Have you ever had to speak in front of your class?
And felt butterflies in your stomach?
And then realized you forgot to put on pants?
Don’t worry!
This has happened to everyone.
Well maybe not losing your pants, but those butterflies in your stomach is a feeling we’ve
all had!
Those butterflies in your stomach are a reaction to feeling stress.
And stress is an incredibly powerful feeling in the body!
It triggers something called the “Fight-or-flight” response.
This is the primal instinct in us that helps us cope with stress and danger.
Let’s say a rabid dog is chasing you.
Luckily your body knows what to do.
Parts of the brain called the hypothalamus and pituitary gland fire off rapid signals
throughout the body.
In particular, the pituitary gland signals your adrenal glands to release adrenaline,
which is kind of like giving Popeye spinach.
This causes a rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure and increased circulation to
your muscles.
All that blood serves to help you out with your two choices: fighting this vicious, carnal
animal or running away as fast as you can.
I chose to run.
All that blood flowing to your lungs and muscles means less of it is reaching other organs,
including your stomach.
And that creates the feeling of a butterfly dance off in your stomach.
That and the increased hormones released in the body can actually make you nauseous too.
So just remember, those butterflies in your stomach are just you feeling stressed out.
Try to relax and remember to keep your pants on.