The Post Exam Wind Down (2 mins read)
"Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes...Including you."
Anne Lamott
The exam is done. Euphoria sets in and life is no longer on pause.
Whilst many of you will be able to jump right back into a routine, some of you might struggle.
Read ahead if you want to know some researched ways to reframe, rebalance and reset yourself :).
1. Reframe and Declutter
The exam can be an emotional rollercoaster.
To help you reset, reframe your experiences through tidying your mind and your environment
“Pack those notes away. Tidy up your room. Take down the whiteboard with the brachial plexus.
Write down your emotions, questions you absolutely smashed, or those strange curveballs that you couldn’t quite answer. “
There has been consistent evidence that expressive writing can improve overall health, however the mechanisms are yet to be understood. (1)
Nevertheless, a 10 minute purge of thoughts doesn’t harm anyone :).
2. Rebalance your cortisol
Medical school taught us that cortisol is the body’s ultimate adaptation hormone. It enables us to function at our best.
However, when unbalanced, it causes a reduction in the ability to cope with external stress, impaired learning and essentially, ageing of the brain (2). Yes, brain ageing!
Below are 5 tips can help you to get your cortisol levels back in balance.
USE NATURE: 20 minutes in nature is enough to reduce cortisol levels. Extend it to 30 minutes for better results (3).
EXERCISE: Both low and high intensity movement resets cortisol levels (4).
BREATHE: Diaphragmatic breathing (that deep belly breath in) is an ancient technique practiced in meditation practices and martial arts. A study looking at diaphragmatic breathing helps to rebalance cortisol levels, improve mood and ease anxiety. Give it a go, or a breath in (through your nose!) (5).
SLEEP: Cortisol secretion is controlled by your circadian rhythm, which relies on sleep. Pay attention to your sleep, More info can be found here —-> https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene.
EAT: A good balanced diet will help to regulate cortisol, and supplements such as vitamin D can also help to stabilise this hormone (6).
3. Restart
Do all the above and in no time you will have found your new post-exam routine.
Take the time to celebrate your achievement of making it to the frca examination. You got this :).
Examinations are unfortunately a part of our careers, however they should not get in the way of our health. I hope these tips help you to reframe, rebalance and reset your life.
The FRCA is an uphill battle which you will conquer. We wish you the best of luck for these exams!
Psst: And once you pass we look forward to you coming back join us and get others like yourself through these tough times. :D
References
Pennebaker JW. Expressive Writing in Psychological Science. Perspectives on Psychological Science. 2018;13(2):226-229. doi:10.1177/1745691617707315
McEwen BS. What Is the Confusion With Cortisol? Chronic Stress. January 2019. doi:10.1177/2470547019833647
Mary Carol R. Hunter, Brenda W. Gillespie, Sophie Yu-Pu Chen. Urban Nature Experiences Reduce Stress in the Context of Daily Life Based on Salivary Biomarkers. Frontiers in Psychology, 2019; 10 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00722
Hill, E.E., Zack, E., Battaglini, C. et al. Exercise and circulating Cortisol levels: The intensity threshold effect. J Endocrinol Invest 31, 587–591 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03345606
Ma X, Yue ZQ, Gong ZQ, et al. The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults. Front Psychol. 2017;8:874. Published 2017 Jun 6. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874
Stachowicz, M., Lebiedzińska, A. The effect of diet components on the level of cortisol. Eur Food Res Technol 242, 2001–2009 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00217-016-2772-3
