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What’s the Jitters? 8 Powerful Do’s & Don’ts To Calm The Jitters

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Jitters… we all get it at times! So if you are looking for innovative ways to calm down the jitters? Here are 8 ways you can calm down the jitters at a moment’s notice!

jitters and how to calm the jitters down when you are feeling anxious and stressed out. woman sitting in pretty polka dot dress smiling with a sense of calm on her face

When it comes to feeling the jitters…

Does your heart pound out of your chest, paired with sweaty palms, giving you this nerve-wracking feeling?

If so, you are one of the millions who feel this way, in fact, almost 40 million Americans suffer from this form of anxiety alone. 

Not only that, but millions of Americans also face a thing called “everyday panic”, and when they do, it brings on these uneasy and unsettling sensations called the jitters.

These sensations can take form from certain situations like important job interviews, public speaking, or going to an event/party.  And they can do an incredible job of making you feel all the more tense and nervous.

Furthermore, a 2013 study by Harris Interactive and Everest College, states that when it comes to work interviews alone, 92% of U.S. adults feel anxious and jittery — and that’s pretty much everyone!

When these nerve-wracking feelings come out of nowhere, they can feel unbearable, but surprisingly, there are certain things that you can do to calm these jittery nerves away.

Here are 8 unique do’s and don’ts that’ll help calm down your jitters at the moment they strike!

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What’s the meaning of Jitters?

The meaning of “the jitters” is being anxious or nervous that causes people to feel trembles as well making them unable to concentrate. These feelings surface whenever someone gets too excited, before important events such as their wedding days etcetera.

 

What happens when you get the jitters?

The jitters is a term for nervousness, anxiety, or shakiness. It can be caused by drinking more coffee than you’re used to (caffeine overdose), being in an uncomfortable environment like giving a speech, and stress.

So what are the jitter symptoms?

  • Trembling hands that make it difficult to hold onto anything.
  • Legs shake when their weight isn’t on them, which causes difficulty walking properly.
  • Increase heart rate
  • Racing thoughts run through your head – making it hard to stop thinking about something negative even though you try calming yourself down no matter how much water you drink.
  • Feeling sweaty with cold chills because of overactive sweat glands.

If you are wondering what to do and not do when it comes to having the jitters, check out these 8 tips to help you calm down the jitters at a moment’s notice!

 

8 Powerful Do’s & Don’ts To Calm The Jitters

jitters and how to calm the jitters down - woman leaning up against wall smiling while calming her jitters down

1. Accept that you are having the jitters for a brief moment & breathe.

The jitters refer to the feelings of extreme nervousness paired with physical sensations that come with a sudden rush.

When these sensations occur it can make many people feel very unsettled and make it extremely hard to concentrate.

Gradually, when this happens, if you also add the feelings of fear and distress (which are also caused by anxiety) it will unquestionably interfere with your daily life.

To stop these reactions in their tracks, it’s highly advised to take a few deep breaths and focus on what’s in front of you.

Researchers have found that people are usually thinking about something else (other than what they’re doing) during a jitter episode and this can cause an influx of these uneasy feelings.

Allow yourself to feel nervous, let your anxious thoughts and feelings drift by (as you would with any other feeling), and take deep breaths.

Give yourself time and space to relax so your nervous system has a chance to wind down. 

 

2. Reframe your thinking.

8 Powerfully Easy Ways To Combat The Jitters - jitters and how to overcome them

Since everything serves a purpose, there is also a purpose for your jitters.

These feelings and symptoms are a part of our innate way of dealing with stress, so accepting that you are having anxiety for the moment and breathing will help you unwind. 

But it’s also a good idea to know that these jittery nerves can also be quickly minimized if you change your inner dialogue.

Evaluate your inner vocabulary and see if you see a reflection of a negative self-dialogue. Words hold a lot of weight in how we feel, particularly when the words are negative.

And if you can become aware of the thoughts that are bringing you down, thankfully reframing your thinking may be all you need. 

