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Stress & Relaxation

Handle Pressure More Comfortably

Racing heart, dry mouth and a mind that goes blank are common before an exam, a presentation or a deadline, and they do not mean you will do badly. This page is about the pressure of high-stakes moments: how to prepare, how to use your nerves instead of fighting them, and what to avoid on the day.

General information, not medical advice. Last updated October 31, 2026. Written by the AlternativeMed editorial team. Not medically reviewed.

Start here

  • Try telling yourself "I am excited" instead of "calm down" when your heart is pounding before the moment: in studies, people who reframed nerves as excitement performed better than people who tried to calm down.
  • Practise the real thing under realistic conditions (quiz yourself, speak out loud, time yourself) rather than only re-reading, so that the day itself feels familiar.
  • Protect the night before: keep caffeine modest and early, and aim for a normal night of sleep rather than staying up to cram.

Be careful with

  • Do not rely on extra caffeine, energy drinks or alcohol to get through a high-stakes moment. Caffeine can add to jitters and a racing heart, and alcohol can disturb sleep and judgement.
  • Pressure that is constant, that keeps you from sitting an exam or speaking at all, or that comes with panic attacks is more than a bad day. Anxiety conditions have their own page and effective professional care.
  • Never stop or change a prescribed medicine because of a big event; speak to your prescriber first.

Get help when

  • Fear of exams, speaking or being watched that leads you to avoid them, or that affects your work, study or relationships (the NHS describes this pattern under social anxiety and advises seeing a GP).
  • Panic attacks: an overwhelming rush of fear with a pounding heart, shaking or breathlessness.
  • Pressure that comes with low mood, hopelessness, or not being able to sleep for many nights in a row.
  • Chest pain, fainting or a racing heartbeat that does not settle: get it checked rather than assuming it is nerves.
  • Thoughts of harming yourself: contact your local emergency number or a crisis service in your country straight away.

About Handle Pressure More Comfortably

What this goal means

This goal is about performance pressure: the stress of being judged, timed or held to a high standard, such as exams, interviews, presentations, performances and tight deadlines. The aim is not to feel nothing. It is to feel steady enough to think clearly and do what you prepared to do.

Everyday stress, feeling overwhelmed, a busy mind and long-term resilience are covered on their own pages.

1

What it can feel like

Common experiences are a fast heartbeat, sweaty hands, a dry mouth, butterflies, shaky hands or voice, a mind that goes blank, and a flood of worried thoughts about what will happen if it goes badly. These body signs are the normal alertness response, the same arousal you might feel before a race.

2,3

Why pressure can get in the way

A 30-year meta-analysis of 238 studies found that test anxiety was linked with lower scores on standardized tests, university entrance exams and grade point average, with small-to-moderate effects. Worry about the situation and its consequences is thought to use up the mental space you need for the task itself.

Higher stakes and a test seen as difficult were both linked with more test anxiety, and lower self-esteem was a strong predictor.

4,5

What can make it worse

Poor sleep is a common one: in a study that combined brain imaging with sleep experiments, a night of lost sleep raised next-day anxiety, and ordinary night-to-night differences in sleep predicted next-day anxiety across a large group. Caffeine can add to jittery feelings, and the FDA lists anxiety and jitters among the signs of too much. Last-minute cramming and comparing yourself with others add to the load.

6,7

When it is more than pressure

Pressure before a big moment is normal. When fear of being judged is long-lasting, leads you to avoid situations or comes with panic attacks, it may be social anxiety or another anxiety condition, and these respond well to professional care such as cognitive behavioural therapy. This page does not diagnose; the condition pages explain the signs.

8

Realistic expectations

The best-supported ideas help performance a little to a fair amount and work best when practised before the day. Some nerves will remain, and that is fine: the evidence supports changing how you read the feelings and preparing well, not erasing them. Most of the studies were done with students and volunteers in short lab or classroom tasks, so results may be smaller in real life.

