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Five reasons to meditate during exam season

You may have heard people say that meditation is helpful when managing stressful situations like exams, and studies show that students who meditate before an exam perform better than students who do not.

But what exactly are the benefits? And how can these be enhanced by classical music? Here are five reasons to try meditation during exam season, and links to guided meditations from The Music and Meditation Podcast to get you started.

1. Improve concentration, comprehension and memory

Finding some peaceful time to centre yourself can really help exam performance. Meditation lessens the panicked "fight or flight" response we naturally experience in stressful situations, and for exams this means you’re more likely to understand the questions clearly, recall the things you’ve learnt during exam preparation and keep focussed for longer.

Listening to classical music has also similar effects on the brain of improving concentration, so the combination of music and meditation is sure to be a winner! This meditation from Jimmy Wightman aka That Meditation Guy helps you to be more present in the moment.

2. Reduce anxiety, stress and depression

There’s no doubt that exams are stressful and anxiety levels are likely to be higher in exam season than at other times of year. This is totally natural and understandable, yet there are ways to soothe your nervous system that lessen the accumulative effect stress and anxiety have on your body and mind over time, which can lead to depression if not addressed. Meditation might not remove stress and anxiety completely, but instead it gives you the tools to respond better to it going forward. Try Jambo Truong’s meditation to help ease anxiety.

3. Increase your confidence

A lot of exam success rests on the frame of mind you are in at the time, so feeling confident in yourself, your abilities and your preparation is important.

Meditation can really help you build your confidence and sense of self, especially when using positive affirmations or mantras to keep in mind.

These are little phrases to help you focus during meditation that you can keep coming back to even when you’re not meditating, to bring back the sense of calm and confidence you experienced during meditation.

Remind yourself that you are enough with this meditation from Michael James Wong.

Podcast host and singer-songwriter NAO introduces this unique series on music and meditation designed to combat the challenges of daily life.

4. Gain perspective and trust your instincts

Exams can really pile on the pressure in the short and long term – how the exam is going to go and what grade you’ll get, but also how the results will impact your future. Meditation is great for gaining perspective: noticing the niggling worries in your head and starting to observe them and let them go rather than getting caught up in the detail. Being calmer and more centred also helps you trust your instincts, and equips you to deal with worries about the future.

This meditation with Emma Cannon helps you to trust your instincts.

5. Allow your body and mind to recover

Exam season is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s important to pace yourself and build in rest and recovery time for your body and mind to avoid exhaustion before you reach the end of your exams. A ten minute meditation can sometimes feel as rejuvenating and refreshing as a nap.

Try this meditation from Dr Julie Smith to help beat burnout.

To find out more about meditation, where to start and how it can help everyday life, listen to full episodes of The Music and Meditation Podcast.

Written by Charlotte Parr, yoga and meditation teacher and co-producer of The Music & Meditation Podcast

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