Emotionally Preparing for
Step One
Karin E. Nilsson, Ph.D.
UCD SOM Wellness Workshop
Student Health and Counseling Services/
Office of Student Wellness
January 22, 2015
Components of Emotional
Preparedness
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Arousal Management
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Health Maintenance
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Planning and Study Skills
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Social Support
Performance
Performance Arousal Curve, a.k.a.
the Yerkes-Dodson Law
Perfectionism/Arousal
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
Perfectionism-Procrastination
Relationship
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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.
Arousal Management
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Positive self-talk: accurate, believable
Relaxation—recreation, time with friends
Exercise
Meditation: free downloadable MP3s at
 https://shcs.ucdavis.edu/resources/podca
sts/#.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
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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
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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 Goals
 Using your assessment
information
 Using the Buddy system
“SMART” GOALS
 Specific
 Measurable
 Achievable/Adjustable
 Realistic
 Time-framed
Things to Remember about
Study Planning
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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
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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
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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
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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.
Not Important
Important
Time Management Matrix
Urgent
Not Urgent
QI – Quadrant of
Urgency
QII – Quadrant of
Quality
Crises
Pressing problems
Deadline-driven projects
Some meetings
QIII – Quadrant of
Deception
Interruptions, some phone
calls
Some mail, some reports
Some meetings
Many nearby, pressing
matters
Many popular activities
Preparation, prevention
Values clarification
Personal development,
self-care
Planning
Relationship building
True recreation (re-creation)
QIV – Quadrant of
Waste
Trivia, busywork
Some phone calls
Time wasters
“Escape” activities
Irrelevant mail
Excessive TV
Excessive video games
Choose One Thing You
Will Do Today
Questions and Answers