Feeling Wheel
What feeling nervous is like
Feeling nervous means being uneasy about something uncertain, often an exam, a performance, a date or an appointment. Butterflies and fidgeting are common.
Nervous or anxious?
Nervous usually has a clear cause and passes once the event is over. Anxious can linger without one. Read more about feeling anxious.
Finding nervous on the feelings wheel
On the Feeling Wheel, nervous sits in the Afraid group. Start in the middle of the wheel with afraid, then move outwards to nervous. If it's close but not quite right, the other afraid words below may fit better. It's also normal to feel more than one thing at once.
Other words in the Afraid group
Afraid words cover the whole range of fear, from a flicker of doubt to real danger.
- Scared Feeling frightened
- Shocked Feeling sudden and intense surprise
- Anxious Feeling worried or uneasy
- Helpless Feeling unable to act or protect yourself
- Frightened Feeling afraid due to danger
- Worried Feeling troubled by real or potential problems
- Threatened Feeling in danger or at risk
- Hesitant Feeling unsure or slow to act
- Horrified Feeling extreme shock or disgust
- Cautious Feeling careful to avoid problems or danger
- Doubtful Feeling uncertain about something
- Exposed Feeling vulnerable or unprotected
Name what you're feeling
Feeling Wheel puts all 118 of these words on one wheel. Tap the ones that fit, add a note if you like, and see your patterns over time. Free on iPhone and Android.