Why do we feel nervous before starting something new?
27 Answers
Moderated by Anna Pavia, psicologa psicoterapeuta psychotherapist psychologist counselor
Updated: Feb 14, 2022
Ya93DC
on
Feb 15, 2015
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I personally feel nervous because I'm not quite sure what to expect and if I'll succeed. Will I embarrass myself? Will I not be able to do it? What will others think of me? It's the anxiety of facing something unknown. When we're more familiar with something, we feel more in control. When we're encountering something for the first time, we're not quite sure what to expect which can make us feel like we lose that control, and that's pretty scary.
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caringSmiles20
on
Jan 29, 2015
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We feel the fear of failure or mistakes and the fear of judgement by others. Generally we feel like, what if I do it wrong, what if others will laugh at me.
Anonymous
on
May 6, 2015
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We feel nervous because of the fear. We're afraid of how things are going to work out. Most often it is the fear of failure or embarrassment. If we aren't good at the something new we tried, our confidence goes down. It is helpful to remember that most people who are good at something have practiced and gotten used to it. Setting high expectations when we are trying something new could make us nervous. Everything in life is not always about achievement. Starting something new is an exploration. So let go of the fears and start exploring.
Anonymous
on
Jul 13, 2015
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I always feel nervous about starting something new because of the unknown. I don't know if I'm going to like what I'm starting, if others will like what I'm starting, if I'll succeed or fail, will I be praised or humiliated.
Manneken
on
Oct 19, 2015
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This is an evolutionary trait. When we move from one environment to another we have to be alert for new dangers, a rush of adrenaline heightens our senses as we try to anticipate danger. This is a subconscious reflex which we can tame by engaging conscious thought processes and simple physical behaviours like slowing our breathing. Think about things in your life which are stable and will not be affected by the new project and think about aspects of the project which are easily managed. Breaking down the new thing into small manageable pieces is a common method for making it appear less daunting. The easiest way forward is think of one small thing that you can do now which will progress your position, it can be an organisational step, just writing things down has a calming effect on the brain.
ItGetsBetter2015
on
Jun 11, 2015
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Nervousness usually shows 1) How much we are invested in a certain action 2) Also as the future is unpredictable therefore forecasting the outcomes aren't always possible and 3) We usually have to come out of our comfort zone to try something new. It helps when we tell ourselves that no matter what, we are strong enough to deal with the results of our actions. Good luck!
Anonymous
on
Mar 18, 2015
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We feel nervous before starting something new as we are unaware and anxious about what is going to happen next. Also there is a tendency of knowing about the consequences and how are we going to deal with it.
Toby1996
on
Jul 26, 2016
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Because we fear what we don't know. We don't know what to expect, and that's normal. It's like approaching a stranger to start up a conversation. We don't know what will happen and we overthink these situations, and this is what makes us feel nervous.
patientLily30
on
Apr 5, 2015
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The anticipation of what will happen and the excitement of starting something new is what causes us to feel those butterflies in the pit of our stomach.
ThePosea
on
Oct 3, 2016
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Well, i'm quite sure that's a very common feeling. We all feel nervous before starting something new, because new things take us away from our comfort zone, and that's scary/unsettling. So don't worry about it, just try to go through with it, and you'll be comfortable with it in no time :)
Anonymous
on
Jun 10, 2015
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A fear of the unknown. With everything new, we can't plan out what we want to do, which, as humans is slightly disconcerting because we often find comfort in certainty of the future. That along with fear of failure and repercussions, often make new experiences nerve-racking.
Anonymous
on
Aug 21, 2018
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We feel nervous before starting something new because we crave to know the outcome. Sometimes as people we can’t accept the unknown. We can’t learn to accept not knowing what’s to come of this new thing we are trying or doing. So, we get nervous because our thoughts get the best of us. We think “what if†instead of “what happens, happens†this is also why we fear taking risks and jumping at opportunities. We are scared of what is to come. New things are scary but we will never truly know how it will turn out unless we push aside the fear to find out.
Seekingsolace8
on
May 22, 2015
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It's the fear of the unknown - well, for me anyway. I was really nervous doing my first chat today but I feel better now
Anonymous
on
Sep 1, 2015
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It is the fear of the unknown, that makes us anxious. If you are nervous, perhaps research beforehand, if possible, or seek out someone who has experienced the situation before and ask them how they dealt with it. The more knowledge you have about situations, topics, etc, the less you will be surprised with.
Anonymous
on
Aug 16, 2016
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We, humans, feel irritated or anxious before starting a new page because we fear the negative things that may happen. But we shouldn't worry as much, it's just human nature :)
SilentSerenityy
on
Dec 7, 2015
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Because it's a journey into the unknown, where anything could happen and you feel unprepared for what might lay ahead. We like doing things we're comfortable with but to find things we're comfortable with, we must try something new.
musicalEnergy94
on
Jun 19, 2018
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when you start something new you may feel nervous and try and procractinate from the new project, feeling nervous be may give you a way to give you a little more energy to complete something new.being new at something may not always be bad
Anonymous
on
Jul 16, 2018
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It can hard starting something new because you never know what you are going to gain or lose from that experience and the problem is when us as humans are faced with something our minds also want to associate it with the bad memories when in reality we need to start rewiring our brain to focus on the good events associated with an object.
Rooibos14
on
Jan 28, 2020
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In my personal experience, I always feel anxious or a bit nervous before starting something new. Why I think we experience this is because change and the inevitable is scary. We don't know what to expect and this fear comes from the unkown. Once we get into the swing of things we feel a little more comfortable and we begin to lose those anxious feelings. I always base my decisions to start something new on the basis of how scared I feel. It sounds silly but I know if I feel fear over something I should try it anyway. The worst thing that can happen is that whatever it is doesn't work out and at least I tried. You never know how something is going to work out unless you try, no matter how fearful or anxious you are.
Mocha3800
on
Oct 10, 2016
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Its getting out of our comfort zone, stretching our boundaries a little. Afraid of being judged and giving a bad preformance.
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