3,2

Who this applies to

Students facing exams, people giving talks or interviews, performers and athletes, and anyone with a hard deadline or an important conversation. Children and teenagers feel exam pressure too; the tips below apply in a gentler form, and a parent or teacher can help with preparation, sleep and perspective.

4

Related conditions and symptoms

Anxiety disorders → Panic attacks and panic disorder → Stress, anxiety, burnout and depression: how they differ → Burnout →

A manageable starting plan

An educational starting point, not a personal prescription. Adjust it to your own situation and any advice from your clinician.

Your first actions

  • A week or more before: practise the real task (past papers, a timed run-through, a talk out loud) and note what makes you most nervous.
  • Pick one reframe line, such as "I am excited", and use it in small moments first.
  • The days before: keep a normal sleep routine and keep caffeine modest and early; skip alcohol the night before.
  • On the day: eat a familiar meal, do 2 to 5 minutes of slow breathing, and write down your worries if you wish.

Optional additions

  • Use your own name for encouraging self-talk.
  • Try a short mindfulness or relaxation session earlier in the day.
  • Practise in front of a friend or in the real room.
  • Plan a small reward afterwards so the event is not the end of the story.

What to track

  • Which situations make you most nervous, and how strong the nerves feel from 0 to 10 before and after.
  • Sleep the nights before, and caffeine intake.
  • Which tools you used and which seemed to help.
  • Whether fear is growing, or you are avoiding things.

When to reassess

Try the tools through two or three real events, since they work better with practice. If your nerves are not easing, or avoidance is growing, talk with a doctor or look into talking therapies.

When to seek professional support

  • See a doctor if fear of performing or being judged is lasting, causes avoidance or comes with panic attacks.
  • Ask about CBT; in England you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies.
  • A teacher, manager or coach can often adjust timing, format or support if you tell them.
  • For everyday stress, ongoing overwhelm or burnout, see the linked goal pages.

What helps

Ordered by how well the research supports each step. Evidence strength is shown on every card; precautions sit next to the advice.

Start here

Reframe nerves as excitement

Moderate certainty

Addresses: Feel more excited and perform better in the moment

Why it may help: Brooks ran several studies of karaoke singing, public speaking and math tasks. Most people believed calming down was the best way to cope, but people who reframed anxiety as excitement felt more excited and performed better than those who tried to calm down. Saying "I am excited" out loud was enough in these studies. The idea is that excitement and anxiety are both high-energy states, so it is easier to switch labels than to switch the energy off.

How to apply it: Notice the pounding heart or butterflies, then say or think "I am excited" or "this energy is helping me get ready". Practise it before smaller moments so it feels natural on the day.

Who it may suit: Anyone who gets nervous before a speech, exam, interview or performance.

Precautions: Studies were short, mostly with students and volunteers, and measured a single task. It is a thinking tool, not a treatment; if fear is overwhelming, see the anxiety page.

3,1

Anxiety disorders →

See your body's arousal as helpful

Moderate certainty

Addresses: More efficient heart response and less attention to threats

Why it may help: In a randomized experiment, people who were told to think of their stress arousal during a stressful task as helpful showed more efficient cardiovascular responses (increased cardiac efficiency and lower vascular resistance) and paid less attention to negative information than people who were given no instructions or were told to look away from the stress.

How to apply it: Before the event, remind yourself: a faster heartbeat is your body bringing more blood and oxygen to help you perform. Repeat it quietly when you notice the signs.

Who it may suit: People who treat their racing heart as a sign they are about to fail.

Precautions: Reappraisal tools were tested in short lab tasks. Chest pain, fainting or a heartbeat that stays fast and does not settle should be checked by a clinician, not explained away.

2,1

Practise under realistic conditions (retrieval practice)

Moderate certainty

Addresses: Better recall and exam scores, and a more familiar feeling on the day

Why it may help: In classroom experiments with sixth-grade students, quizzing on course material improved later chapter and semester exam results compared with material that was not quizzed. Practising by recalling, not just re-reading, also lets you rehearse retrieving under mild pressure.

How to apply it: Close the book and quiz yourself, use past papers with a timer, give your talk out loud (to a mirror, a friend or a recording), and practise in a similar room or with similar interruptions where you can.

