A high-stakes test is one that has important consequences and passing has huge benefits. The bar exam is definitely a high stakes test and it’s also why your stress level is pretty high. Not all stress is bad and controlled stress is the adrenaline that fuels our motivation and positively impacts our performance. However, too much stress, anxiety, uncertainty takes a toll on our mental and physical health. It negatively impacts our performance.
Taking care of your well-being requires you to take action. It’s not about expecting things to get better but being able to manage the situation you are in right now. Engaging in mindfulness is one way you can do this. Mindfulness is not the same thing as meditation. Meditation is directing your focus while mindfulness is the broader quality of attention- focusing on the present moment. It is about acknowledging the emotion or feeling without getting caught up in a spiral of self-defeating thoughts.
When you start to feel stressed, pause and take a few breaths. Don’t immediately react to it beyond the present moment. If you can regain control in the moment, you can use that to move forward. The act of taking control is itself empowering and allows you to address the situation in a way that works for you, not for someone else. This is easier said than done but there is always a solution to a problem so not taking control only makes the problem worse.
Once you have that control in the moment, identify a task that will make a difference in how you feel right now. Changing a difficult situation isn’t always possible so concentrate on what you can do presently. Stress is a part of life and bar exam prep. But the more you practice addressing it, the more you will stay in control of your well-being.
-KSK
Bar Exam Wizard 
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