed this library around 217 years ago that nothing as big as the national library has ever been constructed?  If you unfold all its book shelves then it will start from Mumbai and end slightly ahead of Goa.

A village of just 1500 people and the library carries around a million books. This is a heritage site in India which must be recognized with pride. There are a large number of scholars who visit this library regularly every year.

Adeline Virginia Woolf was a British Author popular for a lot of novels. But very few people know that she was occupied by mental illness which intensified sporadically. 
Whether it was her illness or her penchant that she wrote all her books standing is a question left unanswered.

Well, the typewriter was invented by 4 Americans in 1868 but the real use of it for writing a novel that became hugely popular and is popular till date was done by Mark Twain after 8 years in 1876.

Read : 6 influential people of the world & the books they read

Rudyard Kipling gave all of us his remarkable work of fiction ‘The Jungle Book’. It is surely a thing that everyone remembers from his childhood. But even the greatest thinker will find it difficult to answer that his obituary mail was a mere coincidence or a genuine prophecy.

I don’t know why but knowing that a thing as big as Harry Potter started from a napkin gives me an adrenaline rush. After this I have also started writing my ideas on paper tissues (which I bought exclusively for this purpose :)

To add to it, this book comes from the state of Tamil Nadu, from the city of Quilon.

Wrap Up

So if you are a voracious reader or a beginner or someone who is looking forward to developing a passion of reading, these facts are certainly going to add value to the love of books inside you.

And, after reading this post and the first episode you certainly know 20 more facts than others who haven’t read them, don’t you?

Well I look forward to your answers in the comments section. 

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20 books of different genres one must read in his/her 20s to move one level up in smartness & wisdom

You must have read various articles on Internet about books belonging to a specific category such as fiction, drama, sports, biographies, business & management, self help etc. However, in this blog post I am taking a holistic approach and  listing books of different genres all together.

Moreover, it is a collection of not only high-rated books but also some good books which have not been rated to their potential.

One must read these books in their twenties in order to develop shrewdness to face one’s upcoming life of thirties and forties with prudence, therefore, sit tight for another fifteen minutes and get familiar with a very cool collection of books from different genres.

Here we proceed with our first category -

Self Help (god helps those who help themselves)

1. Tuesdays with Morrie

This is the first book I have kept in this category because I am certain that it is capable of making you fall in love with self-help books.

This book is about a student who meets his fatally sick teacher after nearly twenty years and visits him every Tuesday to take life lessons.

You might fall into tears by the time you reach the last page of this book.

2.  Mega living - Robin Sharma

If you are interested in overcoming the negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones then go for this book.  You can read this book to connect with the positive energy around you and learn to maintain a calm head.

Well, this book surely imparts great wisdom and hope; it is the best teacher you can bring home to teach you how to improve your life.

3.  Make yourself unforgettable - Dale Carnegie

By simply reading this book till the last page, one will get to know how a few petty things in human's disposition obstruct him/her to become a person of ‘Class’.

Well, the word 'class' is often taken for granted but it requires a lot of effort to develop. Moreover to be a person of 'class', you do not have to strive to develop qualities  but quit a few negative habits of yours.

4.  The Seven Habits of highly effective people - Stephen R Covey

The book will help you deal with your professional and personal problems. The author has demonstrated a few short accounts neatly and cleverly which really captivate your interest.

5.  Who will cry when you die? - Robin Sharma

The book contains lessons in 101 chapters to improve your life . I recommend this book to the people who are going through a rough patch in their life or the people who think that good always passes a great distance away from them.

By reading this book, one can know how to maintain a happy state of mind by focusing on the minor details of life which one often ignores.

Fiction 
(truth is stranger than fiction because fiction is obliged to stick with possibilities) 

Visit bx-zone.com, an online used book store on which you can sell used books to people around you.

6. Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Canon Doyle

Who doesn’t know Sherlock Holmes and his accomplice Dr. Watson? The characters created by Sir Arthur Canon Doyle. Sherlock Holmes stories become intriguing when he solves each mystery with foresight and extraordinary astuteness with the help of Dr. Watson.

This book can also be picked up by the beginner readers to strengthen their interest in reading.

Once you develop an interest in it, 221B Baker Street will be the only address on your mind.

Read : What do we need from our educational system, top-scorers or successful human beings ?  

7. The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

A cult mystery-thriller novel by Dan brown, although, majority of the people have seen the movie The DaVinci Code, still I would say this book is a must-read. The book is about the character Robert Langdon who gets entangled into a mystery where his life as well as a thing capable of turning the world upside down is online. 

