Butterflies in the stomach is a description for one part of the fight-or-flight response that can kick in if you’re excited or afraid. These “butterflies” – along with a raised heart rate, sweating and feeling “jumpy” – are part of your survival mode. That’s when the part of your body known as the autonomic nervous system gets involved.
When you sense a possible threat – whether it’s physical or social, real or imagined, information is sent to the brain’s amygdala region for emotional processing. If the amygdala perceives danger, it sends a distress signal to another part of the brain, the hypothalamus, which kick-starts a cascade of changes to help the body prepare.
How can we manage those nervous bodily feelings? The first thing to consider is if you need to manage them at all. If it’s a once in a blue-moon, high-stress situation, you might be able to just say “hi” to those butterflies and keep going about your day until your body’s rest-and-digest response kicks in to bring your body back to baseline.
Self-guided techniques can also help. Mindfully observing your fluttery butterflies may help you notice subtle cues in your body about how you’re feeling, before you become overwhelmed.
By then moving through any actions in your control – from noticing your breath through to taking the next steps towards the plunge you fear most, you show your brain you can overcome the threat.
Sometimes it can be worth turning to the cause of the anxiety-causing situation itself. Could some extra preparation time (for example) help you feel more in control? Or is it more about reminding yourself of how getting through these situations aligns with your values? Sometimes a shift in perspective makes all the difference.
If anxiety is more frequent or is getting in the way of doing the things that matter to you instead of trying to fight or resist, anxiety and any other bothersome feelings you might even thank your mind (and body) for its attempt to help, and for the reminder about what is important to you.
