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Coping with nervousness and nervous conditions and natural herbs to calm nerves.

Nervousness

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What is Nervousness?
Diagnosing Nervousness
What Causes Nervousness?
Help for Nervousness
More Information on Nervousness

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What is Nervousness?

For some people, nervousness can be quite incapacitating and leave them feeling terror-struck at a time when clear thinking and togetherness are required. It’s difficult to impress a future employer in an interview, or inspire an audience, if your hands are shaky and sweaty, your mind is blank and you’re trying so hard to catch your breath that talking is an after thought.

Nervousness can be an infrequent, circumstantially bound problem, or it could be the result of another more serious disorder. Either way, help is available, and if treated properly, nervousness can be managed.

Diagnosing Nervousness

People react physically in different ways when they are feeling nervous. The following are some of the physical changes that may occur when you are nervous.

Sweaty hands
Dry mouth
Rapid heartbeat
Breathlessness
Trembling
Hot or cold flushes
Difficulty concentrating
Muscle tension
Feeling restless and agitated
Dizziness or feeling light-headed
Upset stomach or nausea

What Causes Nervousness?

Feeling nervous can be a normal reaction to stressful, unknown or intimidating circumstances. It is quite normal to feel nervous before a job interview, before delivering a presentation and even before a doctor’s appointment. While the situations that give rise to nervous feelings are the triggers, the body changes occur because of an increase of stress hormones released into our blood by the adrenal glands – as a response to the anxiety-provoking situation. How we cope with these nervous feelings can make all the difference.

Situations that May Cause Nervousness

Public speaking or performance
Meeting strangers
Job interviews
Starting a new sport or hobby, such as going to the gym or to pottery class for the first time
Appointments or meetings where you may feel you are going to be ‘put on the spot’ or be the focus of attention such as a meeting with your boss

Of course, nervousness can play a greater role in certain situations and some people are just more prone to feeling nervous or have an underlying condition that heightens nervousness. Examples of this include:

Exam nerves
Test Anxiety
Anxiety and Anxiety Disorders
Hyperactivity
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (children & Adults)
Hyperthyroidism
Caffeine and other stimulants increase nervous tension
Many prescription medications, as well as illicit substances, also increase nervous tension.

Help for Nervousness

A little nervousness before an event is not necessarily a bad thing and can even help to improve performance by increasing levels of alertness and vigilance. However, if nervousness becomes bothersome to the point where it affects your ability to peform negatively, then there are a number of things you can do to help.

There are many treatments available to help you manage nervousness, depending on the severity and the underlying cause. It is important to get a professional diagnosis if you think a more serious psychological disorder or medical condition is the underlying cause.

For treating occasional or situational nervousness, natural remedies (that are free of side effects), along with learning coping skills and techniques, have been shown to help substantially.

Some examples of herbal remedies that can help to soothe and calm your nerves include passiflora, valerian and scullcap. There are also many homeopathic remedies that can help. Many people also find that flower essences or biochemic tissue salts can offer considerable relief.

More Information on Nervousness

Tips to Help Manage Nervousness

It’s helpful to know that while you may think your nervousness is glaringly obvious, it never looks as bad as it feels. Many people who feel sure that everyone notices their nervous feelings are surprised to hear friends and colleagues remark on how confident they seemed!
Deep breathing is one of the most helpful tools to help with nerves. Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose (try to breathe from your diaphragm rather than from your chest), hold your breath in for a few seconds and then release your breath slowly from your mouth.
Don’t be frustrated or angry at yourself for being nervous. It’s a very normal fear reaction and focusing on its negative effects will make them seem larger than life.
Try to be prepared for the event that is making you nervous. The more solid your preparation, the more confident and less nervous you will be.
Watch out for and stop any negative thoughts about possible bad outcomes. To help you do this, change “What ifs” to “So what’s.”
Many people speak faster when they feel nervous. Take a deep breath and slow down your rate of speech. This will prevent you from becoming breathless – which makes many people feel more nervous.