Why Do We Feel Nervous

It happens all the time. The butterflies in your stomach when out on your first date, when attending a job interview, preparing for an exam, getting married, meeting a business client for a business deal…the list is endless.

Of course, these events are normal parts of life and are natural reactions to stress. However, apart from being normal, they all have something in common- they invoke the feeling of nervousness.

Whenever you feel nervous, your heart starts beating at a faster rate…you start fidgeting…and butterflies fill up your stomach. Of course, we often assume it’s normal since it’s something that we have no
control over.

But even so, why exactly do we feel nervous? What is the science behind why we feel nervous?

According to science, the feeling of nervousness is basically a natural reaction to stress and a part of the flight or flight response.

When stressed, the neocortex triggers hypothalamus, which is a part of the limbic brain, and a signal is misperceived as though you are in some sort of danger, specifically because your brain does not consider your current condition as “normal.”

As a result, the hypothalamus triggers the fight or flight response which is regulated by a part of the autonomic nervous system referred to as the sympathetic nervous system and the adrenal-cortical system.

The sympathetic nervous system triggers the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline into the bloodstream, causing an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.

At the same time, the hypothalamus releases the corticotrophin-releasing factor into the pituitary gland which consequently triggers adrenal-cortical and causes the release of a number of hormones.

The brain then sends a signal from the pituitary gland to the adrenal glands which release the hormone adrenaline. Adrenaline’s main function is to redirect blood and energy to various parts of the body that will be required to take swift action. They include the heart, muscles, and processes such as digestion.

When blood flow is redirected from the stomach, the blood vessels in this region close, thereby causing a tingling sensation or what many people referred to as” butterflies in the stomach.”

So basically, the fight or flight response prepares your body for stressful situations which as a result cause the feeling of nervousness.

Surprisingly, each type of stress represents a nervousness or “threat” level ranging from mild to life threatening. This means that the weaker the perceived threat, the less intense the reaction to stress will be and vice versa.

According to James Stoiz, a social worker who specializes in anxiety, it’s actually good to have some level of nervousness.

“Nervousness is what keeps us from walking into the street with our eyes closed,” said Stoiz.

So how can we control our nervous feelings?

Well, according to Stoiz, there are several ways in which we can effectively control our nervous feelings regardless of the situation. He recommends regular physical activity such as exercises, deep breathing
exercises, counting down from 10, and visualizing success.

For example, Olympic athletes use mental imagery or “cognitive specific imagery” to lessen the feeling of nervousness before a competition.

Nothing kills confidence than being nervous. It’s quite an overwhelming feeling.

The good news however is that you can easily learn how to combat it to help enhance your confidence and increase your chances of success in many stressful situations.