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How can I stop my hands shaking

243 Answers
Last Updated: 06/01/2022 at 9:16am
How can I stop my hands shaking
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Tracy-Kate Teleke, PsyD, M.A., LMFT

Marriage & Family Therapist

I assist adults and couples in CA experiencing relationship challenges and interpersonal struggles including anxiety, depression, and a myriad of other life challenges.

Top Rated Answers
beccarc17
November 9th, 2018 5:08pm
Hands shaking can be caused from many different sources. In many cases, it is just a genetic factor that causes hands to shake in which cause it can be treated by medication. However, if it is caused by alcohol or caffeine, the only real way is to unfortunately reduce consumption. There may be more serious causes of hands shaking such as a problem with blood pressure, which would require you to seek professional help from a doctor. If it's caused by anxiety or nerves, you can focus on DBT skills such as breathing exercises. You may find these solutions help but each case is different !
Anonymous
December 27th, 2018 7:20am
First, visit with your primary care doctor for an evaluation for physiological causes. If you doctor tells you it is not physically caused, it is time to think about your emotional and mental wellness. If the shaking is related to anxiety, you may want to consider professional psychotherapy. Psychotherapy can assist with understanding your stress levels and how to better cope with stressful situations. Also, proper sleep, exercise, and nutrition are important, as well as having supportive people in your life. Please also consider improving and strengthening your social connections through volunteering. There are many wonderful volunteering opportunities available in most communities.
HappinessGrows
January 10th, 2019 3:57pm
When my hands shake, it's often a sign to me that I am feeling nervous or anxious. I try to bring my hands together so that I feel more grounded in the moment and more in control, and I sometimes gently press the fingers of one hand against those of another. This gives me something to focus on initially and then becomes an unconscious movement that I seem to do until I feel better. Feeling that I have more control over the movement helps me to realise that I am safe and I begin to feel stronger and calmer.
shiningSoul45
February 17th, 2019 6:06am
To stop shaking and jittery hands, take three deep, slow breaths. Breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Clench your fists on the inhale, and un-clench your fists on the exhale. Then release your fists gently. Scan your body for any areas of tension. If you are feeling a tense spot, focus on the area and imagine the muscle loosening. Facial areas, including the toung and jaw are often holding un-noticed tension. Repeat this exercise until any tension is gone. If your hands stop shaking, but jitters persist, look up to the sky for one continuous minute.
Anonymous
February 23rd, 2019 5:28am
Take a deep breath and try to relaxe your mind. Take some water if you need it. Be calm and smile. Thinking about your happy memories can be help to. Do your best and don't be anxious. You can do this. I believe in you. You do you.
Anonymous
March 9th, 2019 11:53pm
You can try to eat something, or maybe you are very nervous, you may try to calm down a bit, you can be too excited or to tired, you may fell sick, have fiber. If the problem is too serious you can contact a doctor, or try to oversleep. Is important to care about yourself. You may me too afraid too. I think hands shaking is a very common problem and you shouldn’t be worried about it . If your hands are hurt that may be an way too. Just try to eat or calm down. Hope it helped!
OceanRest
April 19th, 2019 5:49pm
I would say it depends on why your hands are shaking. It could for example be shaking because of low bloodsugar and then the solution would be to eat something. There are some illnesses that can cause trembling and for that diagnosis and treatment it would be best to see a doctor. If your hands are shaking because of anxiety or nervousness you can also talk to a doctor about medication. I know for example that there is something they sometimes prescribe for people who have to perform with something like musical instruments and can't afford their hands to shake. Even if it is a general anxiety you are struggling with, you can discuss it with your doctor who might be willing to prescribe something for you. But you can begin by simply taking control of your breathing. Some people will suggest taking deep breaths, making sure you breathe into your abdomen instead of just high up in your chest. Taking deep breaths can often help a person calm down. But I also know that many people who struggle with anxiety find it difficult to go from anxious to immediately taking a deep breath. In that case you can start very simply by just slowing your breathing a little bit, and then breathe a little bit slower again, and just a little bit slower again, until your breathing feels more normal or you are able to take a deep breath. If you are able to take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds before blowing out, that can also help you to slow down your heart rate. I hope you'll find something that works for you. Sometimes it can take a bit of practice, so don't give up if you can't get it perfect on your first try.