Who it may suit: Students and anyone preparing a talk, interview or technical test.

Precautions: The studies were in school classes, not adults at work; benefits depend on the material and spacing of practice.

9

Everyday habits for stress →

Additional options

Write down your worries just before a high-stakes test

Moderate certainty

Addresses: Higher scores, especially for people who are usually anxious about tests

Why it may help: Two laboratory and two randomized field experiments found that a brief expressive writing task, done immediately before an important exam, significantly improved scores, most clearly in students who were habitually anxious about tests. The idea is that getting worries out of your head frees up thinking space.

How to apply it: In the 10 minutes before the test or event, write down honestly what you are worried about and what could go wrong. Do not edit; just empty your head onto paper, then put it away.

Who it may suit: People who notice worried thoughts crowding out their thinking.

Precautions: The paper has a published correction (Science 2014) and we did not review later replications, so treat it as a low-cost experiment, not a guarantee.

5

Talk to yourself like a coach, using your name

Moderate certainty

Addresses: Better rated performance and less distress in speeches

Why it may help: In seven studies (585 people), people who referred to themselves in the third person or by their own name during introspection (for example, "You can do this" or "Sam, you have prepared") were rated by observers as performing better in a first-impression task and a public speaking task, and showed less distress, than those using "I". The effect held for people with higher social anxiety too.

How to apply it: Before and during the moment, speak to yourself as you would to a friend: "[Name], you know this material." You can do it silently.

Who it may suit: People who feel their own inner voice becomes harsh under pressure.

Precautions: Lab studies of short tasks; not tested in long-term real-life pressure.

10

Use slow breathing before you start

Moderate certainty

Addresses: Lower stress right away and a clearer head for the task

Why it may help: In a randomized study of 139 students, one brief session of slow-paced breathing with a longer out-breath lowered stress and improved a working-memory task compared with a mind-wandering control; the stress benefit did not last through the task. A meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials (785 adults) found breathwork associated with lower stress than controls (g about -0.35, small-to-medium), though the authors urge caution about hype. A systematic review of slow breathing under 10 breaths a minute found links to calmer body signals and less anxiety and tension in healthy people.

How to apply it: Sit or stand comfortably, breathe in gently through the nose for about 4 seconds and out slowly through the nose or pursed lips for about 6, for 2 to 5 minutes. Do it in the waiting room or just before you walk in.

Who it may suit: Anyone who can feel their body speeding up before an event.

Precautions: Effects are modest and short-lived. If breathing exercises make you dizzy or more anxious, stop and breathe normally; people with asthma, heart or lung conditions should check with a clinician first.

11,12,13

Breathing exercises for stress → Relaxation techniques →

Look after sleep in the days before the event

Moderate certainty

Addresses: Lower next-day anxiety

Why it may help: A paper combining brain imaging, a sleep experiment and a larger survey found that sleep loss raised next-day anxiety, and that even modest night-to-night reductions in sleep predicted more anxiety the next day. Sleep also supports memory, so late-night cramming can work against you.

How to apply it: Keep your normal bedtime for the nights before the event, stop studying or rehearsing an hour or two before bed, and keep caffeine to the morning. Plan the day-before so you are not rushing.

Who it may suit: Students and anyone preparing for a big day.

Precautions: Sleep studies are partly observational. If you cannot sleep for many nights, see the insomnia page and a clinician.

6

How to fall asleep faster → Insomnia →

Still being studied

Mindfulness and meditation for stress

Not enough evidence

Addresses: May lower stress and worry in general

Why it may help: Mindfulness and meditation are discussed on the site as broad stress tools. We did not review trials of mindfulness specifically for exam or performance pressure for this page, so we cannot say how much it helps in the moment.

How to apply it: If you already practise, a short session before the event is a reasonable low-risk use.

Who it may suit: People already using mindfulness who want to apply it before key moments.

Precautions: Some people find silent sitting increases anxious thoughts at first; go slowly and stop if it feels worse.

