Imagine Yourself Succeeding

This next little group of exercises is both physical and mental. They’re a natural follow-up to what you’ve just accomplished with
your lists.

COUNSELING

Don’t forget that your school probably has counseling available. If you can’t conquer test stress on your own, make an

appointment at the counseling center. That’s what counselors are there for.

First, get yourself into a comfortable sitting position in a quiet setting. Wear loose clothes. If you wear glasses, take them off. Then,
close your eyes and breathe in a deep, satisfying breath of air. Really fill your lungs until your rib cage is fully expanded and you
can’t take in any more. Then, exhale the air completely. Imagine you’re blowing out a candle with your last little puff of air. Do this
two or three more times, filling your lungs to their maximum and emptying them totally. Keep your eyes closed, comfortably but not
tightly. Let your body sink deeper into the chair as you become even more comfortable.

With your eyes shut you can notice something very interesting. You’re no longer dealing with the worrisome stuff going on in the
world outside of you. Now you can concentrate on what happens inside you. The more you recognize your own physical reactions to
stress and anxiety, the more you can do about them. You might not realize it, but you’ve begun to regain a sense of being in control.

Let images begin to form on the “viewing screens” on the back of your eyelids. You’re experiencing visualizations from the place in
your mind that makes pictures. Allow the images to come easily and naturally; don’t force them. Imagine yourself in a relaxing
situation. It might be in a special place you’ve visited before or one you’ve read about. It can be a fictional location that you create
in your imagination, but a real-life memory of a place or situation you know is usually better. Make it as detailed as possible and
notice as much as you can.

TAKE A HIKE, PAL

When you’re in the middle of studying and hit a wall, take a short, brisk walk. Breathe deeply and swing your arms as you

walk. Clear your mind. (And, don’t forget to look for flowers that grow in the cracks of the sidewalk.)

Stay focused on the images as you sink farther back into your chair. Breathe easily and naturally. You might have the sensations of
stress or tension draining from your muscles and flowing downward, out your feet, and away from you.