Simple Ways to Calm Down Your Nerves

Sometimes things happen in life that cause a good deal of stress to the body. It doesn't necessarily have to be a bad or traumatic event for someone to be nervous or anxious. 

An example of this would be giving a speech in front of a large audience. That is not a traumatic event, rather it is something positive, but it can still wreak havoc on your nerves if you have anxiety about speaking in front of people. Whatever the situation is, here are a few things you can try to help calm down your nerves and stay calmer.

Keep yourself busy and your mind occupied. When someone who is nervous about something has too much time on their hands, sometimes they use that time to overthink and create even more anxiety for themselves. You could use that free time to do something that will get your mind off of the thing that is making you nervous or stressed out. Do some garden work, play a sport, call your friends or family, etc. Just do something, instead of thinking about how nervous you are.

Exercise. Move around. Dance, sing, listen to music. Music will help distract you from those nervous thoughts. Exercise or dance will help to relieve some of your stress and improve your mood so that you will feel better and be able to get a better handle on your nerves.

Relaxing is a good way to calm your nerves. You could first start out by exercising, then do some kind of relaxation techniques. Do some deep breathing exercises, meditate, listen to peaceful music. Close your eyes and visualize yourself being a peaceful, calm place. Do you like the beach? Picture in your mind that you are surrounded by sand and watching a beautiful sunset overlooking the ocean. Picture that your mind is at peace and ease while you are taking in the peaceful scenery.

Take a warm bath or shower. I know that when I feel stressed or nervous, a really warm shower will help to drown some of my worries away. The warm temperature combined with the water is just so relaxing. Water seems to have a calming affect. The sound of trickling water seems to help me feel more calm. I often think of my worries going down the drown with the water when I am in the shower. Then my mind is a little clearer and I can focus better.

Talk to people. Do you have any friends or family that you can call? Explain to them that you are nervous about something, if you wish to tell them. They may be able to offer some help to calm down. I have a friend who just has a way of calming me down when I am stressed. She says just the right things to help me stay focused and less stressed. Even if you don't want to talk about your nervousness, you can just call and talk to someone about anything. It will distract your mind.

Laugh. Spend some time laughing. Laughing can relieve stress in the body. It can also help to improve your mood. Look at funny things on television, watch a funny movie, a stand up comedian, call a funny friend, read the comics, look online for some funny jokes, etc. Look for anything that will get you to have a good belly laugh. This may calm down your nerves and make you feel better for awhile.

Drink water. I know that when I drink enough water throughout the day, I feel less anxious and nervous. When my body is dehydrated, I notice that I have more anxiety from stress. I suggest you keep your body hydrated with water. Do not drink anything with caffeine. Caffeine might just make your nerves or anxiety worse.

Ask for a massage. A good soothing massage might help to calm you down and help you to be less nervous. I've even massaged and rubbed my own shoulders a few times when no one was around to do it for me and I noticed that my nerves calmed down quite a bit.

Write down the things you are nervous about. See if you can justify with yourself if there is even a reason to be nervous. Sometimes writing things down, helps you to get it off your chest. Writing can be theraputic. You could even write about something else to keep your mind busy and flowing with creative things instead of nervous thoughts. Buy yourself a journal and whenever you are nervous try writing a poem, a short story or even write a list of your favorite things, such as your favorite movies, songs, games, food, etc.