Close your eyes. Try to bring back a memory of taking an exam in your worst subject with your strictest teacher. It seemed that you didn't know any of the answers. You may feel extremely nervous with a fast-beating heart.
But maybe it didn't have to be that way. A paper inNaturereports that good mindset (思维模式 ) exercise improved the way that young people thought about stressful events. The exercise is based on two mindsets: first, ability can be changed and improved with hard work and support; second, body responses （ 反应） to stress can be helpful. As students do mindset exercise by themselves, they will understand how the brain builds on experience and how the body uses stress— a fast-beating heart sends more blood to the brain to help you think. The exercise also asks students to write about what they might do differently in a stressful situations next time.
Researchers invited thousands of students to take the exercise. The results show that this exercise is able to change our understanding of the world and our responses to it. Students who took part in the exercise thought about stress differently. They turn it into a way of energizing the motivation(激活动力) to achieve a goal. Also, the exercise changed their body responses for the better, preparing the body to respond to events as a challenge.
"Difficulty and struggle are your friends." says one of the researchers. "Those experiences don't feel good at the moment. But if we want to be excellent, that's what we have to experience." The exercise could be put into further use. It could be especially made for players or office workers in the future. Once it has been fully tested, the exercise could be ready for use in high schools and colleges nationwide.
The researchers says, "Our studies suggest that we might not teach young people that they are too weak to get over difficulties, instead, we should provide them with resources and guidance so that young people can show their skills and creativity in dealing with big problems."
