From a teacher who once battled panic attacks during board prep — here’s what actually calms the mind.
I’ve been on both sides of the exam table—first as a stressed-out student who once broke down before a Class 12 pre-board math paper, and now as an educator and mentor, helping students across India manage their academic pressure. If there’s one universal truth I’ve discovered, it’s this:
Stress during exams is normal, but letting it control you isn’t.
Every year around February and April, I receive an influx of messages from students:
- “Sir, I can’t sleep at night before the exam.”
- “I feel like crying without any reason.”
- “My chest feels tight even after studying.”
What they’re describing isn’t just nervousness. It’s exam stress overload, and if not managed properly, it can wreck your memory, health, and performance.
In this blog post, I want to share the top relaxation techniques I personally use and teach—techniques that are backed by science, easy to practice, and especially effective during exam season.
🧠 Why Relaxation Matters for Exam Performance
Before we jump into techniques, let’s understand the link between relaxation and academic success.
Stress causes your body to release cortisol, the “fight or flight” hormone. In the short term, it helps you focus. But when cortisol remains elevated for days or weeks (as it often does during exam season), it:
- Shrinks your working memory
- Triggers anxiety and mood swings
- Impairs decision-making and recall
- Causes sleep problems and fatigue
🧬 A 2020 study published in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews confirmed that chronic stress negatively affects the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center [source].
That’s why relaxation isn’t a luxury during exams. It’s a performance tool.
✅ 1. Box Breathing: Calm in Under 2 Minutes
This is the very first thing I teach a student who’s panicking.
Box breathing, also known as square breathing, is a simple pattern:
- Inhale for 4 seconds
- Hold for 4 seconds
- Exhale for 4 seconds
- Hold again for 4 seconds
Repeat 4–6 times.
This technique activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which signals to your body: “You’re safe. You can relax now.”
🧘♂️ Used by Navy SEALs and therapists, box breathing has been proven to reduce anxiety and heart rate within minutes [source].
🎓 My Tip:
Practice it before mock tests, right before sleep, or even in the washroom before your actual exam begins.
✅ 2. Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
This one helped me during my engineering entrance prep days, especially before bed.
In PMR, you go through your body one part at a time:
- Tense a muscle group (like shoulders) for 5 seconds
- Then release it slowly
- Move to the next (arms, legs, neck…)
By doing this, you release tension you didn’t even know you were holding.
🧪 A controlled trial in The Journal of Adolescent Health found that PMR significantly reduces physical symptoms of stress in students, including stomach aches, headaches, and sleep disturbances [source].
✅ 3. Mindfulness Meditation (5–10 Minutes Daily)
Now I know the word “meditation” might make some students roll their eyes. It made me do that too—until I tried it consistently.
Mindfulness is about sitting still and paying attention to your breath, body, or sounds, without judgment. That’s it.
Even 5 minutes of this can:
- Lower cortisol
- Increase focus
- Make your thoughts less chaotic
🧘♀️ According to a study in JAMA Internal Medicine, mindfulness meditation can improve anxiety and depression as effectively as some medications [source].
📱 Recommended Apps:
- Headspace (beginner-friendly)
- Calm
- Insight Timer (free guided meditations)
✅ 4. Guided Visualization (Your Exam Day, Calm & Clear)
This technique combines imagination with breath.
Here’s what I guide my students to do (and have done myself):
- Close your eyes
- Visualize walking confidently into the exam room
- See yourself opening the paper calmly
- Imagine your mind working clearly and efficiently
- End with a smile and sense of relief
You’re mentally rehearsing success, which programs your brain to expect it.
🧠 Visualization is used by Olympic athletes and has been found to enhance performance under pressure [source].
✅ 5. Aromatherapy with Essential Oils
I stumbled on this one accidentally—my wife uses lavender oil before sleep. One day I was working late and feeling wired, so I tried it.
Within minutes, I felt calmer.
Scents like:
- Lavender
- Chamomile
- Bergamot
- Peppermint
…have been proven to reduce anxiety and promote better sleep.
🌿 A meta-analysis in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine confirmed that aromatherapy reduces cortisol levels in stressed individuals [source].
🕯 How to Use:
- Add 3–4 drops to a diffuser
- Apply to pulse points (wrists, temples)
- Use scented candles while studying
✅ 6. Music Therapy (Especially Instrumentals)
During my finals, I always studied with low-volume instrumental music—piano or classical guitar. It kept me focused and calm.
Music with no lyrics, at around 60–80 BPM, mimics the heart rate at rest and can induce a meditative state.
🎧 A 2021 study in Psychology of Music showed that background music can enhance mood and reduce cortisol in students during exam periods [source].
🎶 Try:
- “Lo-fi beats to study/relax” on YouTube
- Mozart or Debussy (great for math and reading)
- Binaural beats (Alpha waves for relaxation)
✅ 7. Nature Exposure (Even a 10-Minute Walk)
During exam prep, most students lock themselves indoors. But your mind needs green space as much as your body needs water.
Just 10–20 minutes in a park, garden, or balcony with plants can:
- Lower blood pressure
- Improve concentration
- Relieve mental fatigue
🌳 Research from Environmental Health Perspectives found that green exposure improves mental clarity and reduces exam-related stress markers in high school students [source].
✅ 8. Journaling to Offload Stress
When I ask students to try journaling, they often say:
“Sir, I don’t know what to write.”
Here’s what I suggest: just dump your thoughts. No grammar, no judgment. Write like you’re venting to a friend.
What this does is clear your mind’s clutter, which helps reduce overthinking before exams.
Try journaling:
- At night before bed
- When you’re stuck and anxious
- After study sessions (what worked, what didn’t)
🖊 A study in The Journal of Educational Psychology found that expressive writing reduces rumination and enhances problem-solving in students under exam pressure [source].
✅ 9. Stretching or Light Yoga
Sitting for hours tightens your muscles and increases body tension. Even a 5-minute stretch routine can relieve physical anxiety.
You don’t need a mat or a teacher. Just try:
- Neck rolls
- Shoulder shrugs
- Forward bends
- Cat-cow stretches
If you want a full sequence, try “Yoga with Adriene” on YouTube—her 10-minute stress relief videos are excellent.
🧘♂️ According to a 2019 study published in The International Journal of Yoga, students who practiced yoga daily had lower cortisol levels and reported better sleep and mood [source].
✅ 10. Scheduled Worry Time (Yes, Really)
This one is quirky but effective.
Instead of letting your brain worry all day, set a 15-minute window to deliberately worry. Sit down, and let your anxious thoughts run wild.
After 15 minutes, tell yourself:
“Worry time is over. I’ll deal with these thoughts tomorrow.”
It trains your mind to contain its anxiety to a controlled space.
🧠 Cognitive behavioral therapists use this as part of treatment for anxiety disorders, and it has proven effective in student stress management [source].
💡 Bonus: Make a Relaxation Toolbox
Here’s something I encourage every student to create—a personal relaxation toolkit.
Fill it with:
- A favorite quote or mantra
- A playlist of calming music
- A few drops of essential oil
- Flashcards or doodle sheets
- A quick breathwork guide
- A timer for Pomodoro breaks
When stress hits, open your kit, pick a technique, and breathe.
🧑🏫 Final Words from Sir
I tell all my students this, especially during board season:
“If you want to perform like a topper, you need to rest like one too.”
Relaxation is not laziness. It’s preparation.
Build relaxation into your day just like you build in revision.
Your mind deserves care—especially when you’re asking it to work its hardest.
Stay calm. Study smart. And know that even the toppers get nervous—they just know how to manage it.
— Hiron Pegu, Educator & Blogger at ExamCalc