Your heart is racing, your palms are sweaty and prickly, you are taking shallow breaths and there are butterflies in your tummy. What are you feeling? Is it anxiousness, is it excitement? Sometimes it can be hard to tell - interestingly, these two emotions feel psychologically very different and appear life opposites to us, but they have a lot more in common than we might initially think…. Let's dive in.
As I sit here working on the new business launch and writing my first blog, I have had these physical sensations a lot over the past few weeks and months. Sometimes I have struggled to identify what I am feeling. Is it excitement? Is it Anxiety? Could it be both? Is this possible? So, I got curious, looked deeper and found out that yes, it can be.
Both anxiety and excitement trigger chemical reactions in our body which help to prepare us for a 'fight or flight' situation. That is why sometimes you are really excited about something (maybe a birthday, a holiday or even a date) you may have trouble sleeping, have an butterflies or even a racing heart. Your physical symptoms are the same as what we experience when we bungee jump or speak in public, but we psychologically feel very different. How can this be?
A 2015 study from the journal "Emotion" may shed some light. Researchers found that when our bodies go into overdrive, pumping out stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, it's the interpretation that makes all the difference. In this study, they discovered that when people perceive these physical responses as negative or threatening, they label it as anxiety. On the flip side, if they interpret the same jitters and increased heart rate as a positive anticipation of something fun or thrilling, it's dubbed excitement.
This insight highlights the power of the mind in shaping our emotional experiences. It's like a mental switch that determines whether you're going to be a bundle of nerves or a ball of bubbling enthusiasm when faced with a challenging situation or an upcoming adventure. Changing how you think about situations, can and does change how you feel about them.
So what can I do to feel more excitement and less anxiousness?
Cognitive reappraisal is a proven technique, also called out in the article, which allows you to reframe how you are thinking about things.
For instance, if you're about to give a big presentation and your heart's racing, rather than labelling it as anxiety, try to view it as a surge of excitement. Consciously telling yourself that your body is gearing up for something thrilling can actually shift your emotional experience. This aligns with findings from a 2016 study published in "Psychological Science," which showed that reappraising anxiety as excitement can improve performance in stressful situations.
Another strategy, as highlighted in a 2019 article in "Frontiers in Psychology," is mindfulness. Mindfulness helps you stay present in the moment and reduce rumination on past or future events. By practicing mindfulness, you can avoid spiralling into anxiety and focus on the current, exciting aspect of a situation.
In essence, these mindset techniques underscore the dynamic nature of our emotional responses. It's not just about being at the mercy of your physiological reactions; you have the power to steer your emotions by changing your mindset and perception. So next time your heart races and those butterflies start fluttering, remember, you can choose to dance on the fine line between anxiety and excitement with a shift in perspective.
So as I put myself out there in this new capacity - I choose excitement, I choose opportunity. I hope you join me.
Freya Corboy is the founder and director of mumshine. She is an accredited Counsellor and Life Coach.
You can subscribe to her free weekly blog, get self-help worksheets or even book an appointment to see her via www.mumshine.com.au
Comentarios