How to Turn Nervousness to Excitement
Let’s begin with a simple evaluation:
What are the signs of nervousness?
- Increased heart rate
- Breathlessness
- Sweaty hands
- Playing with the hands
- Cortisol (stress/awake hormone) increases
What are the signs of excitement?
- Increased heart rate
- Breathlessness
- Sweaty hands
- Playing with the hands
- Cortisol (stress/awake hormone) increases
Nervousness and excitement are strikingly similar, with one key distinction:
Successful people interpret nervousness as excitement.
When these signs bubble to the surface (sometimes in overwhelming fashion), it’s up to you how you choose to utilize them.
Successful people get all the same feelings that you do before speaking publicly or any situation that evokes nervousness/excitement as ordinary people. They feel these feelings and they say “oooo, I’m excited!”
This concept is referred to as reappraising arousal, and it’s been proven in a Harvard Study. The study found that re-framing anxiety as a positive resulted in an increase on the math section of the GRE (Graduate Record Examination) Standardized Test.
Fascinating.
The ball is in your court.
Friends, if you appreciated this perspective and this message resonated with you, then I encourage you to subscribe and share this message with friends and family if you think someone near and dear to you could benefit from seeing this — it means more than you know.
Onward and upward,
Jordan Paris, NASM CPT
