Psychologist Anna Heal

Hello Elias. Thank you for reaching out with this important question. What you are describing is a very common and understandable physiological and psychological response to sustained high-pressure situations, even in the absence of conscious feelings of nervousness. The fact that your doctor found nothing physically wrong points strongly to a stress-related origin. Your body is signaling that it is under significant strain, and these symptoms are its way of getting your attention.

Firstly, it is crucial to recognize that the mind-body connection is powerful and real. Your conscious mind may feel confident in your skills, but your autonomic nervous system, which controls involuntary functions like trembling and digestion, is operating on a different level. It is reacting to the perceived threat and high stakes of this client interaction. The tight deadline, demanding nature of the client, and your extremely long work hours have created a state of chronic stress. Your body is in a prolonged fight-or-flight response, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones are designed for short-term emergencies, not for sustained periods of weeks. Their constant presence can lead to symptoms like shaking hands and gastrointestinal distress, which manifest specifically around client interactions because those moments represent the peak of the perceived threat to your livelihood and professional standing.

You mentioned trying deep breathing and meditation, which are excellent tools. However, when stress is this chronic and embedded, those techniques alone may not be sufficient to counteract the physiological cascade already in motion. They are like trying to bail water out of a boat with a small cup while a hole remains unplugged. The cycle of anticipatory anxiety is likely at play here. You experience the physical symptoms, which then cause worry about the symptoms themselves, creating a feedback loop that intensifies the next episode. The stomachache before calls is a classic sign of this anticipatory response.

To break this cycle without derailing your career, a multi-faceted approach is needed. Immediate practical steps could include structured preparation rituals. Before a client call or sending an email, engage in a five-minute routine that includes not just deep breathing, but also light physical movement like stretching to discharge nervous energy, and a cognitive rehearsal where you calmly outline the key points. This creates a sense of control. Furthermore, critically examine your work habits. The 12-14 hour workdays are unsustainable and are the fuel for this reaction. You must, for your health, institute strict boundaries. This could mean designating specific hours for client communication and turning off notifications outside those times, or scheduling short, mandatory breaks every 90 minutes to walk and disconnect. Protecting your sleep and nutrition is non-negotiable for nervous system regulation.

On a deeper level, it is worth exploring the underlying beliefs that may be driving this reaction. Sometimes, high achievers internalize pressure as a core part of their identity. You might be grappling with perfectionism or fear of negative evaluation that exists beneath your conscious confidence. The stakes feel so high because your sense of professional worth may be overly tied to this single client's approval. Cognitive-behavioral techniques, potentially with the guidance of a therapist, can help identify and challenge these thought patterns. A therapist can also help you develop more robust coping strategies and stress inoculation techniques tailored to your situation.

Finally, consider the possibility that your body is giving you a vital message about your current work-life balance. The symptoms are a warning sign. Addressing them is not a detour from your career path but an essential investment in your long-term ability to perform. Having an open conversation with your client about timeline expectations, if framed professionally around ensuring the highest quality of work, is a sign of strength, not weakness. Remember, sustaining a successful freelance career depends on your health and resilience. Prioritizing your well-being is the most professional thing you can do to secure your future.