JaneBrown81
April 26th, 2019 3:27pm
1. Physically remove yourself from the situation which triggered the sign (hand-shaking): Move to the other room, go for a walk. 2. Take 5 deep breaths. Make sure your inhaling and exhaling is equally deep. By this time, your hands should be shaking less. In case the same intensity continues, then: 3. Place your hand in cold water and stretch them. Make sure the water is not too cold- just mildly colder than the room temperature. Avoid using hot water. 4. Actively listen to music which you find soothing. This can include soft instrumental, piano, delta waves. 5. Involve your hands in a craft activity: Keep a place of clay nearby and work on it when your hands start shaking. 3,4,5 should be done along with 1 and 2. 5.
haileeanne99
May 10th, 2019 4:58am
It depends on the situation a person may be in which is making your hands to shake. When a person is dealing with anxiety/nerves, it can be hard to shake off those uneasy feelings. The most crucial step in order to stop your hands shaking is to reduce your anxiety levels. This is something that is extremely hard to do, and most likely can't be done overnight. It will reduce an individuals levels of anxiety and your body won't identify those situations as stressors. Another thing I would recommend is talking to a doctor about it. If it is something that is impacting your life, it is important to seek professional help. Other steps that I find helpful is to take deep breaths, go in a quiet space, or do grounding techniques. Grounding techniques is when you identify things around you that you can see, touch, smell, etc. It helps reduce and alleviate anxiety.
katiehoran
July 6th, 2019 1:07am
In order to deal with anxiety and hand shaking, unless it has to do with an underlying physical condition, there are a couple of steps you can take. First, begin breathing in a methodical manner. Even if it seems simple, focusing on your breathing and nothing else can keep you from focusing on any intrusive or negative thoughts. Not only this, but you can also do multiple mindful practices. Look at what's causing the shaking, and how you can change that. If it's GAD or another anxiety disorder, behavioral therapy or meds may be the best choice. Otherwise, practiced the aforementioned breathing exercises or focus on positive thoughts in order to deal with the underlying anxiety. Lastly, think of what triggers it. Finding out this trigger and either attempting to overcome it or addressing it through therapeutic approaches.
AaronBurnsXXX
August 17th, 2019 5:50am
To stop your hands from shaking you can close your eyes and take deep breaths to try and calm your mind and body down. Also sit down spread you hands out on a table, look at your hands focus on them and in your mind or out loud repeat calm down, relax. This in time might help your hands from shaking. Also if you have someone close to you that you feel safe with ask them to hold your hands. This can help you calm down and in turn help you stop shaking. If these methods do not work you can try to talk to a gp or a counselor.
Anonymous
August 30th, 2019 12:38pm
try to be calm thats the best thing you can do. The more you think about different things and whole lot different situations you gonna just stress out yourself and nothing much than that. So its better to leave things some times in order to move on and think for self instead of being anxious about things, you cant do anything about...! Other than that, try to solve your problems as of you are solving basic maths so that you can really achieve something on working out on self. Try to get good sleep, try to go out and try to live alone sometimes.
Anonymous
September 5th, 2019 12:44pm
Tremors in the hands can occur without a cause or as a symptom of an underlying condition. Shaky hands is not a life-threatening symptom, but it can have an impact on daily activities. Most people have a slight tremor in the hands, and it may be especially noticeable when holding the hands straight out in front of the body. Tremors range in severity, and several conditions can cause more noticeable shaking. we explore common causes of hand tremors and their treatments A tremor is a common movement disorder. An involuntary, rhythmic muscle contraction causes the shaking. Tremors are most common in the hands, but they can also occur in the arms, head, vocal cords, torso, and legs. Tremors can be intermittent, happening every so often, or constant. Sometimes tremors develop on their own, and other times they signal an underlying health issue.
Anonymous
September 12th, 2019 8:37am
Depends on why it's shaking . It can be for medical reasons , even spiritual ( if you're open minded on the subject ) , or simply anxious. I'll speak about the last one because I trust it's more common . If it is anxiety that makes your hands tremble , I advise you to seek help so that you can control the anxiety . Because as long as your heart is in tense , you can't help it. But if you're not anxious at all , then maybe going for check up would be a good idea.
