Reappraise emotions to perform better

If you are feeling anxious, tell yourself that you are excited and you will perform better. Telling someone else that you are feeling excited is even better.

The way you think about your feelings, and how you label them, affect those feelings.

When you feel anxious, your focus narrows, you become hyper-vigilant and it harms performance on many tasks. 

When you feel excited, it helps your performance. It raises your energy, level of effort, and enthusiasm. 

If you can reappraise or reframe your emotions, you can change how you perform a task or on a test.

Most people try to calm themselves when anxious, however calming yourself can be difficult. It's easier to jump directly to enthusiasm as there are a lot of similarities between feeling anxious and excited, like a racing heart and an active mind.

So do this if you feel anxious or stressed about something:

1. Say "I am excited."
2. Say it out loud - don't just think about it.
3. Say it to someone else.
4. Smile as you say it. 

Why say it to someone else?
When you say it out loud to someone else, your mind considers it a commitment and is more likely to believe that you are excited if you say it to someone else. 

With enough repetitions, you may stop experiencing anxiety altogether. 

References: 

A Bundle of Nerves: With Guests Alison Wood Brooks & Steven Osborne