How to Get Rid of Nervousness & Calm Your Mind Wherever You Are

It’s normal to be nervous occasionally, depending upon the situation. However, you can learn how to get rid of nervousness and conquer any problem.

From time to time, you’re bound to feel a sense of nervousness. Maybe you’re about to go to a job interview or you’re heading off on a date with someone new. Nerves are good but only to a degree. When you’re nervous, it means you care – you want the situation to go well. But, if you find yourself struggling with nerves without any real reason, it’s time to learn how to get rid of nervousness and focus on the positives.

Nerves can be a motivator, but they’re only needed when the situation really calls for them.

We mentioned job interviews and dates – they’re prime examples of times when it’s 100% normal to feel nervous. But, once you do whatever it is that you’re nervous about, the feeling disappears.

Yet some people find that they feel nervous a lot of the time and about very small things. The force driving your nervousness is fear. Fear of losing something, failing, or even of something bad happening.

Whatever it is that you fear, it drives your nervousness. So, it makes sense that tackling your fears head-on can help you to overcome nervousness.

We know what you’re thinking – easier said than done, right?

[Read: How to calm your nerves in any situation you’re walking into]

What are nerves?

Nerves are felt both physically and mentally. It’s that feeling of butterflies in your stomach that makes you want to go pee more often than you should and perhaps makes you feel a bit sick.

You normally feel nervous when you’re anticipating something that you’re worried about, or something that has a lot riding on it, such as a job interview.

As we mentioned, nerves as positive, to a degree. They can motivate you to focus all your attention on something and succeed. Yet, they’re not at all useful if they’re just stopping you from doing regular things instead.

[Read: Nervous sweating – How to recognize the triggers and stop stress sweats]

Nervousness is part of the stress fight or flight system. When your brain senses something that it sees as a threat to your survival or happiness, it kickstarts the stress mechanism.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, is released and your body goes into fight or flight – you’re preparing to either run away from the problem or fight it head-on. This is positive when it’s a real issue you’re facing because your body primes you to succeed.

But, if there’s no real problem to tackle, you’ve got all this nervous energy and cortisol coursing around your body for no reason at all. Over time, that can be very damaging.

How often do you feel nervous? Do you feel that your nerves are always warranted or do you often feel nervy when it’s not really necessary?

Understanding whether you have a problem with nerves is the first step. [Read: 13 signs of a good first date to calm your nerves and get excited]

How to get rid of nervousness – Know that nervousness and anxiety aren’t the same thing

Many people wrongly assume that anxiety and nervousness are actually one and the same. They’re not, they’re different. Subtly so, but different. Nervousness can be a symptom of anxiety, but an anxiety disorder itself is a psychiatric condition. Nervousness is often caused by a trigger – anxiety doesn’t need a trigger, it can be a constant feeling.

So, while you might notice that you feel nervous a lot of the time, it’s not necessarily anxiety you’re feeling. It could be that you’re feeding off a fear that’s triggering the feeling. However, someone who often feels nervous for very little reason, i.e. a very small trigger, will probably be someone who is prone to struggling with anxiety anyway.

Anxiety can come and go or it can be constant. It can ebb and flow like waves and there’s often no sense to why you’re feeling the way you are.

Nerves tend to be a response to something. So, while they may feel similar, they’re not actually the same thing.

[Read: Signs of anxiety – How to read the signs ASAP and handle them better]

How to get rid of nervousness, one step at a time

Many people will tell you that the best way not to be nervous is to think of all the scenarios that could come from what you do. Then, you’ll realize that the worst-case scenario is very unlikely. But, that route just leaves you feeling unnecessarily stressed. It’s like reading the book What to Expect When You Are Expecting. Half of those things will never even happen, so what’s the point of thinking about them?

If you want to know how to get rid of nervousness, imagine what you want the result to be and go under the premise that it is the only outcome available. [Read: How not to be nervous – 18 calm ways to eliminate nerves instantly]

Sometimes, having a positive attitude and looking forward to something can actually turn your nervousness into something else – Excitement!

If you think about it, they almost feel the same – The same jitteriness, delirious confusion, sweating, faster heart beating, all the works. If you can trick your mind and convince yourself that you’re not nervous, but excited by the possibilities, that’s a great way to start. Read on and you’ll know just how to get rid of nervousness using the steps we’ve shared here.

1. Believe failure is a part of learning

The reason people feel nervous is that they are afraid to fail, feel rejected, or look stupid. These are all things we will experience in life, no matter how hard we try to avoid them.

On the bright side, each of our failures helps to shape our futures. They give us the power and experience to make better decisions next time.

Being nervous does nothing but shift you off task. Even if you fail, never trying is the biggest failure of all. It prevents you from forever going forward. When you see mishaps as a learning curve, you take away the fear of failing. [Read: Why you shouldn’t be afraid to fail… ever!]

2. Imagine only the good things that can happen

Too often we look at a situation and imagine all the possible outcomes. For evolutionary purposes, that is a good thing. Knowing what potential dangers come from any situation you put yourself in, is a protective mechanism. We would all be in trouble without it.

The issue is emotions can’t physically hurt you. So, if you are nervous about doing something that results in humiliation or things going wrong, as long as they aren’t physical or putting you in danger, then the best way to get through anything is just to imagine only the good things that can happen.

