Feeling Your Feelings: The Head-to-Toe Science of Emotions

Feeling Your Feelings: The Head-to-Toe Science of Emotions — page 7
Knock-knock jokes What kind of jokes do your knees like to tell Knocking Knees Have you ever been so nervous that your legs trembled Maybe your knees even shook Those shivers and quivers are real When you get scared or anxious your body sends in the same hormones as when you get angry But remember your human stress responses evolved thousands of years ago You can't run away from or fight a spelling test At least not without talking to the principal afterward So instead your action-ready knees might shake Some of us get extra anxious around other people especially if we have to walk into a new classroom alone or stand at a podium and give a speech Imagine you're at the front of the class Just as you're about to share your research presentation about earthquakes your knees start to tremble Soon they're shaking so much it's a seismic event Here's what expert speakers recommend STABILIZE Stand with both your feet flat on the floor FAKE IT Hold your shoulders back as if you're bursting with confidence BREATHE Slow regular breathing tells your body that you're safe RELAX Those shakes seem big to you but they're probably too slight for other people to notice The good news Shaking knees don't last very long The feeling will probably fade once you start your presentation