Mindfulness and meditation for stress →

Gradual practice of the feared situation

Low certainty

Addresses: Less fear of speaking or performing over time

Why it may help: The NHS lists breaking challenging situations into smaller parts and working on feeling more relaxed with each part among self-help steps for social anxiety, and names cognitive behavioural therapy as generally considered the best treatment. We did not review trials of self-practice for ordinary performance nerves for this page.

How to apply it: Start with a small audience, a short talk or a practice interview, then build up.

Who it may suit: People who dread speaking or performing and have been avoiding it.

Precautions: If fear is intense, a therapist can guide this safely; see the anxiety page.

8

Therapy for anxiety and stress →

Food & nutrition

Eating and drinking on the day

There is no food that has been shown to remove performance nerves. The sensible aim is steady and familiar: eat a normal meal, drink water, and keep caffeine to your usual amount or less, because the FDA lists jitters, a fast heartbeat and anxiety among signs of too much caffeine.

Skip large new foods or drinks on the day so an upset stomach does not add to the worry. This is common-sense advice rather than a trial finding.

7

Remedies & supplements

Traditional use, laboratory findings and human trials are kept apart. "Natural" does not mean safe.

Calming herbal teas and supplements (for example chamomile or lavender)

Not enough evidence

Studied form and route: Tea, capsule or oil

Intended outcome: Not shown to ease performance pressure

Human evidence: We did not review human trials of herbs or supplements specifically for exam or performance pressure for this page. Their evidence for general stress and anxiety is covered on the linked comparison page.

Traditional use: Herbal teas are widely used for relaxing, but traditional use does not show they help in a high-stakes moment.

Laboratory findings: Not reviewed for this goal.

Limits: No evidence found here for performance situations; effects of different products and doses vary.

Interactions and precautions: Ask a pharmacist before use if you take any medicine; avoid herbs in pregnancy and breastfeeding unless a clinician agrees; do not try a new product for the first time on the day of an event.

Stress supplements and herbs → Chamomile →

Therapies & care

Established professional care is worth knowing about when pressure is more than a bad patch. For long-lasting fear of exams, speaking or being watched, the NHS says cognitive behavioural therapy is generally considered the best treatment, and you can refer yourself to an NHS talking therapies service in England. Some clinicians also discuss medicines for specific situations; whether any medicine is suitable depends on your health and other medicines, so this is a conversation to have with a doctor or pharmacist, never something to start or stop on your own.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)

Moderate certainty

Psychological therapy A structured talking therapy that helps you spot and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours, often with gradual practice of feared situations. The NHS names it the main treatment for social anxiety, delivered one to one, in a group or as guided self-help.

Who it may suit: People whose fear of performing or being judged is lasting or causing avoidance.

Precautions: Choose a trained therapist or a service run by your health system.

8

Therapy for anxiety and stress →

Talking to a clinician about medicines for performance situations

Low certainty

Medical care (general terms only) Some doctors discuss beta-blocker-type medicines for the physical signs of nerves in particular situations. A 1982 double-blind study of 29 musicians found a beta-blocker improved stage-fright symptoms and judged performance, but a systematic review of trials in diagnosed anxiety disorders concluded the evidence is not strong enough to support routine use. The NHS says beta blockers are prescription-only, are not suitable for everyone (for example people with asthma or some heart problems) and can cause tiredness, dizziness and other side effects. This page does not recommend any medicine or dose.

Who it may suit: People who have not found other approaches enough and want to discuss options.

Precautions: Prescription only. Do not use someone else's tablets. Never stop or change a medicine you already take without speaking to your prescriber.

14,15,16

Anxiety disorders → Stress safety and when to get help →

What to avoid

Habits, products and claims that can get in the way. Never stop a prescribed medicine without talking to the professional who prescribed it.

Risks that apply to most people

Trying to force yourself to calm down

Moderate certainty

Why: In Brooks' studies most people thought calming down was the best way to handle pre-performance anxiety, but people who reframed anxiety as excitement performed better than those who tried to calm down. Telling yourself to relax can feel like a battle you are losing.

