Session, matriculation exam, driving test. Sweaty hands, a blank mind ("blackout"), and a knot in your stomach. Exam stress is normal – a certain level of adrenaline even helps with concentration (Yerkes-Dodson law). The problem starts when stress paralyzes you. Here's how to "hack" your brain to work in your favor at crunch time.
Why Do You Forget Everything You Knew?
Under severe stress, the prefrontal cortex (responsible for memory and logic) is cut off by the amygdala. The brain enters survival mode. "Fighting for survival" is more important than the date of the Battle of Grunwald. To regain access to knowledge, you need to convince your brain that the examiner is not a saber-toothed tiger.
Scientific Sources:
- Jamieson, J. P., et al. (2010). "Turning the knots in your stomach into bows: Reappraising arousal improves performance on the GRE".