MichelFA
October 23rd, 2019 9:36pm
It depends on why your hands are shaking. I have an essential tremor which means that my hands constantly shake, I've found ways to make it better like using more of my upper arm to control what I'm doing with my hands. If your hands are shaking because of anxiety, I have found that taking some time to calm down and recentre works wonders for anxiety; finding the time to take a few calming breaths and ground myself helps me when my hands get shaky from anxiety. If you still experience shakiness even after trying many tactics to prevent them from doing so, I'd recommend seeing your primary care doctor.
lovingEnergy7800
November 30th, 2019 10:26am
Crossing your arms could work if you're standing up. Otherwise clasping your hands together or putting them under your legs could help with the actual shaking. I know these responses are highly superficial and seem a little weak but honestly I have always found them to be helpful in the past. Thinking about what is causing the shaking too could help, by allowing you to acknowledge the root cause of your anxiousness. Once you have done this, think rationally through all the things you could do to address this area. Know that your body protects you and that you are safe.
Anonymous
December 14th, 2019 10:01am
Deep breaths are always good to help steady yourself instead. Bouncing or moving another body part can sort of move the tension, and it helps me more than just trying to keep still, as it feels less restrictive. Doing something else with your hands — fiddling with a piece of jewelry, tapping out a tune, folding paper or something else similar — is another way to move the tension. If you want to be completely still, then it’s possible with a lot of deep breathing, and focusing on purely keeping still and often concentrating on talking or whatever else you’re doing.
JSBrian
December 20th, 2019 9:43pm
Aside from providing a tongue-in-cheek answer to this, unless this is something that you have had diagnosed by a medical professional and/ or have any understanding, without more, this is a question that is best directed for a licensed medical professional. There are plenty of causes for "shaking hands", and the issue may be a symptom of something much larger. Only with the proper medical evaluation will you get the answers for which you are looking. The fact that this is being posed as a basic issue / question, while both good and indicative of you recognizing an issue with the desire to improve it, implies a lack of personal familiarity of the underlying problem. Probe deeper to identify potential causes / situations in which you find your hands shaking the most, talk with your family members / friends / care providers to engage them (if comfortable), and contact medical professional who will help ask the questions that you do not yet know how to ask so that you may receive the help you need.
Jezbr
December 30th, 2019 10:45am
Many things can cause our hands from shaking. Anything from cold - we shiver so that our bodies force us to warm a little bit. Over stimulation. If you are a big coffee drinker or a smoker etc our bodies can be so over stimulated that we shake. My fiance can't drink coffee in the mornings anymore as she is a surgeon and if she is overstimulated, stitching people up is almost impossible. Some people also have restless leg syndrome, which means a lot of the time their legs just need to move and shake and sometimes dance. I don't know why, but a friend of mine used to walk for hours every night because his legs wouldn't let him sleep. So you could have one of these or another one. If you are worried about it being a physical thing, see what stimulants you can stop, or try gloves or something. Otherwise, GPs could have a look and see if its something else inside.
beautifuldreamer27
January 4th, 2020 6:32pm
I personally carry a fidget cube on my keys, so whenever I feel my hands start to shake then I'll use that. If I don't have my keys to hand, I always have a bobble on my wrist and I will play with this. I also have a range of anti-anxiety apps on my phone that act as a distraction, so again I'll use something like this as it allows me to distract my mind from the reason my hands were shaking and also allows me to focus my fine motor skills. There are a range of different apps to look at that also give you ideas to keep your hands busy.
Anonymous
February 9th, 2020 6:24am
If you have shaking anything and you drink often, you may have Delirium Tremens. This requires a doctors attention, seek help immediately. This site requires extra characters with no reason given, so, I'm going to say one more thing, I love you, and you can get over this. Apparently I have to keep going even those this question doesn't require it. This goes out to 7cups... who in your staff decided this questions needed to be so long? Is it for things that make you money or is it because you used a blanket rule to make sure things get done.... OK I made it. Done.
