Skip to main content Skip to bottom nav

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
Anonymous
July 3rd, 2020 4:02am
There are a few different explanations for why someone's hands can shake. For me personally, this usually happens as a consequence of social anxiety and performance anxiety. If this is the case for you, try out the following, it has worked for me in the past! Take a second to simply focus on you're breathing. Close your eyes, take a few deep breaths, and try to relax. Think a happy thought, think about doing something that you do routinely, count to 10 if you have to. If it is social anxiety that is causing your hands to shake, try to channel the comfort you feel when you are by yourself. Overall, try to relax, and remember, you got this!
Anonymous
July 10th, 2020 3:12am
Clench your fists as hard as you can for a few seconds. Notice the tension in your body. Then, let go. Let your hands and arms flop down and notice how that feels. Do it a few times, focusing only on those sensations. If this doesn't work, drink some water and make sure you've eaten enough. Sometimes shaking is not from anxiety but from something physical like low blood sugar, caffeine, dehydration, etc. Take care of your body! If nothing is working you may just have to wait a while. Use a distraction like a walk, a book, or talking with a friend to take your focus off the discomfort.
Bxnbxn
July 18th, 2020 3:31am
When my hands start to shake, I sit up and stretch my arms. I put my left arm across my chest and use my right hand to grab my left elbow. After I do this for both arms, I rotate my shoulders and pull them back, keeping them relaxed. I then rest my hands in my lap and take long, deep breaths, imagining myself squeezing a stress ball. The most important thing is to breathe, in and out, deep breaths. Try not to panic if the shaking doesn’t go away. It takes a little bit of time, and with practice, you will have more control over your reaction to it.
RomulusV
July 22nd, 2020 8:55pm
When my hands are shaking often I try to remove myself from stressful situations if possible and try to relax. Usually I tend to use distractions to help myself calm down. I may take my earbuds and listen to music, read. A book, watch something that I can engage in, or etc. Breathing exercises also can help, though I haven’t found them the most beneficial. I try to tell myself that it’ll be okay and that I’m alright or will be alright. And I try to take care of myself in these moments. To take care of my needs and to focus on my feelings for a bit till everything settles down
Anonymous
August 1st, 2020 5:14am
Take a deep breath, in and out. Try going to a place that is quiet and separate from everyone and everything. What are you personally anxious about? If you'd like, we can talk about it. For now, just breath in for 8 seconds, hold for 6, and breathe out for 8. If you need to fidget with your hands, I personally know that helps me sometimes, so hold something soft and not sharp or dangerous. Switch it from hand to hand as you think about things. If you cant be alone right now, then just take in the situation, and think about how things arent hopeless.
emily2803
August 22nd, 2020 6:18pm
Shaking hands are usually a symptom of anxiety or another underlying issue. A good way to stop your hands from shaking is to try and combat anxiety. To do this, you could try deep breathing exercises that can provide you with relief, or make use of apps that help you handle your anxious feelings/thoughts. Some helpful apps that I'm aware of include Calm, or Headspace. Meditation and yoga are also two other good ways that can help you seek relaxation. In the case that these types of exercises don't necessarily work for you, another option is to try reaching out to therapy or other support systems/resources that can help you manage your issues. The first step is to accept the problem so you're on the right path!
brightPond5967
August 23rd, 2020 7:14am
Breathe. I know this feeling won't last forever even if in the moment it does. Distract myself. Play with my fingers, and move them in a pattern. Close my eyes. Imagine I'm in a safe place. My bed. Remember you are your own worst critic. Everyone makes mistakes so it if okay if I make one. I'm not alone other people have felt like this and they survived. My first time doing something? It'll be okay if I mess up. I know people are understanding and the most I can do is my best. If I try my best I can be happy with myself. I can find comfort in my own body. And if I need help someone in this world is willing to help me. Believe the universe has a plan for me and what's meant to happen will happen.
EmpoweringDolphin
September 9th, 2020 12:58am
breathing exercises and shifting focus. Do a quick check in with yourself and breathe in through your nose for 8 seconds, then out through your mouth for 8 seconds. If you can bring your attention to something else, you can try to refocus and redirect your anxiety and just generally calm down. There are different meditative practices that can help- for instance, name 5 things you see, hear, smell, or feel. Bring yourself back to reality, back to the simple things that can feel grounding and distracting. Keep yourself distracted and use grounding, breathing, or calming techniques until you naturally lower your anxiety and get your hands to stop shaking. The move you focus on the problem, the more difficult it will be to change.
