We feel butterflies in our stomach when we're nervous or excited because our body is getting ready for action.
When you're super happy or really scared, your brain sends out a message to the rest of your body: “Something big is happening!” This message makes your heart beat faster and your breaths get quicker, just like when you run after your favorite toy.
What Causes the Butterflies?
Your stomach has muscles that help you digest food. When your body gets ready for action, it sends some of those same messages to your stomach too. The muscles in your stomach start to move more than usual, and sometimes they even push around the air or food inside, this is what makes you feel like there are butterflies fluttering around!
It's just like when you're playing a game and you get really excited: your whole body feels ready to jump in and win. Your stomach is doing its part too, and that’s why you can feel the butterflies!
Examples
- A child gets butterflies before a big performance.
- Someone feels fluttery in their stomach before giving a speech.
- You feel a funny sensation when you're about to meet a friend.
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See also
- Why Do We Get Butterflies in Our Stomach?
- What are afferent signals?
- What are afferent pathways?
- What are adrenaline and noradrenaline?
- What are nervous pathways?