Whenever any big and important occasion comes in life, like a big presentation in the office, an interview for a dream job or an opportunity to stand on the stage and give a speech, many people must have experienced this strange thing that they start feeling the need to go to the washroom again and again. This problem is so common that almost every human being must have faced it at some point in his life, but very few people know its real scientific and physical reason. People often ignore it considering it to be a normal effect of drinking water or tea, whereas behind it there is a very interesting biological system going on between our brain and body. According to medical and neurological science, frequent urination during stressful moments like meetings or interviews is a clear sign that our body is struggling with mental pressure and anxiety. This connection between stress and our bladder is so deep that even the slightest nervousness arising in the mind directly affects our physical control system, which is very important for everyone to understand.
Whenever a situation arises in our body that creates stress, fear or anxiety, our brain activates a special type of defensive mechanism called 'Fight or Flight' response. To deal with this emergency situation, our nervous system increases the secretion of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol throughout the body, due to which the body becomes fully alert to face any danger. Due to the increase of these hormones, all the muscles of our body naturally start tensing and contracting, and the muscles of our urinary bladder are also included in this list. Due to stress, the muscles of the bladder become extremely sensitive and tight, due to which it is unable to tolerate even a little urine and starts sending repeated signals to the brain that the bladder is full and needs immediate relief. This is the reason why we have to run to the washroom again and again just before the interview, because our mind is going through a state of extreme stress at that time.
If we understand this process of stress and frequent urination a little more deeply, our Autonomic Nervous System plays a main role in it. When we are waiting for our turn outside an interview room, our sympathetic nervous system becomes very active, causing the heart to beat faster and the palms to go cold. Along with this, blood circulation and pressure in the internal organs of our body changes, which directly impacts the functioning of the kidneys and bladder. During this period, the kidneys start filtering the blood more actively and due to the effect of stress hormones, the walls of the bladder become so agitated that even when a much smaller amount of urine is accumulated than normal, a strong pressure is felt. This is such a mental and physical maze in which the more a person gets nervous, the more his bladder shrinks and the discomfort of frequent urination increases.
This question definitely comes in the mind of many people whether this problem that occurs before a meeting or interview is a symptom of some serious medical disease or is it just a common thing? Health experts believe that if this problem occurs only during a particularly stressful occasion or exam and remains fine during normal times, then it is a completely normal psychological and physiological reaction and there is no need to panic. However, if a person continues to have frequent urination throughout the day and night without any stress, it could be a sign of some other medical problem like overactive bladder, urinary tract infection (UTI) or diabetes. Therefore, it is very important to identify whether it is just a result of performance anxiety or some internal disease, so that appropriate steps can be taken in time and the right doctor can be consulted.
If you are also one of those people who are faced with the problem of repeatedly going to the washroom just before an important meeting or interview, then this can be overcome with some easy and effective methods. First of all, avoid consuming large amounts of water, tea, coffee or caffeinated beverages an hour or two before the interview, as caffeine is a natural diuretic which speeds up the process of urine formation. Practice deep breathing exercises or pranayama to gain control over your breathing, which can calm your sympathetic nervous system and signal the brain that you are in a safe environment. Keep positive thinking, strengthen your self-confidence and understand that this physical reaction is completely natural, which can be easily overcome with a little mental control and you can move towards your success with complete confidence.