The following research aims to reduce exam anxiety and stress in university students through an intervention based on playful activities. Participation in the research will be voluntary, requiring informed consent, in a specially prepared space.
The intervention proposes to address this need through the use of brief expressive and somatic techniques, such as guided drawing, body movement, and symbolic reinterpretation. These practices activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting states of calm and security that improve cognitive performance.
The intervention lasts 20 minutes in a single session, integrating spontaneous drawing, guided emotional self-reflection, and gentle body exercises.
In addition, brain activity will be recorded using electroencephalography (EEG) during the intervention in a subgroup of participants with the Emotiv Epoc X device. This will allow for the objective observation of the modulation of brain activity in response to the emotional stimulus of the exam and the measurement of possible changes in electrical patterns associated with states of anxiety, attention, and working memory. Accompanied by a brief subjective self-report of perceived anxiety level.
The intervention consists of three steps:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (5 minutes): This behavioral therapy aims to increase psychological flexibility. It focuses on accepting negative thoughts and emotions, clarifying goals, and being fully present in the moment (Mindfulness).
This therapy is further carried out in four steps:
- Grounding: Sit upright with your feet flat on the floor and your hands in a comfortable position. Inhale deeply through your nose and then exhale through your mouth (3 times). Mentally repeat, "I am here, in this place, in this moment, and my body is with me."
- Mindful Acceptance: Notice any symptoms: a knot in your stomach, palpitations, sweaty palms. Instead of trying to fight these, accept them as part of the anxiety and stress; simply "let it be." 3. Cognitive defusion involves separating oneself from negative thoughts and understanding them as something external to the person.
- Reconnecting with goals involves focusing on the "why" of the moment.
Guided drawing (5-10 minutes): This is a form of art-based therapy that uses structured graphic activities to explore and represent emotions or thoughts.
It involves drawing on a sheet of paper a representation of how anxiety is perceived at that moment. The drawing doesn't need to be aesthetically pleasing or "pretty"; simply use lines or shapes that represent the perceived feelings, and use colors if desired.
Afterward, draw something that represents a personal skill that will help you cope with the exam.
Micro-body practice (5 minutes): This involves small somatic interventions that regulate the autonomic nervous system by stimulating the vagus nerve. It includes conscious movement and breathing.
Conscious movements: While standing or sitting, focus your attention on the soles of your feet, gently pressing them into the ground.
Perform a gentle neck stretch by slowly tilting your neck from side to side.
If possible, gently shake your hands and arms for 5-10 seconds.
Focused vagal breathing: Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, raising your shoulders as you breathe. Hold your breath for 2 seconds, then exhale through your mouth, counting to 6, while lowering your shoulders. Repeat this cycle 3 times.
The effects of these therapies are immediate: rapid reduction of the physiological symptoms of stress and anxiety, increased focus and mental clarity, decreased negative thoughts, and a greater sense of control. If practiced consistently, it has significant and lasting effects: Changes in the structures of the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus that improve psychological flexibility, reducing the likelihood of relapses into anxiety and baseline stress, decreasing emotional reactivity, improving decision-making under pressure, increasing sustained attention, and, in general, enhancing the nervous system's ability to maintain homeostasis.
Emotional changes will be assessed before and after the intervention.
