Why is studying the causes of test anxiety important?

Some students have difficulty stopping their negative self-talk. These students cannot just tell

themselves to eliminate those thoughts. These students need to use a thought-stopping technique

to overcome their worry and become relaxed.

To stop your thoughts in the classroom or during a test, silently shout to yourself "Stop" or "Stop

thinking about that." After your silent shout, either relax yourself or repeat one of your positive selftalk

statements. You may have to shout to yourself several times during a test or while doing

homework to control negative self-talk. After every shout, use a different relaxation technique/scene

or positive self-talk statement.

Thought stopping works because it interrupts the worry response before it can cause high anxiety

or negative emotions. During the interruption, you can replace negative self-talk with positive selftalk

statements or relaxation. Students with high worry anxiety should practice this technique three

days to one week before taking a test. Contact the campus counselor if you have additional questions

about how to reduce test anxiety/negative self-talk statements