Who it applies to: Anyone whose heart is racing before an event.

Try instead: Say "I am excited", breathe slowly and let the energy work for you.

3

Cramming through the night

Moderate certainty

Why: Even modest sleep loss predicted higher next-day anxiety in a large study, and lost sleep raised anxiety in experiments.

Who it applies to: Students and anyone with a next-day deadline.

Try instead: Stop at a sensible hour, sleep, and do a short review in the morning.

6

Build a healthy sleep schedule →

Personal triggers to check

Too much caffeine on the day

Moderate certainty

Why: The FDA cites about 400 mg a day (roughly two to three 12-ounce cups of coffee) as an amount not generally linked with negative effects for most adults, and lists anxiety, jitters and a fast heartbeat among signs of too much. People differ a lot in sensitivity. In a meta-analysis of panic disorder studies, doses equal to about five cups of coffee caused panic attacks in around half of patients.

Who it applies to: Anyone prone to nerves, and especially people with panic or anxiety conditions.

Try instead: Keep your usual amount or less on big days, avoid adding energy drinks, and have it earlier in the day.

7,17

Caffeine and energy drinks → Caffeine, alcohol and sleep →

Changing your routine on the day

Low certainty

Why: Trying a new food, supplement or large amount of anything on the day makes it harder to tell what is causing a racing heart or upset stomach.

Who it applies to: Anyone with a high-stakes event.

Try instead: Stick with familiar meals, drinks and routines, and try new things well beforehand.

7

Staying around people who raise your panic

Low certainty

Why: Talking through every possible failure with other anxious people tends to feed worry. Test-anxiety research links high-stakes framing and perceived difficulty with higher test anxiety.

Who it applies to: Exam and interview preparation.

Try instead: Share facts and plans, not worst cases; keep conversation to what you can control.

4

Products that need caution

Energy drinks and pre-workout caffeine blends

Moderate certainty

Why: These can carry large doses of caffeine and other stimulants, which can add to a racing heart and jitters when you are already keyed up.

Who it applies to: Anyone feeling nervous before a performance.

Try instead: If you use caffeine, stick to your usual cup or two earlier in the day; read labels.

7

Caffeine and energy drinks →

Calming supplements as a quick fix on the day

Not enough evidence

Why: Evidence for stress supplements and herbs is mixed to weak, and trying a new product just before a big event can bring side effects or interactions with medicines.

Who it applies to: Anyone considering a first-time supplement before an event.

Try instead: Ask a pharmacist before use, and test any product well before the day, not on it.

Stress supplements and herbs →

Unsupported claims

"Power posing" will change your hormones or confidence

Evidence against

Why: A replication in a large sample found no effect of power posing on hormones or risk tolerance. Standing tall can still feel good, but the hormone claim is not supported.

Who it applies to: Popular talks and social media.

Try instead: Use evidence-supported tools: reappraisal, practice and slow breathing.

18

Common mistakes

Avoiding the situation so the fear never gets tested

Moderate certainty

Why: Avoidance brings short-term relief but tends to make the next time harder; the NHS describes avoiding social situations as a sign to seek help and suggests breaking challenges into smaller parts.

Who it applies to: Anyone who keeps skipping presentations, calls or exams.

Try instead: Take small steps and ask for support if avoidance is growing.

8

Anxiety disorders →

Relying on alcohol to take the edge off

Moderate certainty

Why: Alcohol can disturb sleep and judgement and adds a hangover risk the next day; the NHS also notes it can combine badly with some medicines, including beta blockers.

Who it applies to: Pre-event dinners or drinks to "settle nerves".

Try instead: Skip alcohol the night before and the day of the event.

16,6

Caffeine, alcohol and sleep →

Evidence & safety

What the research shows

The best-supported ideas for performance pressure are reframing nerves as excitement or as a helpful response (several randomized experiments), practising by recall under realistic conditions, and protecting sleep. Brief expressive writing and third-person self-talk have promising experiments, with limited follow-up reviewed here. Slow breathing shows small-to-medium effects on stress in a meta-analysis of 12 trials, but with caution about hype. Evidence for supplements specifically for performance pressure is insufficient, and the power posing hormone claim was not replicated.

