Emotionally Preparing for Step One

Karin E. Nilsson, Ph.D.

UCD SOM Wellness Workshop Student Health and Counseling Services/

Office of Student WellnessJanuary 22, 2015

Components of Emotional Preparedness

Arousal Management

Health Maintenance

Planning and Study Skills Social Support

Performance Arousal Curve, a.k.a. the Yerkes-Dodson Law

Perfectionism/Arousal

Per

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Don’t Let the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good

Procrastination can be a result of perfectionism—avoiding the anxiety can lead to avoiding the activity

Not all perfectionism is harmful. But fear of not being perfect can prevent us from starting, for fear of failing or not being good enough.

Putting off starting till we don’t have time to rest can help us avoid experiencing when things are half-done and feel less than perfect.

Not allowing enough time to do our best sets up an excuse to not be perfect.

So…we need to manage the fear of not being good enough without using procrastination.

Perfectionism-Procrastination Relationship

Arousal Management

Positive self-talk: accurate, believable Relaxation—recreation, time with friends Exercise Meditation: free downloadable MP3s at

https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/resources/podcasts/#.VLmNEVql2eg

Good nutrition Avoid over-caffeinating/substance use SLEEP—this is a marathon, not a sprint, your

brain needs sleep to learn

Positive Self Talk

Avoid comparing your insides to others’ outsides

Identify specific, believable, accurate things you can say to yourself

Avoid generalizations Do one nice thing for yourself each day. e.g.,

listen to a favorite piece of music, talk to a friend, take a walk in a beautiful place, take a yoga class

Importance of Sleep

Evidence that sleep helps consolidate material learned during the day

Establishing a good, strong circardian rhythym will help on the day of the test

Sleep helps prevent illness, helps us manage anxious feelings

Sleep deprivation leads to reduced performance Sleep has not been eliminated for any animal

through evolution—it must be vital to have persisted through natural selection when we are so vulnerable when we’re asleep!!

Making a Study Plan

Setting Useful GoalsUsing your assessment

informationUsing the Buddy system

“SMART” GOALS

SpecificMeasurableAchievable/AdjustableRealisticTime-framed

Things to Remember about Study Planning

Build in breaks every day Build in “catch up” or rest days Be honest with yourself about other

commitments you may have. Build them into your plan—everyone will know what to expect

Use daylight hours—also promotes good sleep Plan blocks of time, not the whole day as one

chunk Prioritize the day’s tasks in case you have to

make adjustments

Study Skills revisited

New evidence suggests that mixing up where you study helps you learn

Alternating among different aspects of a topic helps form stronger memories of that topic

Test taking increases learning—retrieval helps strengthen memory

Mimic Test-Taking Environment: Multi-tasking is not helpful; turn off email, Facebook, Instagram, news feeds, YouTube. Take breaks and enjoy connecting, but avoid quickly alternating among activities—it is detrimental to concentration and learning.

Self-Assessment in Planning

Use results of pre-assessment as a tool, not a measure of your value or future success

Acknowledge which subjects you struggle with and which you enjoy. Intersperse the hard stuff with stuff you feel good studying, but prioritize so you don’t spend too much time studying topics you already know.

Accountability Buddies

Talk about expectations: Feedback? Just listening? Rewards? How frequent shall the check-ins be?

Not necessary to pick someone you are close to—sometimes having a buddy who is only an acquaintance can be helpful.

Time Management Matrix

QI – Quadrant of Urgency

CrisesPressing problemsDeadline-driven projectsSome meetings

QII – Quadrant of Quality

Preparation, preventionValues clarificationPersonal development, self-carePlanningRelationship buildingTrue recreation (re-creation)

QII – Quadrant of Quality

Preparation, preventionValues clarificationPersonal development, self-carePlanningRelationship buildingTrue recreation (re-creation)

QIII – Quadrant of Deception

Interruptions, some phone callsSome mail, some reportsSome meetingsMany nearby, pressing mattersMany popular activities

QIV – Quadrant of Waste

Trivia, busyworkSome phone callsTime wasters“Escape” activitiesIrrelevant mail Excessive TVExcessive video games

Urgent Not UrgentIm

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Choose One Thing You Will Do Today

Questions and Answers