Nervousness is never easy or fun. You may feel your heart beating fast, your palms sweating, and you may experience a nervous stomach that cramps and churns. Some people only experience these symptoms when feeling depressed or while giving a presentation, but others feel nervous in their usual daily activities. Regardless of when these symptoms occur, learning how to control your anxiety and calm a churning stomach can help you beat your nervousness.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Controlling External Causes
Step 1. Observe the restlessness experienced
Evaluating your symptoms is a good idea to find the best way to relieve a nervous stomach. This step can help you understand what a nervous stomach is like and focus on finding the best way to calm yourself down. The most common nervous stomach symptoms include:
- The inside of the stomach feels twisted.
- The feeling of a fluttering stomach or as if there are butterflies flying in it.
- Stomach churning and churning.
- Feeling nauseous, nauseous, or bloated.
- A tight and warm feeling around the stomach.
Step 2. Practice first
Sometimes feelings of nervousness can be relieved simply by feeling more confident in certain situations. Whether you're giving a presentation, going on a first date, or taking a job interview, practicing beforehand can reduce feelings of anxiety. Try to imagine a situation that makes you nervous and see yourself achieving your desired goal successfully and confidently. Do some research so you feel like you understand the topic, and make sure to reread what you want to talk about. But do not plan things too specific because it will cause the mind to become more restless.
Step 3. Say positive things to yourself
Many people experience wandering thoughts before activities that result in nervous stomachs. These thoughts are usually negative, and only cause feelings of increased restlessness and stomach cramps. Mastering how to completely stop these thoughts through techniques such as meditation will take a long time. A quick and effective way to deal with wandering negative thoughts is to turn them into positive statements. For example, try repeating the following words to yourself:
- "I'm good enough and able to overcome this".
- “I am the best candidate for this job. I am professional and meet the required qualifications”.
- "I want to be successful and will be a successful person".
Step 4. Don't rush
Rushing will only make you feel more panicked and restless. Giving yourself enough time to gather the necessary materials and get to your destination early will make you feel better and in control of the situation. The extra time can also provide an opportunity to cool off and use the toilet, which will ease a nervous tummy. Remember to plan to wait outside the venue if you arrive more than 15 minutes before your set time, as arriving too early can be annoying to others.
Step 5. Avoid caffeine
Caffeine is a type of stimulant and will give you an adrenaline rush in stressful situations, because it activates the sympathetic nervous system and can elicit a “fight-or-flight” response. Some sources of caffeine, such as coffee and energy drinks, are also known to cause stomach irritation. Reducing caffeine consumption before a stressful situation not only reduces the pressure on a nervous stomach, but also helps relieve nervousness caused by adrenaline rushes. Try drinking a glass of ice water instead; ice water can make the body feel refreshed, stay hydrated, and uplifting.
Method 2 of 2: Controlling Nervous Stomach
Step 1. Learn some breathing techniques
Focusing on the breathing process and taking deep, calming breaths is one of the easiest ways to relieve a nervous stomach. Most people have a tendency to take short, quick breaths, which increase the heart rate further, pump more adrenaline throughout the body, and stimulate anxiety. Learning how to calm your breath can help you breathe more efficiently, reduce the effects of adrenaline, and ease a nervous stomach.
Try to inhale through your nose, then exhale through your mouth
Step 2. Use aromatherapy to help calm the body and mind
Aromatherapy contains essential oils derived from a variety of herbs, fruits, tree bark, and flowers to influence your mood so that you feel better. Lavender and lemon are two of the most popular relaxation and stress relief oils. You can put the fragrant oil on burners around the house, or buy an aromatherapy massage oil that contains lavender or lemon for personal use. Inhale a small amount of aromatherapy oil or apply it to the pulse points of the body, such as the wrist.
Step 3. Eat foods that soothe the stomach
There are certain foods that contain enzymes and other substances that can calm the digestive system to help relieve a nervous stomach. If you feel very nauseous and have no appetite, look for the following food ingredients in the form of candy or pills so that they can be swallowed directly in the mouth:
- Honey helps relieve and coat the stomach wall.
- Mint and peppermint, which contain substances that can soothe smooth muscles such as the abdominal muscles.
- Ginger and candied ginger, which contains pyrochemicals to help fight nausea.
- 1 tsp baking soda dissolved in a cup of hot water. The sodium content in baking soda draws digestive juices into the stomach, which then supports the digestive tract through the small intestine.
- Papaya, which contains protein digestive enzymes that have anti-inflammatory properties.
Step 4. Try relaxing one body part at a time
This method is also known as progressive muscle relaxation. When you feel tense and your stomach twists, try standing with your eyes closed. Estimate which part of your body feels the most pressure, and focus on releasing it. Inhale deeply as you relax your arms, legs, back, neck, torso, and stomach. Focusing on your body, instead of your mind, can help relieve feelings of nervousness. Doing this technique repeatedly can also trick the body into releasing pressure to all parts of it, including the stomach.
Step 5. Treat symptoms of nervousness with medication
While you'll never want to take drugs while you can avoid them, sometimes stomach upset can be so intense and extreme that it requires medication. If non-drug techniques don't work, there are some medications that can help relieve a nervous stomach. Examples of commonly used over-the-counter drugs include:
- Promag
- Pepto-Bismol
- Challenge
- Polysilane
- Waisan
- Mylanta
- berlosid
Tips
- If you're still suffering from stomach upset despite using the above techniques or taking over-the-counter medications, see your doctor to rule out physical causes such as bacteria, acid reflux, lactose intolerance, or irritable bowel syndrome.
- Try talking to someone about why your stomach is nervous. Discuss it with a medical professional, family member, trusted friend, or loved one. They may come up with ideas that can help ease your nervousness, and you'll be more relieved by being open about your concerns.
- If the cause of your nervousness is an unsolvable problem right now, imagine yourself solving it with a positive outcome.
