Relaxation techniques vary from person to person somewhat, but I know many people find some form of meditation or centering can help them to calm down and be in the moment – whether that's as simple as some deep breathes, or envisioning themselves in a peaceful environment, or actually meditating for a few minutes before the exam. I do a weird thing that I don't even rightly know how to explain, but it works for me, so I'll try. 😀 To start with, I put my hand in a fist with 2 fingers pointing straight up, and hold it up to the center of my face (so the fingers are on my forehead and the fist is in my nose), then I pull it down in a straight line, till my hand is about even with my tummy, and for me this has a calming/centering effect – somehow it helps bring all of me into focus, kind of like when you're trying to go cross-eyed and hold a finger out in front of your eyes, then pull it in towards your nose to focus on. Somehow centering my focus on my hand at the head, then pulling it down along the center of my body, has the same focusing effect for some reason (or sometimes even just putting my hand into the fingers-up-first and/or up to my head is enough to bring about the focus). I've done it a couple times sitting here to try to figure out how to explain it, and I feel much more relaxed and “together” and able to be productive than I have all morning (kinda sick this morning and dreading the week, so haven't been feeling either).
However…I know this is weird. I don't expect it to work for anyone else. 🙂 But anytime I was taking a test and I started to feel myself getting nervous to the point I couldn't focus/think, I'd just do that, and it calmed me down and got me focused on what I was doing again. I think the specific item that works probably varies for each person and is just a matter of finding what it is. I would think that someone who is religious might find that folding their hands like for prayer would have a similar effect; someone who is into yoga putting their hands out in a yoga pose might have a similar effect; etc. I think something that has a physical movement helps to get mind and body in the same state, as opposed to just a thought alone, which I think is part of why deep breaths work for so many people.
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