STRATEGIES Ways to reduce stress

Pupils, parents, teachers and administrators undergo periods of anxiety preparing for and during standardized achievement tests because the results often determine a child's future placement in school and are increasingly seen as a measure of teacher and school competence. Dr. Kathleen Hall, founder of The Stress Institute, has developed strategies to reduce stress for test-takers and offers these tips on how to maximize scores by managing stress:
Eat blueberries and bananas, foods that increase your serotonin, which helps open the brain channels. Foods with B-6, protein and complex carbs such as sweet potatoes, turkey, rice, sunflower seeds, tuna, whole grain breads, pasta, cereals and fruit do the same.
Wear your favorite color to the test. Science shows that color greatly influences our mood, productivity and creativity.
Walk around the block. Exercise produces endorphins (healing hormones) almost immediately, which helps lower cortisol effectively and reduces stress.
Rent a comedy or listen to a funny CD. Laughter has been scientifically proven to reduce stress hormones and release endorphins.
Take a hot bath the night before the test and use aromatherapy candles. Water reduces stress in the mind, body and soul. The morning of the test, turn on the faucet and put your hands (up to your wrists) under the water. Take a deep breath and clear your mind for one minute.
Maintain an "attitude of gratitude." It is physiologically impossible to be grateful and experience stress at the same time.
See the others in the testing room as a community. Viewing your fellow testers as a team will increase your feeling of safety and decrease your heart rate.
Repeat positive affirmations such as "I will do my best today" or "All is well."
Remember to breathe deeply. Most people take shallow breaths when they are stressed, which starves the body and brain of oxygen.
Practice guided imagery. Take a deep breath and imagine you are in a safe place.