contentedShoulder7342
February 21st, 2020 8:12pm
By getting something to put on your wrist which you can fiddle with from time to time it will be able to distract you. Maybe a bracelet or a band. Also good for taking your mind off things. I know this exercise has really helped myself. Or try and rub your hands together, so you can feel your hands - I know this one helps me as it takes my mind off my hands are shaking. Try and relax when your hands are shaking as it might calm your hands down too! Hope this helps!! Or stretching your hands out and in
Anonymous
March 13th, 2020 1:21pm
First,CHECK your diet,insufficient amount of nutrient can potentially cause hand shaking,and even sleep issues,and without proper sleep,symptoms just becoming worse and worse,your heart starts to hurt,you have a headache,you have blurred vision,or shaking entirely,from toes to the head,that's a physical problem that may cause your hands to shake uncontrollably.When it comes to the psychological problems,it's VERY complex,as the only person who start feeling better and finding out the culprit on "Why my hands are shaking" is you,and only you,psychiatrists/therapists may only guide you and provide support together with your family/friends,because the answer is in your head,because when you know the answer,you can then talk to the therapist/psychiatrist about it,and fix the problem.
Anonymous
April 1st, 2020 11:15pm
Hey reader, This must be really hard to come to grips with but it sounds like hand shaking is a sign of anxiety and if your in an anxious situation pleasr remove yourself if possible and that could stop the shaking. I know from personal experience that my hands shake when i'm extreemely nervous or i'm in an uncomfortable situation, like i said above removing yourself may be the best option but if that isn't possible breathing techniques, like meditation could really help from my experiences. i'm sorry if i can't help anymore, feel free to message me if you need more advice! Holly
Anonymous
April 9th, 2020 5:59pm
When your body is subjected to stress, it goes into fight-or-flight mode. Stress hormones flood your body and speed up your heart rate, blood pressure, and your breathing. Your body prepares to deal with the stressor, interpreting the anxiousness as a signal that you’ll need to stand your ground or escape from danger. Your muscles become primed to act, leading to a trembling sensation, twitching, or shaking. Tremors caused by anxiety are called psychogenic tremors. You can try to do some relaxation techniques like yoga, Progressive muscle relaxation (focuses on contracting, then releasing different muscle groups), deep and slow breathing or mindfulness exercises or anything that really relax you or makes you happy/calm. I find that as i calm down, the shaking will slowly stops too.
giggleDeer1023
May 17th, 2020 8:43pm
Focus your brain in the other areas of your body, maybe on the part you are most proud of like your eyes. Try to relax and take a long deep breath. Visualize you are shaking hands with great confidence and posture. Practice, practice, practice until you made it 5x in a row Check on how others do it. Socialize, so you will be relax around different people. Have a small talk first and feel the surroundings until you are relax Remember you are always one step on making this perfect, so just go on with the flow and enjoy yourself Keep in mind, I am the Boss here Smile
sunshineMelody2530
May 24th, 2020 2:41pm
Take a deep breath and go into a room where you feel most calm. Take a few moments to calm yourself, you are on a safe place. Did you eat today? Did you sleep well? I am here if you need someone to talk with.
AngusBeefPatty
June 4th, 2020 4:45am
Try deep breathing exercises! When my hands shake i take large, deep breaths about 3-4 times and try to focus only on my breath in that moment and not draw my attention away from it. You can also try the relaxing breath method where you breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 7 counts, and breath out for 8 counts. I think these two methods have really helped me. Also try to avoid caffeine based drinks like monster or coffee as that can make shaking worse. Repeat if needed till shaking gets better or fully stops :) Best of luck!
Brendoodlee
June 5th, 2020 1:56pm
Sit down or try to get comfortable, try to breath slowly in and out, hold onto something steady if possible, and see if you can find out why you're shaking, know that its nothing bad and everyone has it happen in their lives, maybe try to stretch your hands a little, see if you can eat something and make sure your thought are something else than what you're currently thinking about, put on something on tv, listen to music, maybe even dance a little to relax your musles! Perhaps wash your hands with some cold water so you keep your hands busy too
PacificDreams
June 24th, 2020 7:41pm
If your hands are shaking from nervousness or anxiety, try some deep breathing. Inhale through your nose to the count of 7, then hold for a count of 5, now exhale through. your mouth for a count of 7. Repeat this several times. Calming your nervous system can also be done with really cold water on your face. Either place your face in a bowl of water or use a very cold wet cloth over an icy compress. In both cases, be sure the cold water is covering from your chin to over your eyes. Try to keep your face submerged for as long as you can. 20-30 seconds if possible. This is a really big help for me and you can find many examples of this technique online.