4 Ways to Help Avoid Cold Sore Outbreaks Before a Big Exam
If you deal with cold sores, you may already know that stress and fatigue can be two big triggers. And if you’re currently in high school or college, you also know that stress and fatigue are usually part of studying for a big exam. Luckily, there are a few key ways to sidestep a stress-induced cold sore when you’re in the midst of exams.
Read on for a few stress-reducing tips, and keep Abreva on hand n case you can't avoid a cold sore. Abreva can help get rid of your cold sore in two and a half days1, when used at the first sign.
Talk With Your Professor
As soon as your professor schedules a big exam, try to make time to meet with him or her to discuss study strategies. Meeting one-on-one with your professor will not only help them get to know you and realize you take their class seriously (which is always a good thing), but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, they may be able to point you in the right direction when it comes to specific chapters or subjects to study. The less overwhelmed and stressed you feel, the less chance there is for a cold sore to crash your study sesh.
Create a Positive Study Environment and Plan
There are a lot of ways to study, and everyone is different when it comes to the amount of time they need to digest and memorize facts, but no matter who you are, a key way to lower stress before a big exam (and therefore, lower the possibility of a stress-induced cold sore popping up), is to feel prepared. The Berkeley Student Learning Center has a ton of great advice for creating the perfect study environment and planning out your library sessions, including studying difficult (or boring) subjects first, how to use “waiting time” you have during the day to your advantage, and how to deal with roommates or loved ones who keep interrupting.
Carve Out Time to Meditate
While meditation can provide a whole bunch of possible health benefits (including reducing stress and anxiety), it may also be able to help with memory. In fact, a small study published in Psychological Science showed that after two weeks of mindfulness training, participants had “improved working memory capacity,” as well as reduced mind wandering while taking their GREs. Walking into an exam feeling calm and knowing that your brain has a full grasp of facts is a great way to lessen the possibility of a stress-induced cold sore.
Get Your Priorities Straight
Friends and nights out are fun, but if this exam is important, going into hiding with your books and your computer for a little bit is definitely the right choice — even if it means missing a party or two!
1 Median healing time 4.1 days. 25% of users healed in 2.5 days.