Why Do People ‘Blink’ When They’re Nervous?

Blinking when you're nervous is like your eyes giving a little shout. When people feel anxious, their body sends signals to their eyes to blink more often. It's kind of like when you’re excited and can’t stop smiling, blinking is your eyes' way of showing they're working hard to stay calm.

Take the quiz →

Examples

A student blinks rapidly before answering a question in class.
Your friend blinks a lot during a big presentation.
You blink more often when you're waiting for an important phone call.

Ask a question

Discussion

Recent activity

Categories: Health · nervous system,eye health,stress response