Writing about stress

I read an article stating that writing about your anxieties and stress can help performance especially during testing situations. This is good news because I have test anxiety and I write a blog.

So here I am 2-3 weeks from taking the big exam. I still have not received my permission to test letter allowing me to set my test date, but I am shooting for March 5th. I have some serious anxiety about taking this exam, but am starting to gain some self confidence in my knowledge base. I am finally remembering some rote information (ACL levels, SCI levels, GCS, Brunstrumm's stroke Scale, etc.). I stayed home from a beautiful bluebird day of snowboarding to work through some of the content on the test. I really hope it pays off.

To add to the pressure I was recently offered a job position as an occupational therapist. Good news, right? I am having a hard time getting excited about it until I pass the test and sign paperwork that this job is for real. In fact, I'm not really telling everyone about the job yet because I don't know how real it is. Also, what if I don't pass and this job is yanked from me? Then I'd feel like even more of a failure. But I WILL pass this test, damn it! I have done well in school, studied my butt off and should do well on the exam. However, there is a little guilty conscious in the back of my brain saying if I don't pass this test it's because I went up to go snowboarding on a Tuesday night.

I am going to get my temporary license to start this job as soon as possible. I have to jump through a whole other application submittal process but it will allow me to relax a little bit by not rushing to take the exam. *Sigh* yet another thing I have to DO.


http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/choke/201101/worried-about-performing-well-under-stress-write-it-out
"Why does such a simple writing exercise have such a big impact? We think the answer has to do with the content of the writing itself. Writing reduces people's tendency to ruminate because it provides them with an opportunity to express their concerns. Expressing concerns gives people some insight into the source of their stress, allowing them to reexamine the situation such that the tendency to worry during the actual pressure-filled situation decreases."

Where to work?

Thing that I want in a job:
A supportive like-minded team
Pediatrics
Local, it'd be nice to ride my bike to work
Possible per diem (part-time)

In that order. I want to manifest my reality. Are those things too much to ask?