The stress of final exams can be overwhelming. One unique way to reduce stress and improve your chances on finals is through visualization. Forming a detailed, positive mental picture of yourself succeeding on your tests is a simple way to gain an advantage. Here’s how:

The power of positive thinking

Your brain can do amazing things. (And during finals, you want it to!) There has been much-recorded evidence of how “visualization” can affect performance. In fact, some studies have shown that mentally picturing something can be almost as effective as actually doing it.

Guang Yue, an exercise psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic studied people who actually went to the gym and compared them with people who did “virtual workouts in their heads.” The results were very surprising. The group who went to the gym experienced a 30% muscle increase. The group who “mentally worked out,” however, increased their muscle strength by 13.5%. Without setting foot in a gym. His conclusion was that the biggest benefit would be to do both – actual and visualized workouts.

So how does this apply to you?

Visualize your success

Visualize yourself studying and doing well on your finals can not only help you earn better scores, but also reduce excess stress you may be feeling. Visualizing is a form of light hypnosis. The mental images you form tell your brain that these scenarios are real. Your subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between things you imagine and things that are real.

It only takes a few minutes each day, but the results could be dramatic.

Visualize yourself in the test-taking room. Form a mental image of the people around you, what the room looks, smells and feels like. Most importantly, imagine yourself being confident, relaxed, and doing very well on the exam. It also helps to visualize the results of your success. Picture what your exam will look like with an “A” on it. Picture your college diploma on the wall. Picture yourself doing a job you really love because of the degree you earned.

If your brain thinks it’s possible, it is.

For a good example of how this is done, read this article written by a person studying for the bar exam. 

Visualize completing your degree

For the bigger picture, visualize everyone you know looking at you as a college graduate. Envision the jobs you will obtain and the career success you will have. And imagine how satisfying it will all feel.

Complete 2 Compete can help make your visualizations a reality. C2C helps Mississippi adults identify the clearest pathway to a degree and offers the support of a C2C coach along the way. Contact us today to find out what we can do for you.