Meditation & Anxiety - Exams and Study. What you can do to reduce anxiety and stress

(c) Dawn Meredith 2012

Quite a lot of people suffer with anxiety. Its much more common than you think! And because the physical symptoms are so REAL, (such as sweating, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain) we feel like something is terribly wrong with our body. Stress, especially over a long period, (and I'm talking about real stress, not the dilemma of whether you should buy those red shoes/new computer game or not) depletes many helpful, feel-good chemicals in our brains and even slows conductivity between neurons in the brain, resulting in sluggishness, poor concentration, poor memory, depression and anxiety. Some people can also become hyper-active, fidgety and unsettled.

I've been reading about IBMT, developed by a Chinese doctor and researcher, Dr Y.Y. Tang, who has scientifically proven through use of MRI and other methods that certain types of guided meditation can reverse the above symptoms. Yes, that's right, you can make them go away!

IBMT involves cognitive therapy, using your thoughts and awareness of your own thought patterns, to affect how your body feels. Music and a coach are components for this program, but any meditation CD that supplies music and instruction on how to focus your attention on your breathing, visualisation and thought patterns will be of benefit. Here's a four minute beginner exercise you might like to try. mindfulness exercise
If this is all new to you, it might seem a bit weird at first. You might not even be aware of your own thoughts, while you're even thinking them, such as, "I wonder what that is, on the carpet?" or, "My arm feels a bit sore". You think you're focusing completely on something, like that PDHP assignment, but you're actually distracted by every little thing around you, including your own body!

Give it a go. If you're stressed about exams or study, this 4 minute exercise could make a huge difference to how you feel, right now. mindfulness exercise

There are also other practical things you can do to increase your brain power and boost your health.
1. - instead of hitting the coffee at all hours and feeling decidedly frowsy, try fresh juices instead. First thing in the morning, whip up a carrot and apple juice, with fresh mint leaves, if you have them. I guarantee you'll feel perkier straight away and your digestion will be a lot happier too.
2. - get adequate sleep. If you have to take a sleeping pill to break a bad sleeping cycle, try an over the counter preparation before heading to the doctor's for a script. Also, make sure your bed is a place of rest, not a study bench or an eating place. Sprinkle some drops of lavender essential oil on your pillow and read, rather than playing computer games or catching up on emails.
cheers, Dawn