15 Ways To Keep Yourself Mentally Fit Before The CAT Exam
Hey there, CAT aspirant. With the exams just round the corner, it’s normal to feel anxious about the exam day. You would have prepared so much over the past few months and as the date gets nearer and nearer, you might begin to overthink if your preparation is enough, if you have covered all the concepts, if you have given enough mock tests. It’s alright. Rule number 1 to ace the CAT: Don’t sweat it. Be confident about yourself and that is what matters. A pandemic of this magnitude was not witnessed by generations, it’s completely new and also challenging for many to handle the increasing stress levels by just staying confined within the four walls, especially in students who are preparing for competitive exams like CAT. So, it’s really important to know how to combat this and keep yourself mentally fit to ace the CAT.
Here are my 15 suggestions, let’s go :
- Turn towards meditation
It’s known to us how mediation helps to calm one’s mind and with constant practice every day, the positive impact it will have in your mind is huge, resulting in better stress relief and a relaxed mind. At least a 10-minute session is great to keep yourself calm and composed during the day.
- Stop overthinking
Because of exam preparations for several months in the past and self-set high expectations for yourself, overthinking ‘what if my results don’t match my expectation’, is bound to happen. This increases your stress levels and along with it comes a factor which might demotivate you by making you feel low. So it’s best to not let the mind wander about what’s going to happen on result day and instead focus on studies by revising the concepts which you have studied so far.
- Set daily goals
Challenging yourself with small achievable goals will be a good start to get yourself back on track. Give yourself small daily tasks and focus on completing them. When you look at the list of things you completed on that day, you will feel better about the things you worked on and completed, even if it is small.
- Pick up your hobby
Everyone loves spending time on their hobbies and no matter how stressed you are, the hobbies which you love always help you feel relaxed. So, whenever you feel too stressed or low, pick up that guitar and play that song you love, draw shinchan, dance to your favourite tune or do anything that makes you forget your worries.
- Contact distant loved ones
It’s really hard being away from your loved ones for so long but hey it’s not impossible to talk to them, so call them right up. You have the technology to reach out to your loved ones via video calls, at the click of a button. So dialling them whenever you feel off also helps in feeling better. Who doesn’t love talking to their favourite person? Not me.
- Watch motivational videos
It is also good to surf through motivational videos when you feel like you are not able to perform anything productive. These videos give you inspiration and a refreshing thought that makes you feel positive about yourself, thereby helping your mind to relax and focus better.
- Learn new things
This is the best time to learn new things which you always wanted to. Just studying the whole day is not going to be as productive as having a small change in between the studies by trying out new things which you always wanted to but never found the time for.
- Breathe fresh air
Felling locked inside your house and just looking at the four walls besides the book, could make you feel off at times. Going outside isn’t safe yet, so walk to your terrace, watch the sky, wave a hand, trace the fresh wind and breathe. And also smile because it’s all going to get normal soon.
- Listen to soothing music
Having a soothing music in the background during long study sessions helps some (see if it works for you), it helps calming your mind and prevents distracting thoughts which helps you to focus on your work productively.
- Be around positive people
You don’t need to be around someone who makes you feel bad about yourself. Never be around pessimistic people. Surround yourself with positive people because where you go in life also depends on whom you let closer in life.
- Better lifestyle choices
Eating healthy food, eating on time and sleeping for a minimum of 6-7 hours is a good way to keep yourself physically and mentally rejuvenated. Involving yourself with exercise and yoga helps improve your focus levels. Remember this, in order to get a good career in the long run, you have to start prioritizing your health from now.
- Try Pomodoro Study Sessions
Pomodoro is a technique in which you can work for 25 minutes and take a break for 5 minutes which helps you stay focused on your tasks better and in that 5 minutes break you can listen to music, talk to your friend or do anything which refreshes you.
- Plan study sessions with friends
Online study sessions with friends has worked for people as well. It makes them feel like they are not alone. Clearing doubts in these sessions and having small talks during breaks ensure that the study session is not one-way and monotonous, but something that mutually benefits everyone.
- It’s okay to feel low
It is completely normal, if yesterday you felt highly productive and today you feel completely low. If you couldn’t complete few tasks that you planned for the day, it is okay. Take a break, don’t go hard on yourself. There is a tomorrow.
- Talk to loved ones and reach out for help
If you find it difficult to handle the stress by yourself then you can reach out to someone in your family or a close friend whom you trust and feel can guide you in the best way and help you feel better. It’s okay to share what you are feeling with others. It’s okay to feel like you need an ear to listen to you. Sharing your emotions doesn’t make you weak. It makes you strong.
These are our suggestions, try what works best for you. Most importantly, do not lose your hope of everything going to normal again. Keep believing in yourself, because you have come a long way, with focus and determination, just a few more steps and you are in. Brighter days ahead.
For a structured CAT preparation and one-on one counselling, visit the link below.
To join India’s largest CAT preparation community and for free 24*7 doubt clarification, join the group linked below.
