Maturity exams, anti anxiety strategies at the table and at the desk - Lifestyle

Anxiety and stress: the maturity exam, test and fundamental in the life of every person, an event that we will always remember, is also linked to the emotional state with which they prepare, in endless review sessions, nights to which memories and unique sensations that will carry around forever.

Psychologists and nutritionists agree in recommending some precautions to best face this particular period: correct rest, healthy nutrition, correct hydration, and attention not to spend too much time in front of the screen, can help the graduates to get to the best on the day of the exam.

This is what emerges from a study by In a Bottle (https://www.inabottle.it) on about 30 experts including psychiatrists, psychologists and nutritionists, who explain how to best prepare for the exams. 

Explains Dr. Vera Slepoj, psychologist and writer: "The pandemic has generated a series of problems that students are becoming aware of in this last period: this year the boys have experienced severe hardships, linked to not being able to perform regularly the school year and the lack of traditional and physical sociality: distance learning has represented a fairly effective palliative, but nothing will ever be able to prepare a student properly if not the daily confrontation and in person with a teacher. Digital natives, it was thought that young people accustomed to the world of the Internet would not be affected by spending the morning of classes in front of a screen. Instead, staying still at the computer has created imbalances, generating melancholy and depressive states,especially if you finish the lessons in DAD this experience extends with mobile phones and video games during the rest of the day. To have a fresher mind,

, it is recommended for young people, in this period in search of greater serenity and mental brilliance, to alternate the time dedicated to study with healthy distractions: take a walk with a friend, read a book, play a minimal physical activity can

can facilitate rest during the night and consequently have greater clarity the next morning. "

Lucidity and reactivity to the state exam may also depend on the adoption of a correct diet. As nutrition experts note, wrong behaviors such as eating in a disordered way during the day (32%) and exceeding with carbonated drinks or drinks rich in caffeine and theine (38%) can be at the basis of those cognitive disorders related to the ability to concentrate, thus compromising the level of attention in high school students.

Dr. Annalisa Olivotti, nutritionist and specialized biologist who collaborates with the University of Florence explains it to us:

green light therefore to fruit, vegetables, fish, without exceeding with foods rich in sugars and fats, which would strain the digestive system and consequently also the mental clarity. A

a period also particularly hot like this, and proper consumption of fruits and vegetables can promote the proper reintegration of vitamins and minerals. "First of all, it is essential that there is the right amount of water, therefore 1 and a half liters / 2.

are particularly recommended.

, capable of promoting the correct reintegration of mineral salts. It is also possible to drink fruit juices, which are easily digestible and which help to achieve the correct balance of vitamins for the body ". Finally, do not commit some mistakes that can jeopardize a correct diet in such a delicate period for the graduates. “We need to

and eat regular meals instead: a good breakfast rich in yogurt and fruit is recommended especially on exam days so as not to be too exhausted during the morning. Fruit snacks are recommended as a snack, perhaps as a break during the study in mid-morning or afternoon, while in the evening it is better not too abundant dinners that can compromise the night's rest. Eating fish, in particular the blue fish which has an anti-inflammatory effect, helps for its high digestibility and for the supply of phosphorus ".

Does the study examine the main moods in which students approach maturity? For experts, the greatest feelings experienced in this period are anxiety (34%) and stress (37%), insecurity (25%), mainly due to the particular ways in which the maturity will take place. This year, in fact, the two canonical written tests will be replaced with a single reinforced interview that will last about an hour and will be divided into 4 phases, in which there will also be space for the experiences of paths for transversal skills and for the orientation, with the commission that will be internal with the exception of the president, the only external member.But what are the problems that can generate what experts have dubbed as "maturity performance anxiety"? For the majority of experts (34%) the greatest risk is that of being not very lucid because they rest little and badly during the night or in the afternoon. For psychologists and experts, the fear of not being sufficiently prepared for the oral interview (32%), the uncertainty for the new type of maturity exam (26%), the not having had the opportunity to compare better with their professors during the year (22%), the commission chairman (14%). The possible consequences? The risk for the experts is to present themselves with a trembling voice in front of the commission (21%),or get to the day of the exam completely on tilt and with memory lapses (26%) thus frustrating the whole study of the previous months.