Calm Jittery Nerves in a Hurry

To be jittery is to be nervous and tense. There are many reasons a person might feel that way. A student might feel nervous before taking a test. A wife might show signs of being uncomfortable while waiting for the results of a pregnancy test. A man might feel nervous while waiting for his car to be repaired.

No matter what the reason is, people who are stressed might experience some of the same unpleasant feelings of being nervous, edgy, high-strung, jumpy, or uptight. They would do anything to make those feelings go away as soon as possible.

When people are jittery, they might pace the floor, and tap their feet or fingers. They might twirl their hair or bite their nails. However, those things might not provide immediate results, but there are some ways to calm jittery nerves in a hurry.

Breathing exercises can help a person relax, and they can be done any time at any place. At first, the person might not feel comfortable, but if he keeps at it, he will get the hang of it and feel relaxed very quickly.

There are many different types of breathing exercises, but a simple one is to take a deep, slow breath and exhale. Repeat the process one or more times.

Dr. Mary Coussons-Read, professor of psychology and health and behavioral sciences and associate dean of the University of Colorado in Denver, suggests that if a person feels jittery and nervous, he should sit and take five or 10 deep breaths. She says this will calm jittery nerves immediately.

• Sit upright.
• Exhale.
• Inhale and fill your belly with air.
• Relax belly muscles.
• Keep inhaling and fill up the middle of your chest. Feel your rib cage and chest expand.
• Hold your breath and exhale slowly.
• Relax rib cage and chest.
• Relax face muscles and mind.

To visualize means to form a mental image of something. To visualize something is to simply imagine it in your mind. Some people like to think of it as going to their happy place and having what they want before those things materialize. It is more effective if you see yourself being in those places and having those things.

A happy place can be at any place and with a person you choose, but beaches seem to top the list. As soon as you feel jittery, imagine a happy place in your mind, take a few deep breaths and see how calm you will begin to feel.

Prayer is a very helpful and calming exercise for those who believe in the power of communicating with God. When you pray, it might not change the situations around you, but it will change you and your attitude about the situation.

Praying will help you to accept the things around you so you can go about your business in a more relaxed way.

Dr. Coussons-Read suggests that exercise is good for overall stress and for immediate relaxation. You can use some form of exercise no matter where you are. While you are at work, you can exercise by taking a brief walk in the parking lot around your office building during your lunch hour. Some people have closed their office door done yoga poses or danced to music to calm their jittery nerves.

Surely people at home can find some creative ways to exercise. They can take some jugs of milk or drinks out of the refrigerator to lift up and down.

Exercise can come in the form of housework or gardening. In fact, people who garden on a regular basis say it helps them relax every single time.

Stress can be in many different parts of your body, such as your shoulders, neck, head, jaws, hands, feet or stomach.

You can schedule an appointment with a massage therapist or you can learn to massage the part of your own body wherever stress has taken up residence in your body.

There is nothing like heat to calm your nerves. Take a warm bath or shower with your favorites bath oils. Not only will the heat from the warm water provide miracles for your body and nerves, but the smell of the oils you use will be very effective.

There are hundreds of different essential oils available for body aches and pains. There are certain ones made especially to calm your nerves and help you relax. Lavender essential oil is the most popular one for immediate results.

Keep lavender essential oil on hand at all times. Some women keep a small bottle of it in their purse or in a desk drawer at work. Both men and women sniff it before or after doing their breathing exercises.

Many people have found that aromatherapy is excellent in the bathroom while they soak in their warm bath. Afterward, they are relaxed without any jittery nerves.

Calming Jittery Nerves