Limits of the evidence

  • Most studies of reappraisal, writing and self-talk were short lab or classroom tasks with students and volunteers.
  • Findings may be smaller in real life, and publication bias is possible.
  • The expressive writing paper has a published correction, and we did not review later replications.
  • Breathing studies are small and mostly at moderate risk of bias.
  • Beta-blocker evidence comes from small, old trials in musicians and from reviews of diagnosed anxiety disorders.

Precautions and interactions

  • Do not stop or change prescribed medicines because of a big event.
  • Check supplements and herbs with a pharmacist if you take any medicine.
  • Keep caffeine moderate; sensitivity varies, and people with panic disorder are more sensitive.
  • Do not take someone else's medicine for nerves.

Life-stage considerations

  • Children and teenagers: exam worry is common; focus on preparation, sleep and perspective, and avoid energy drinks and supplements. Talk to a parent, teacher or GP if worry is overwhelming.
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding: avoid herbal products and talk to a clinician about caffeine (the FDA advises asking your health provider); breathing, practice and sleep are safe starting points.
  • Older adults: medicines and heart conditions matter more; check with a pharmacist before any supplement or medicine.
  • People with chronic conditions or on medicines: check with a clinician before using supplements or changing caffeine.

Warning signs

  • Panic attacks, or fear that keeps you from exams, speaking or work.
  • Chest pain, fainting or a heartbeat that stays fast.
  • Low mood, hopelessness or thoughts of self-harm: seek urgent help.
  • Weeks of poor sleep or loss of appetite around the event.

Claim checks

Trying to calm down is the best way to handle nerves

Not supported for pre-performance anxiety

3

A racing heart means you will do badly

Not supported

2

Writing out your worries before a test can raise your score

Promising, limited

5

Power posing changes hormones and risk-taking

Not supported

18

A beta-blocker-type medicine is a proven fix for performance nerves

Limited, ask a clinician

14,15

Coffee or energy drinks sharpen you for the big moment

Can backfire

7,17

Questions people ask

Is it normal to feel nervous before an exam or presentation?

Yes. Racing heart, butterflies and a dry mouth are common signs of alertness. A meta-analysis of 238 studies found test anxiety is common and linked with lower scores, which is why simple preparation and coping tools are worth practising.

Should I try to calm down or get excited?

In studies by Brooks, people who told themselves "I am excited" performed better than those who tried to calm down. The reason is thought to be that excitement and anxiety share the same high energy, so reframing is easier than switching it off.

Does slow breathing really help?

A meta-analysis of 12 randomised trials found a small-to-medium reduction in stress, and one brief session helped working memory and stress in students. The effect is modest and does not last long, so use it as one tool.

How much caffeine is OK on the day?

The FDA cites about 400 mg a day as generally not linked with negative effects for most adults, but people differ and it can add to jitters. On a big day, keeping to your usual amount or less, earlier in the day, is sensible.

What should I do the night before?

Aim for a normal night of sleep. Research found that even modest sleep loss raised next-day anxiety. Stop rehearsing an hour or two before bed, avoid alcohol and keep caffeine to the morning.

Does writing down my worries before a test help?

One set of experiments found higher scores, especially for students who often feel anxious about tests, but the paper has a published correction and we did not review later replications. It is a free thing to try.

Does power posing work?

A large replication found no effect on hormones or risk tolerance. Standing tall may feel good, but do not count on it to change your body chemistry.

Can a medicine help with performance nerves?

Some doctors discuss beta-blocker-type medicines for the physical signs of nerves in certain situations, but they are prescription-only and not suitable for everyone. Ask a doctor or pharmacist; do not borrow tablets or stop any medicine you already take.

Are supplements or herbal teas worth trying?

We found no reliable evidence for supplements specifically for performance pressure. A calming tea is unlikely to harm most people, but check with a pharmacist if you take medicines, and do not try something new on the day.