Straightpath617
September 13th, 2020 6:09pm
I'm sorry that you are experiencing that. That must be very difficult to deal with during every day life. Shaking hands or "hand tremors" can often be a side effect of mental health and mental health medications. If this issue has been bothering you for a while, I would recommend that you ask your medical doctor to see if there is a medical cause for it. Whether or not the cause is medical or a side effect of medication, there are ways to battle the symptoms. Best of luck to you. I do hope that you feel better and that this issue is taken care of soon.
DailyToast
September 19th, 2020 10:48am
Breathe deeply with your eyes closed and count to 10. Think of something pleasant, that you are thankful for. Then do it again. Clasp your hands together and squeeze all your muscles as tight as you can and count to five. Then, release and take a breath. Then do it again. If none of those things work, jump up and down and wave your arms. Dance and sing a song to yourself. If you are in a setting where you cannot do something like that and you need to be more discrete, sit on your hands and put as much pressure on them as you can, then release.
Anonymous
October 8th, 2020 4:34am
Place your hands flat against a surface such as a table, into the pockets of your pants, or against your body and take a deep breath. Curl your fingers up into a fist or run them along the surface that your hands are on. Try closing your eyes and picturing thoughts that bring you joy or calmness such as a positive memory or even just an idyllic scene like a calm river or mountain range. Hands shaking are the product of anxiety so if you can calm yourself down in some way, this should help the shaking stop.
Anonymous
October 28th, 2020 5:13pm
First thing you need to identify is why your hand is shaking, is it anxiety? Is it too much coffee? Once you figure this out, you can decide what to do next. If it is anxiety, there are a couple of things you can do, deep breathing, a good nights sleep, taking a drink of water or a quick "bathroom break" to clear your head. there are many reasons as to why one's hand might be shaking and there are many solutions, one just has to find what works for you. If this continues and you are concerned, schedule an appointment with a health worker and see if there is something that can help. They may give you a relaxant or try to find an underlying cause. There is no shame in asking for help!
kimberly100024
November 5th, 2020 7:00pm
Take a few moments to breathe deeply. Breathe with your belly and center your mind and your head over your shoulders. Straighten your posture and plant your feet on the ground. Assume a confident position, even if you do not feel like you are truly confident. This will prepare your body and your mind to confront whatever is making your hands shake. Focus on stability and peace of mind; let the anxious thoughts pass through like clouds. Affirm yourself that you have courage and confidence inside of you. If your hands still shake, focus on your breathing again. Try to release the muscles and tension in your hands, your arms, and any other places that are tense.
LinaMoon
November 6th, 2020 9:41pm
Having your hands shake can be really difficult to cope with, especially if you're an artist or are worried about if anyone will notice that your hands are shaking. As crazy as this sounds, one of the best things to do is try not to focus on it. The ways you can do that is by focusing on your breathing or grounding exercises. Also, if this is a common occurrence for you, drink lots of water and make sure your body is well nourished. I wish you the best of luck! I hope this helped you a little bit. -Lina
CuddlyLlama
November 14th, 2020 6:48pm
Limit or avoid caffeine as this tends to make it worse. Consider physical therapy to strengthen and improve it. See your GP or a Dr who may be able to explore this and offer diagnosis(if you do not have this already) they can offer different forms of treatment and medication which can often lessen or at least reduce your tremors significantly. These treatments could rang from beta blockers to anti anxiety meds if this the cause. Consider writing down what happens and when it happens to get a better idea of what is going on for you and help you get treatment :)
TheFunnyWalker
December 16th, 2020 8:45pm
I usually close my eyes and take deep breaths while trying to clear my mind and think of nothing at all. It helps to sit or find something to lean against. It takes a couple minutes but it works for me. It sometimes help to picture nothing but the color white for some reason 🤷🏽 When that doesn’t help I try washing my face and controlling my breathing. Usually when hands start to shake then breathing and heart rate increases so I don’t try to stop the shaking I try to control the heart rate and breathing and that In turn help to stop shaking for me.