If you are in college then this book can help you spend your entire year or semester break reading.

8. Angels & Demons - Dan Brown

This mystery-thriller marks the beginning of the character of Robert Langdon. A container tantamount to a nuclear weapon gets stolen which, after 24 hours will trigger itself and leave behind a trail of destruction. Now, Robert Langdon will have to save the world by using his brilliant knowledge of symbology.

9. Inferno - Dan Brown

It is the most recent novel of Dan Brown which features his main character Robert Langdon the fourth time.

The antagonist in the book develops a virus, which if spread, is capable of affecting the population of the world. Now, Robert Langdon with his experience and knowledge of symbols has to find the virus and save the world.

The book is characterized by several twisting events and is capable of holding you spellbound till the last page.

10. The Scarecrow - Michael R Connelly

A crime reporter and an FBI agent try to catch a serial killer who is always a couple of steps ahead of them and commits crime under the nose of law enforcers.

Once you start reading this fiction piece by Michael Connelly, you won’t have to put an effort to build interest in it, the book will lure your attention from the very first page.

Fiction Drama 
(the course of true love never did run smooth)

11. The Lowland - Jhumpa Lahiri

This book tells a tale of two brothers, born a few months apart with completely different mindsets. One of them locked in his beliefs and the other being dutiful. The story takes a dramatic turn when one of them dies leaving behind his wife whose misery brings a sense of responsibility in the heart of another towards her.

12. The Kite Runner - Khalid Hosseini

This tale of an unlikely friendship between two boys in the country of Afghanistan is very endearing. If you have a friend with whom you share a very strong bond then this book will certainly touch deep in your heart.

13. The Blue Umbrella - Ruskin Bond

A humorous story of a little girl who in exchange of her pendant gets a beautiful blue umbrella due to which everyone turns envious of her especially the shopkeeper of her village.

This is a very light book and is a perfect one which you can read to your kids during bed time.

Read   7 Tricks to remember the things read from books & articles which one normally forgets

Biographies 

(Work till you get yourself a biography from the world)

14. Che Guevara - Richard L Harris

The biography of the Argentine leader who travelled through Latin America in his twenties and became a rebel seeing the condition of the poor in the continent; the one who dethroned the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista in Cuba along with Fidel Castro.

Know the journey of the iconic face you often see imprinted on a lot of t-shirts.

15. The Warren Buffet Way

We all know Warren buffet who made his fortune from stocks. I know one cannot be another Warren Buffet by reading this book, but,  if you are looking to create wealth through investing in stocks then this is a great read.

You surely will get to know the approach of Warren Buffet to investing, his portfolio in the peak years of success and much more.

16. Wings of Fire - APJ Abdul Kalam

This book must be read by every Indian or someone who has a vision of doing big in life. It is the autobiography of the missile man of India, a man who stands a true inspiration for every Indian. It is believed that everyone who reads this book takes something out of it.

Business & Management 
(A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business)

17. Zero to One - Peter Theil

The progress has come to a stand-still and globalization has impersonated it. Peter Thiel has beautifully delivered this message through this book.

If you have plans of starting an enterprise of your own now or many years further then you should have one copy in your collection.

18. 6 hours MBA - Louis Coutts

Get this book and take a superficial look at the basic concepts of management before diving deep into the world of entrepreneurship. Also, this book is for every professional to spread awareness about management at his/her designation level and certainly not restricted only business guys.

19. Romancing with the Balance Sheet - Anil Lamba

Whether you are an engineer, a teacher, an entrepreneur or a shopkeeper, learning basic finance not only helps the organization, you are working for, at your level but also helps you achieve personal financial growth.

 This book is not restricted to accountants or commerce students, but it should be read by every professional. The book teaches you about the basic concepts of balance sheet, Profit & Loss and also few concepts which can help you in taking personal financial decisions.

I highly recommend this book.

New Age
(Believe that the dawn is coming)

20. Target 3 Billion

India’s economy is largely dependent on agriculture and crops are cultivated in farms situated in villages; based on this fact this book analyses if the potential of the people living in villages is harnessed then India will become the world’s largest economy much faster than expected.

The analysis and the motivation provided in the book is fabulous and is surely going to captivate your attention towards the power of natural and human resources found in the rural areas.

With this we come to the end of this post. Hope you enjoyed it!!

           HaPPy ReADiNg !!

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