When is performance anxiety a sign I need help?

See a doctor if fear of exams, speaking or being watched is long-lasting, makes you avoid situations, affects work or study, or comes with panic attacks. CBT is generally considered the best treatment for social anxiety, and in England you can refer yourself to NHS talking therapies.

How is this different from handling everyday stress?

This page is about high-stakes moments. For ongoing everyday stress, feeling swamped, a busy mind, resilience or burnout, see the related goal pages.

References

  1. Jamieson JP, Crum AJ, Goyer JP, Marotta ME, Akinola M. Optimizing stress responses with reappraisal and mindset interventions: an integrated model. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2018;31(3):245-261. source
  2. Jamieson JP, Nock MK, Mendes WB. Mind over matter: reappraising arousal improves cardiovascular and cognitive responses to stress. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2012;141(3):417-22. source
  3. Brooks AW. Get excited: reappraising pre-performance anxiety as excitement. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2014;143(3):1144-58. source
  4. von der Embse N, Jester D, Roy D, Post J. Test anxiety effects, predictors, and correlates: a 30-year meta-analytic review. J Affect Disord. 2018;227:483-493. source
  5. Ramirez G, Beilock SL. Writing about testing worries boosts exam performance in the classroom. Science. 2011;331(6014):211-3. source
  6. Ben Simon E, Rossi A, Harvey AG, Walker MP. Overanxious and underslept. Nat Hum Behav. 2020;4(1):100-110. source
  7. US Food and Drug Administration. Spilling the beans: how much caffeine is too much? Content current as of 28 August 2024. Read 2026-10-31. source
  8. NHS. Social anxiety (social phobia). Read 2026-10-31. source
  9. Roediger HL, Agarwal PK, McDaniel MA, McDermott KB. Test-enhanced learning in the classroom: long-term improvements from quizzing. J Exp Psychol Appl. 2011;17(4):382-95. source
  10. Kross E, Bruehlman-Senecal E, Park J, et al. Self-talk as a regulatory mechanism: how you do it matters. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2014;106(2):304-24. source
  11. Pilcher JJ, Byrne KA, Weiskittel SE, et al. Brief slow-paced breathing improves working memory, mood, and stress in college students. Anxiety Stress Coping. 2025;38(5):528-543. source
  12. Fincham GW, Strauss C, Montero-Marin J, Cavanagh K. Effect of breathwork on stress and mental health: a meta-analysis of randomised-controlled trials. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):432. source
  13. Zaccaro A, Piarulli A, Laurino M, et al. How breath-control can change your life: a systematic review on psycho-physiological correlates of slow breathing. Front Hum Neurosci. 2018;12:353. source
  14. Brantigan CO, Brantigan TA, Joseph N. Effect of beta blockade and beta stimulation on stage fright. Am J Med. 1982;72(1):88-94. source
  15. Steenen SA, van Wijk AJ, van der Heijden GJ, et al. Propranolol for the treatment of anxiety disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychopharmacol. 2016;30(2):128-39. source
  16. NHS. Beta blockers. Page last reviewed 4 September 2026. Read 2026-10-31. source
  17. Klevebrant L, Frick A. Effects of caffeine on anxiety and panic attacks in patients with panic disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. 2022;74:22-31. source
  18. Ranehill E, Dreber A, Johannesson M, et al. Assessing the robustness of power posing: no effect on hormones and risk tolerance in a large sample of men and women. Psychol Sci. 2015;26(5):653-6. source

Related on AlternativeMed

Related goals

Feel Calmer During the Day → Manage Everyday Stress → Feel Less Overwhelmed → Calm a Busy Mind → Build Resilience to Stress → Fall Asleep Faster →

Ingredients, foods and supplements

Stress supplements and herbs → Caffeine and energy drinks → Chamomile →

Research, safety and claim-check resources

Breathing exercises for stress → Relaxation techniques → Mindfulness and meditation for stress → Therapy for anxiety and stress → Stress safety and when to get help → Understanding stress →