Anonymous
January 20th, 2021 6:40pm
Shaking hands can occur for many reasons, including reasons pertaining to health, so before you take any advice from the internet about how to stop your hands from shaking, it may be a good idea to check with a healthcare professional or doctor to see why your hands are shaking and to rule out any possible underlying health conditions. Consulting a doctor may even resolve the issue if they are able to identify and treat the cause. However, if the shaking is idiopathic (that is, without a known cause) or if it is recommended to be treated through lifestyle modifications, several modifications may help. These include: reducing caffeine in the diet, engaging in calming exercises or mindfulness exercises, practicing small rituals that you find relaxing and which seem to reduce the tremor, for instance, focusing on small, safe, fine motor tasks, like drawing or stringing beads. I wish you the best of luck with your hands, and hope you are able to find the answers you need.
Anonymous
February 10th, 2021 5:14pm
Hi! I absolutely understand how much of a burden shaking hands can be. Here are some tips to prevent them from shaking: Try to avoid caffeine. Caffeine and other stimulants can increase tremors. Learn to relax, take your mind to a place that calms you and makes you feel at peace. Another tip is to keep your hands occupied. Try doing activities such as drawing, writing, building Legos, or playing a mobile game. If none of the previously listed options don't work for you, try wearing wrist weights! The extra weight on your arm may very well make control easier.
Easylistener
February 13th, 2021 5:42pm
If you find your hands shaking it helps a lot to try and drop your shoulders, take a few deep breaths and have a glass of water. The more you centre yourself it will help to calm your nervous system, which will calm the shaking. Usually anxiety is the cause of the adrenaline rush to cause shaking, so the more you work on calming the Central Nervous System and the fight or flight response, you would help the hand shaking. Sometimes a sleepless night, or overuse of alcohol can also cause this response, so getting more sleep is a good idea.
bluepicnic
March 6th, 2021 6:40am
For me, my hands shaking tends to be a sign of anxiety, I use breathing, mindfulness, and grounding techniques to ground myself. Holding my hands together and breathing deeply tends to help me. Moving to an environment I'm more comfortable in is also nice when I have the opportunity. For grounding, I like the 5 things method. It involves locating and pointing out to yourself 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you (and everyone) can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste. You don't have to go around touching and smelling things, but by finding these things in your environment it can be calming and help reduce anxiety that tends to be the root cause of the hand shaking, at least in my experience.
Anonymous
March 28th, 2021 10:15am
Put your hands on your lap, take deep breathes, and count to 10. Close your eyes if you need to. You may have just finished panicking which is completely okay. Just take deep breathes, drink some water if you need to, and think of your happy place. This can be a childhood home, a park you would go to with your friends, or just anywhere that brings you peace. After that I want you to think of some people that have really impacted your life in a positive way. Think about why they are so important to you and just by doing these few things it can go a long way in getting your hands to slowly stop shaking.
JuliaNotJuliett
April 10th, 2021 11:53am
Shaking hands can be a result of plenty of issues, physical or emotional. If it's a physical issue, it would be best to see a physician (this kind of thing is usually related to stress or trauma suffered by the joints, and it happens from time to time, regardless of the surroundings). If the shaking is caused by an emotional/mental health issue, then it would be safe to try and identify the strongest emotion you are having, and concentrate on the source (e.g. If your hands are shaking because you are furious, where is the fury coming from? What can you do to stop it); more often than not though, this could be caused by something out of your control, such as stress or anxiety. I think that a short term solution would be trying out a few breathing techniques and seeing which one works for you, and a long time solution might be taking this issue to a therapist. Take care!
thefuture12
April 15th, 2021 7:53am
Breathing. It helps to manage the feelings inside of you. Breahte in and breathe out. Think about how the air goes through your Lungs and how they end in your heart. Everytime you breathe out think about all the emotions you blow out in the same time. They dont need that much space in your heart. Now take your own hands and hold them. Your not alone, you have yourself. You are strong and powerful. Do the exercises one more time and breathe in and out. You feel the air everywhere in your body now. Your body is ready for working again.
eLucae
June 3rd, 2021 2:33pm
Hands shaking is multiple things, it could be stress, anxiety, or just something with your blood sugar. If you have a strong feeling that it may be stress, try to calm down. Try doing something that calms you down. If its something that has to do with people, leave the room. Go to a quiet space and take deep breathes. Its normal to feel overwhelmed in front of certain people if you need to do something.
