Mindfulness activities (Guardian Teacher Network, 2014)
Why?
Mindfulness can reduce anxiety. Student anxiety is linked to lower exam scores; anxious students may be well-prepared but unable to perform well.
Examples
Simple breathing exercises: breathe in through the nose to a count of three, hold for a count of three, and breathe out through the mouth for a count of four. Increase breathing in and out counts gradually.
Basic mindfulness activity: silently identify one seen object, one sound, one smell, one taste, and one tactile sensation in the immediate environment.
Mindfulness meditation: eyes closed or open, breathe in a natural rhythm and focus on the breath.
Suggestions for implementation
Prepare one or two activities and practice giving the instructions beforehand so you can ensure you are explaining well.
Practice the mindfulness activity with the class on another (non-exam) day first so the introduction of an unfamiliar activity doesn’t add to exam anxiety for some students.
Announce ahead of time that the first three to five minutes of the exam period will be spent on a mindfulness activity so students are not surprised.
Allow students to take out their pens, pencils, calculators, etc. before beginning an exam.
References
[1] Guardian Teacher Network. (2014). How to teach … coping with exam stress.
Have a question that was not answered in this article? Visit our FAQs.
While this resource is accessible worldwide, McGill University is on land which has served and continues to serve as a site of meeting and exchange amongst Indigenous peoples, including the Haudenosaunee and Anishinabeg nations. Teaching and Learning Services acknowledges and thanks the diverse Indigenous peoples whose footsteps mark this territory on which peoples of the world now gather. This land acknowledgment is shared as a starting point to provide context for further learning and action.
McLennan Library Building 3415 McTavish Street Suite MS-12(ground level), Montreal, Quebec H3A 0C8 | Tel.: 514-398-6648 | Fax: 514-398-8465 | Email: tls@mcgill.ca