 

3. Treat your nerves with natural remedies, such as tea, ginger root & fresh herbs.

Powerful Ways To Combat The Jitters

Since the jitters can take on the form of physical sensations like nausea and queasiness, luckily there are also some natural remedies that can help these nerves disappear.

You can chew on a ginger root, or drink ginger tea, eat ginger candy, or sip some ginger ale with real ginger to help.

Other herbs, such as spearmint, peppermint, or lemon balm are also well-known antispasmodics that prevent muscle spasms while relaxing your stomach’s muscular walls, also known as those butterfly sensations you feel during a jittery episode.

Try eating a raw leaf or two of one of these herb plants, chew a mint that contains actual mint ingredients, or brew up a tea to help you relax.

 

4. Stop trying to be so darn perfect.

Stop trying to be so perfect to combat the jitters

Trying really hard to be perfect is one of the main culprits for feeling nervous.

After all, it’s fear-based thinking that could be making you feel afraid of failure, rejection, and embarrassment. When this happens your body wounds itself up and the jittery nerves take the driver’s seat.

For the sake of your mental health, stop trying to be so perfect. Set a realistic bar so you can accomplish your goals a lot easier and feel good about yourself when you meet them. 

Embrace your flaws, always do the best that you can, and you may start to see a larger gap between your jittery episodes.

 

5. Stop projecting the worst-case scenario.

Don't project the worst-case scenario to combat the jitters

Another fear-based style of thinking that can cause those jittery episodes is fearing the worst-case scenario. 

When you think this way, it will without a doubt bring on those jittery nerves.

Maybe it’s time to tell yourself that it’s extremely unlikely that anything will ever go bad as you think?! And maybe your mind is making it seem like the worst-case scenario will happen but in reality, it won’t. 

You don’t need to needlessly suffer from these uneasy feelings — for no reason. The future hasn’t happened yet, so hoping for the best is the best way to calm yourself down. 

 

6. Stop sweeping your feelings under the rug.

When it comes to having anxiety, studies have also shown that most anxiety-prone people try their very hardest to be agreeable. 

In fact, they are so agreeable that when these people are confronted with anything, they tend to just sweep their feelings under the rug.

So the next best thing to releasing some of those nerves is to stand up for yourself or at the very least say something. Your body could be signaling to you to speak up for yourself and to stop sweeping your feelings under the rug. 

 

7. Take a short walk & get some fresh air.

Take a short walk & get some fresh air to calm the jitters

During a typical jitter episode, the body tenses up and it doesn’t feel good.  This is because it thinks a threat is nearby, whether it’s safe or not.

Incidentally, when these feelings take over, there is no better time than to take a short walk and breathe the fresh air.

Keep moving until you feel those urgent feelings (that are trying to keep you safe), start to pass. Move around, jump up, shake out your arms and legs, and wait until you feel more relaxed.

When your body is relaxed, that’s when you know you have safely released the jitters from your nervous system. And you may gain some extra insight into why you feel the way you do with the added fresh air.

 

8. Take advice from cognitive-behavioral therapists — and face it to change it.

Take advice from cognitive-behavioral therapists -- face it to change the jitters

When all else fails, take advice from cognitive-behavioral therapists and do something similar to what brings those jittery feelings — but make sure it’s far less frightening than the real deal.

For example, opt to give a short toast at a small intimate dinner as opposed to a speech at a wedding that you are preparing for. 

Of course, this is just one small example, but if you take small similar steps around your jitters (so they can seem far less frightening), your jitters could be a thing of the past. 

 


There you have it. You now have some healthier practices set in place to reduce those jittery feelings. The next time they arrive, you should be able to handle them accordingly.

And remember some key points from this article such as; focusing on what’s in front of you, remembering to breathe, using your voice, getting some fresh air, and face it if you would like to change how you feel! 

 

See Also:

9 Ways To Calm Your Mind & Anxious Thinking (Without Meditation) - Everything Abode

Check out, 9 Ways To Calm Your Mind & Anxious Thinking (Without Meditation), next!

 

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Author: Everything Abode

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