Peony6
July 14th, 2021 6:33pm
When we experience anxiety or fear we pick up some compulsive habits such as feet tapping, nail biting or hand shaking. However, since we are talking exclusively about handshaking, it would be beneficial to know that sometimes hand shaking stems from nerve problems. In thay case it's highly recommended to consult a physician if the handshaking is severe and out of control. Now, come to the question of managing. We'll be first willing to stop it and for that willing to pay the price. The price is nothing but diligent practice and discipline. Firstly, we need observed at what time, for what and for how long our hands are shaking? What are the triggers behind? When did we pick up this habit? Once we know the reasons and trigger, we'll make ourselves equipped to before the handshaking occurs. We can divert ourselves by observing details of the surroundings or perhaps by eating a candy or engaging in a friendly conversation with others. We may also take measures to avoid the triggers for a time before we eliminate the root cause of this. This is it. Thank you so much for reading my answer and please pardon my grammatical erros. Have a good day!
Robynni
August 27th, 2021 8:40pm
I have a full body tremor! I'm entirely happy to talk about it, and I can totally relate! I try to concentrate on something else, myself. Sometimes when we focus enough, it can take away from the more irritating or negative parts we deal with. Of course, for mental situations we use mindfulness, grounding, etc. Which, if a root cause of shaking is anxiety, could work, but not always! I quite like picking up a pen and doodling on scrap paper! I can try to control my hands a little more, with a creative spark! Other hobbies could be used, too, of course. Gaming, reading, music, anything really! It's likely that, for me, I usually fixated on something worrying, or something triggering just happened, and I need to work through the feelings I gained from it.
Anonymous
November 4th, 2021 11:05pm
Honestly, my hands shake a lot. So do my legs. People have said it's anxiety, but I don't see how the two of those correlate. It could possibly be anxiety, so you could get help, or some physical problem. Also, don't drink too much coffee, and try to get good sleep, because I don't and I am quite shaky. I think that strong emotions or just gripping your hands too much can also cause something like it too. Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with me that's causing this other than sleep problems and anxiety, but try searching on the internet and if you have any related conditions to shaky hands.
Anonymous
January 13th, 2022 3:48am
A first step that you could potentially take is to determine the source of your hands shaking. By determining the cause of this habit, you could be able to come up with solutions or actions to take to minimize your shaking. For example, is there a certain location, time, or individuals that tend to "trigger" your hands to shake? I've also experienced frequent hand shaking before. After some reflection into my daily life, I realized that the source of my shakiness was due to anxiety. So to reduce my hands from frequently shaking, I determined sources of anxiety for me. You can try the same and see it it works for you.
energetic4unicorns
February 27th, 2022 8:49pm
When I'm very nervous or have a lot of anxiety, my hands tend to shake. One way I stop the shaking is by squeezing a stress ball. I have a lot of different kinds of stressed balls that I keep on my desk for these types of situations. Just simply squeezing my stress balls helps to not only stop the shaking of my hands, but it helps to calm myself down. I also have a fidget cube that I like to use whenever I am feeling anxious and need something to do with my hands. I would therefore recommend fidget cubes or stress balls.
Anonymous
March 4th, 2022 7:33pm
Sometimes our hands shake for many reasons. It's possible to first rule out physiological and medical causes, with a professional like a doctor - where they can do a full blood test and scans and everything. Then, explore mental health causes, with professionals - and with moral support on websites like these. Sometimes, people shake when they are dehydrated and anxious (like the person didn't have enough water or food during the day). If you feel this is mostly anxietal-related, then it's good to map out when you feel this way, and identify triggers. From there, you can proactively take measure before the shaking occurs. For example, if you always shake in your hands at night after a long day at work, then maybe you can change up the time you eat, sleep, relax, work, etc. Breathing exercises sometimes help and alleviate some physical symptoms especially if you practice each day.