If you want to know how to get rid of nervousness, put away the potentially bad scenarios and focus on the prize only. [Read: How to think positive and reprogram your mind to stay positive]

3. Learn how to get rid of nervousness by thinking positively

Nothing makes you more nervous than thinking that things aren’t going to go well. Sometimes, we protect ourselves by thinking the worst. If you always assume the worst, then you can’t be hurt when things go badly.

But the thing is, you still end up feeling terrible anyway because negative thinking drags you down.

The truth is, irrespective of whether you think positively or negatively, if things go badly, then you are always going to be hurt, no matter what. So, why not enjoy the ride, relax, and just sail with it instead of trying to protect yourself? Negative just attracts negative. [Read: How to master positive self-talk and banish negativity]

4. Turn your attention to your breath

Nervousness comes from something called adrenaline. It is a hormone the body releases in response to fear. For the survival of the species, humans were built with the flight or fight response we mentioned earlier. You look at any situation, and to protect yourself; you surmise quickly to either fight or flight.

Adrenaline is a powerful hormone that leaves you feeling nervous even when your brain tells you not to. The best way to deal with the release of adrenaline is to breathe deeply or to go for a walk.

Calming yourself down helps to dissipate the adrenaline in your body so that it doesn’t build up and turn you into a nervous twit.

Try this – close your eyes and turn your attention to your breathing. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of five. Pause for a second and then exhale through your mouth slowly, for another count of five. Repeat until you feel calmer. [Read: How to be present – The guide to find your zone of calm perfection]

5. Avoid overanalyzing

Look at the task at hand and nothing else.

If it is getting up in front of everyone, focus on getting up, saying what you have to, and then moving on. Only focusing on what you have to do and nothing else, helps you to take the emotion out of the situation.

Usually, we get nervous because we think about everything else instead of the one thing we need to focus our minds on. There is nothing to be nervous about if you see it to the end without worrying about anything peripheral.

When a “what if” thought comes into your mind, push it away and focus on the task again. Overthinking is a total waste of time and will only cause you to become even more nervous about things that are never going to happen. [Read: How to stop overthinking – Secrets to go from overthinker to relaxer]

6. Block out past experiences and learn how to get rid of nervousness

Although some hormonal triggers make us nervous, there are also past experiences in our lives where we failed, were embarrassed, or when things didn’t end as hoped.

It is those past experiences that cloud our focus in new situations. They lead to a perpetual state of worry that you aren’t good enough, you won’t succeed, or that things are going to go as badly as they did in the past.

If you want to know how to get rid of nervousness for good, let go of the things in your past that perpetuate your fear of the future. The past doesn’t need to define what is to come and the chances of anything repeating itself exactly are pretty slim. [Read: How to let go of the past and be excited by the future]

7. Envision the road to success

Overcoming nervousness involves envisioning what you want as well as achieving it. Whether you meditate or not, going through the scenario in your mind by envisioning the best possible outcome, helps to ease your feelings of panic.

Imagery is one of the most powerful tools to overcome your feelings of insecurity and fear, which likely lead to your nerves.

When you visualize how it looks, feels, tastes to achieve the thing you want, in some ways you’ve already experienced it. When you have experience with something, it’s much easier to focus upon.

We often fear the unknown but when you visualize it, you’ve mentally already been there. [Read: 21 positive mantras that will transform your life]

8. Believe it is within your control

Feeling out of control will always make you feel nervous.

The more helpless you feel, the more hopeless you feel. That leads to feelings of not being in control of your own destiny.

If you think that success or failure is outside of your control, that is a pretty insecure place to be. If you want to know how to get rid of nervousness, start by taking back control of the situation.

Realize, ultimately, you are in control and can do whatever you set out to do. Your actions alone dictate the outcome. For sure, there are things which we can’t control, such as the weather, but you can always change your route to get around them.

9. Believe in yourself

Have you ever had to get up for a speech that you hadn’t practiced? That is pretty nerve-wracking. If you want to know how not to be nervous, have faith in yourself and know you are prepared for whatever it is you will tackle.

You can’t be rushed into something and not feel a little afraid that things aren’t going to go your way. But you can have faith in yourself and know that you can steer around any obstacle. Be as prepared as possible and believe in yourself if you want the nervousness to go away. [Read: 17 feel-good ways to make yourself feel better]

10. Surround yourself with support

It is really nice not to feel alone and isolated. If you don’t want to feel nervous, the best way to feel secure is by having those who love and support you in your corner.

Sometimes, it is better to have more than just yourself for encouragement. If you are nervous about something, then ask for help if you need it. There is no shame in needing help, support, or love from the people around you, that is what we are all here for. [Read: How to have fun with friends – 40 ways to beat boredom]

Feelings of nervousness are totally normal.

But, if they interfere with you getting what you want, stop you from trying, or just make you feel constantly overwhelmed, then take steps to believe in yourself, take back control, and don’t let fear guide your life.

[Read: Calm your mind – How to get the inside voices out of your mind]

We only have one shot here, and it is better to try and fail than to never try at all, no matter how nervous you are. Follow this guide for how to get rid of nervousness and start living. It will change your life for the better!

The post How to Get Rid of Nervousness & Calm Your Mind Wherever You Are is the original content of LovePanky - Your Guide to Better Love and Relationships.