What can we learn from ambulance drivers about performance anxiety?
“I am worried about experiencing anxiety during the test; if only I could make it go away!" This meta-level anxiety, anxiety about anxiety, is frequently expressed by OET students, particularly as their test date approaches.
Let’s reframe feelings of anxiety and cultivate a calmer mindset on test day. Consider yourself as an ambulance driver. Behind you, there's a fever-pitch of activity as medical professionals tend to a patient. Ahead lies the route to the hospital, full of traffic, pedestrians, and potential hazards.
What's your primary responsibility in this scenario? Tending to the patient or focusing on navigating the road ahead?
A proficient and responsible ambulance driver prioritizes the road. They ignore what’s going on in the back. They put all their physical and psychological resources into driving swiftly and safely to reach the Emergency Department (ED). It's simply not feasible for them to simultaneously care for a critically ill or injured patient. Administering oxygen, checking vital signs, or staunching bleeding are tasks beyond their capacity while driving. The most effective way to aid the patient is by concentrating solely on the task of driving, disregarding distractions from the back of the ambulance.
Does this this approach mean the focussed driver is disregarding the patient's needs. Absolutely not! This approach meets the patient’s needs by concentrating on the one task within the driver's control: transporting them to the ED.
How can we apply this insight to the stressful situation of taking the OET exam?
Before the exam, remind yourself that all negative emotions—fear, anxiety, stress—are akin to the patient in the back of the ambulance. You can't simply make these feelings vanish; they are intimately connected to the significance of success in the test, which may include family expectations, financial pressures, career aspirations, and even personal status. These values are genuinely significant, and they form the very reason for subjecting yourself to the stress of the exam.
A wish that goes along the lines of "If only I could rid myself of this anxiety, everything would be fine" is quite unrealistic. Wishing away anxiety is akin to expecting an ambulance driver to perform better if they could miraculously transport an empty vehicle to the ED. Psychologically, anxiety is intertwined with the motivation for undertaking the test. So, what should you do if you can't eliminate anxiety?
Well, start by taking a breath and simply acknowledge anxiety’s presence and its lower ranking. Let it be in the back of your ambulance, metaphorically speaking. Having both acknowledged and then relegated its importance, refocus. Dedicate the next few hours to diverting your focus from it in favour of concentrating on the test. Remind yourself of your preparedness and the practice you've undertaken to reach this point. If you’ve prepared properly and have a strategy in place for each subsection of the OET, you can remain focused on what truly matters, minimizing distractions.
Keep your eyes on the road ahead, and you'll attain the outcome you deserve.
If you need help with your test day mindset or developing your test day strategy, please direct message me.
