Feeling nervous is a natural reaction to something that instills a little fear in us - perhaps a big presentation, a pitch opportunity, or a promotion meeting that you set up with your boss.
That being said, feeling nervous can get in the way of performing at our best. It’s why we’re looking into the effects of nervousness in today’s Calmer guide, and the quick and easy ways to calm your mind and body in order to perform well, whatever your upcoming hurdle.
What causes nervousness?
Nervousness is a mental and physical state that is caused by your body’s stress response system. This is the same system that kicks in when you’re feeling stressed or anxious, however nervousness tends to occur as a reaction to very specific happenings; such as preparing for an exam, or heading to an important meeting.
In essence, nervousness is caused by your body releasing stress hormones (e.g. adrenaline, cortisol).
The NHS notes that nervousness, panic, stress, and anxiety can all cause the following symptoms:
"Butterflies" in your stomach
Chest pains
Difficulty sleeping
Extra alertness or jitteriness
Faster, shallow breathing
Feeling faint
Headaches
Inability to concentrate
Inability to relax
Increased irritability
Increased heart rate
Irregular heartbeat
Loss of appetite
Nausea and feeling sick
Uneasiness
Sweating
Tearfulness
Visiting the toilet more frequently
After your period of nervousness, you may also feel relieved and/or tired, as your body will have used a lot more energy than usual. Make sure to give yourself an opportunity to rest and refuel when experiencing this.
15 ways you can calm nerves at work
While nervousness may feel out of your control, there are many simple, easy, and effective tasks you can follow that will reduce the challenging aspects of feeling nervous, and in fact improve your performance. Here’s 15 ideas for you to try:
Try deep breathing. Breathing exercises are one of the simplest and easiest activities you can practice to reduce symptoms of nervousness, such as slowing your heart rate, improving oxygen exchange, and reducing the ‘fight, flight or freeze’ response.
Channel your nervous energy into positivity. This may sound difficult, but there is a distinct connection between the feelings of motivation and eagerness, and fear and nervousness. These two states are called eustress and distress - the two sides of the stress coin. You will feel similar reactions to both, such as a raised heart rate, so if you can view your upcoming activity positively, you may find your nervous energy actually boosts your performance. If you're in a particularly challenging situation, ask yourself "What can I learn from this situation that will help me in the future?"
Practice the task you are nervous about. If you have the time, try practicing what makes you nervous. By running through your presentation, speech, or meeting, you’ll demystify much of the process, and identify any weak spots which you can improve before the real thing.
Listen to music - especially any tunes that remind you of positive moments or induce happy feelings. Music can have a distinct effect on calming both the mind and body, and this technique can work even if you only have a few minutes to calm yourself.
Speak to someone you trust about how you feel. Talking about mental health at work may seem taboo, but it promotes a more open culture, in which support can be given more freely. As the old saying goes - a problem shared is a problem halved.
Understand that it’s ok to be vulnerable. Feeling nervous can in fact demonstrate a number of positive qualities that you may not have considered - that you care for what you’re doing, your job role, and that you wish to do a good job.
Get some fresh air. Removing yourself from the current environment that makes you feel nervous, and taking a walk around the block can provide an opportunity to return to you usual heart rate, steady your stream of thoughts, and also provide a moment in nature (if you’re in a green area).
Arrive early. If you’re planning to attend meeting or interview and feeling nervous, aim to be early - potentially so early that you can familiarise yourself with the local area, sit down, and have a moment to yourself beforehand. This will help you to visualise the process before it happens, you can guarantee you will arrive on time, and you’ll be eager to sit down and get the process over and done with by the time it’s your slot.
Get a drink of water or even take a tea break. The combination of doing something mundane, and keeping your mouth from getting dry, are both brilliant ways to reduce nervousness.
If you feel nervous often, it may be worth reading up on the effects of overwhelm and learning how to best manage its effects
Practice mindfulness - it’s something big blue chip businesses are actively promoting within their teams, and if practiced on a regular basis, can provide you with the tools to feel calmer in your work. Mindfulness can be anything from writing down how you feel, to spending a few minutes meditating.
Know that you are not alone - many people feel nervous in similar situations, and you may even find fellow coworkers also share your nerves. While this isn’t a positive fact, it is one we at Calmer are working to reduce. Right now, it may be worth discovering how stress manifests itself, and more specifically, stress in entrepreneurs.
Take a break from social media for the time-being - recent studies have found that social media is not only addictive, but it can also make us feel more negatively about ourselves. If you find social media heightens your nerves, it may be time to take a break, or change your social media habits for good.
Take a course in stress-management and burnout prevention. The Reignite Project is our free course, focusing on exactly that! Over the period of 10 weeks, you’ll receive research-led information on stress and burnout, and how to best manage your symptoms.
Consider trying one of our Mindfulness Ecourses. Our bespoke ecourses are drawn from evidence-based research and aim to empower you to nurture good mental health in all aspects of your life. Discover guides and insights for stress relief, better sleep, daily kindness and daily mindfulness - each are available individually or as a whole package.