The month of October, especially for a MLWGS student, can bring plenty of opportunities to suffer from debilitating anxiety–namely, the dread of PSAT testing. While people rarely run from tests the same way they run from haunted houses, test anxiety and the reaction to “jump-scares” share the same neurological roots. 

Fear has existed longer than humankind. It is what kept cavemen safe in prehistoric times, when nothing was guaranteed and everything was a threat. This is where the fear response was useful, as it was often what saved them from being a larger predator’s dinner. That same response has endured millions of years of evolution and is why modern homo sapiens suffer crippling anxiety so frequently.

Although the human brain is constantly changing and evolving, much of it remains the same, including the amygdala–the walnut-sized structure located near the brainstem. The amygdala’s main function is producing the fight-or-flight response and other acute emotions such as anger and excitement. Also called the “lizard brain,” the amygdala is one of the most primal parts of the brain, as it has little to no capacity for reasoning or producing rational behavior. 

The fight-or-flight response places a lot of strain on the body as it prepares to tackle the beast, whether real or imagined. Usually, both heart rate and respiratory rate drastically increase, while the stomach and bladder empty immediately (why students often use the bathroom so much before testing). These symptoms result from the impact of the amygdala on the autonomic nervous system (an entire subject beyond the scope of this article).  Once the perceived threat has passed and the body rebalances, many people report feeling shaky, fatigued, or ill. The aftermath of the fight-or-flight response is not unlike that of running a marathon–both take a great toll on the mind and body, and can be difficult to recover from. 

In these situations, the rational thought processes that usually dominate our minds seem to vanish, leaving only the most primitive reactions. Cavemen didn’t have time to waste on calculating escape routes or negotiating with their enemies–they just had to run. This is why the mind often feels “empty” during fits of anxiety, since the amygdala and brainstem take over. Performing tasks that demand concentration, such as testing or driving, is often nearly impossible in such a state, and attempting to do so without taking the time to calm down can have bad consequences. 

None of this sounds like a good way to react to something as non-threatening as testing, or anything less than a ravenous lion (or dragon) appearing out of nowhere. Yet, so many students suffer this exact response during every assessment, from insignificant mini-quizzes to the infamous SAT. 

Beyond the school setting, there are many instances that unnecessarily provoke the fight-or-flight response. Aside from the obvious scares of the Halloween season, common  triggers can include getting lost on the way to work, losing a valuable item, having an argument, or hearing aggressive animal noises like an angry, barking dog. Since it is practically impossible to avoid every trigger and never become stressed, it is important to learn to manage the stress response rather than give in to it. 

For this purpose, modern humans have devised many coping mechanisms. While they may not ease the terror of a haunted house, they may save students from needless pain and suffering during exams. Simple breathing exercises such as the 4-7-8 breathing technique, (inhale for four seconds, hold for seven, and exhale for eight) are often used to ease anxiety and help people fall asleep. A popular stress-relief technique that has been proven to be beneficial to overall health as well is meditation. And while there are many free or low-cost apps for guided meditation available online, discussing anxieties with a trusted adult or friend, or visiting the school counselor, is also an effective method to manage anxiety symptoms. 

For MLWGS students specifically, the mindfulness room, located in the counseling office, is a great place to catch up on homework in a peaceful environment, or to destress during lunch. Our very own resource-eress, librarian Wendy DeGroat, is a qualified mindfulness teacher, often collaborating with the honor council to provide mindfulness sessions or relaxing activities for students during the most stressful times of the academic year.

There is no denying it–life is often very stressful, both at Maggie Walker and outside of school.  However, when armed with tools to push past the initial wave of panic and to cope with lingering anxieties, people can minimize the time they spend in fight-or-flight and maximize their ability to feel relaxed and succeed.