Anxiety and Excitement

The feeling of anxiety is physiologically almost the same feeling as the feeling of excitement. Both feelings can make your heart race and give you butterflies in your stomach. Both may make you sweat. Your body is getting ready for action, but the key difference is the emotion behind the feelings. When you are excited you're connected to the feeling of joy, whereas anxiety comes from a different emotion - fear. It is important to distinguish them because when we operate our life from fear, we are operating from a place of survival rather than a place where we can take advantage of opportunities and possibilities, such as when we are excited.
So because the physiological response to the two feelings is so similar, it can help to relabel what is happening. Rather than trying to combat anxiety head on, a better approach could be to turn that feeling into excitement.
In a recent study conducted by Alison Wood Brooks, a Harvard professor, people who tried to turn their anxiety into excitement performed better than those who didn't. The study asked people to speak out loud before having to perform or speak in public, saying either they were anxious, excited or say nothing at all. Those who said they were excited performed better than the others. Thus, positive self talk is good for us. By changing the way we think, we can change the way we feel.
So to take practical steps, take a moment to think about your situation and determine what would be more useful for you, anxiety or excitement. Some situations can be appropriate for relabelling such as a job interview. You can think of it as an opportunity to demonstrate your skills, show what you know and to have the opportunity for good things to happen. If you focus on this, the result can be that your anxiety is quieted while your excitement allows you to perform well and come across as enthusiastic.