May 4, 2024 5 min read

Parallel Pathways: Unraveling the Surprising Similarities Between Nervousness and Excitement

Being nervous or being excited is actually the same feeling, it is just a different interpretation.

Some people look like they genuinely have fun in moments where we would be the most nervous. How can they not be nervous? How can they genuinely enjoy these moments? Well, let me tell you something: being nervous and being excited actually have the same 'symptoms'. It is just a different interpretation. So we choose if we are being nervous or if we are being excited.

Today, we’ll discuss the following topics:

Being Nervous
Being Excited
They Are the Same?
Key Takeaways

Being Nervous

Being nervous is an emotional state in which we feel anxious, apprehended, or uneasy. It is often something we experience as negative. Most of the time, we are nervous before certain events in our lives. Think of exams, big days in our careers, or other potentially challenging moments. The things we experience when we are nervous are an increase in our heart rate, we start sweating, we get a weird feeling in our stomach, we get focused, and we are full of adrenaline. It is a natural response to situations that may involve risk, novelty, or performance pressure.

Being Excited

Excitement is an emotional state, which we would describe as something positive. We feel enthusiastic and aroused. These moments of excitement are in response of expecting moments that are enjoyable, thrilling, or desirable. We often feel energetic and full of adrenaline. Some of the things we might notice when we are excited are an increase in heart rate, a weird feeling in our stomach, and being full of adrenaline. These are a natural response to situations that are perceived as rewarding, novel, or significant in a positive way.

Someone as excited as this man, will probably influence a positive experience.

They Are the Same?

We can see some great similarities here. Both give us an increase in heart rate and an increase in adrenaline. We get a weird feeling in our stomach; we might even start sweating. The feelings we get can be positive or negative. But the feeling itself is the same. So, being excited or being nervous is a choice. We can interpret our feelings as excitement, or we can interpret these feelings as nervousness. That is our interpretation. Being excited often has positive influences on the event that we are nervous or excited for, while being nervous often has negative influences on the event. So, we need to interpret these feelings as being excited.

This is not that easy. However, this is something we can train just by saying to ourselves that the feelings are excitement. We need to tell ourselves, “This is not nervousness; this is excitement.” We need to tell this to ourselves so many times that we actually start believing it. It will help us in the events that are coming, and it gives us more rest in our heads.

This is something that really helped me on a personal level. I was always quite ‘nervous’ about every little thing. I was nervous for presentations, I was nervous for my football games, and I was nervous for simple appointments. This way of thinking really changed my view of it. Now, when I feel 'nervous', I tell myself that it is excitement and not nervousness. Most of the time, it really gives me some moments where I actually feel excited, whereas before, I would be nervous for two straight days for that upcoming event. Now I can feel excitement. I’m still nervous sometimes, but by practicing this way of thinking, I think I will be much less nervous in my life. The first day I tried this, it already had such a good impact on me. I will never forget this lesson that I learned. So, that is why I’m sharing it with you, because it really helped me.

So, you can choose to be excited or to be nervous. Try to be excited.

Key Takeaways

Being nervous and being excited are actually almost the same feelings. However, the interpretation is different; with nervousness, we are feeling a negative feeling, while excitement gives us a good feeling. The feeling expresses itself the same way, but our interpretation is different. Which means that to feel excited, we just have to interpret those feelings as being excited, not as being nervous. Do this by constantly telling yourself that these feelings of ‘nervousness’ are excitement. It will almost always have a positive influence on certain things we need to be excited about.

Links

If you want to read more about this topic, you can follow these links:

https://www.healthcentral.com/article/are-anxiety-and-excitement-the-same

https://www.fastcompany.com/90399444/how-to-learn-to-embrace-your-anxiety-and-turn-it-into-excitement

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