Why Am I So Nervous Around Someone I Fancy?

When your heart is pierced by Cupid’s arrow, you’re rocked by an inner whirlwind, causing a flood of hormones to rush into your body and brain.

Countless poems and songs have tried to capture the giddy, almost sickening thrill of romantic love. It usually starts with a meeting of eyes. The heart thumps wildly as pulses of the fight-or-flight hormone, adrenaline, pound through the blood. Pupils enlarge, hairs stand on end, cheeks flush, and palms become sweaty. You get “butterflies in your stomach” (see Probiotic Pros).

Changes also happen to your brain: the mind becomes locked in emergency mode. The brain enters a heightened “watching” mode, and you might find you’re unable to think clearly. Your once-smooth demeanor disappears, leaving you stammering clumsy, ill-judged sweet nothings to your crush.

Quelling this tsunami of stress responses and regaining the power of coherent speech is not easy; try a deep, slow breathing routine to persuade your brain that there’s no imminent danger (see Is There a Quick Way to Calm My Nerves?).

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the signs of attraction

When you are attracted to someone, your brain leaps into action at once, lighting up a telltale constellation of bodily changes.

Live Your Best Life | Why Am I So Nervous Around Someone I Fancy?