On this show we explain common expressions in American English – where they come from and how to use them . Today we talk about being overcome with emotion , both good and bad . We have a somewhat strange expression you can use to describe that situation : “to be beside yourself .” So , if I say I am beside myself with joy , I am filled with joy ! However , I can also be beside myself with grief , anger , or most other emotions . You can use this expression to talk about others , too . Just change the reflexive pronoun . For example , a woman who gives birth can be beside herself with awe and probably exhaustion . The new father can be beside himself with awe too . The expression is useful and simple , but strange . It sounds as if someone has become two people . How can you be next to yourself ? Being “beside yourself ” is technically impossible . Some word experts say the expression may come from a belief about magical powers of the soul , or spirit . To some , experiencing extreme emotion — whether good or bad — can make people's souls leave their bodies . In other words , if a person is under great emotional stress , the soul and body could actually separate and stand beside each other . Now , let's talk about usage . In American English , you can simply say “I'm beside myself ” to mean you are shocked or very upset . For example , if you have a bad fight with a close friend , you might be beside yourself . You might scream , write your friend an angry letter , or just go somewhere by yourself and cry . Here's another situation . A high school student applies to several colleges . If they all reject her application , she could be beside herself . She might stay up all night worrying about what to do next . Here is another example . If a person becomes seriously ill , he could start talking in a way that does not make any sense . The patient may also start behaving strangely , walking around the room -- back and forth , back and forth . He may think he is seeing someone who is not really there . A doctor might say , “He is delirious with fever . He is beside himself .” We have another expression that is very similar to “being beside yourself .” We can also be out of our minds . We use this expression in the same way we use “beside oneself .” So we can be out of minds with fear , with love , with happiness , or with any other emotion . And just like “beside oneself ,” we also use this expression on its own without a specific emotion . In that example , you could also say the person is crazy or has lost it (as in their mind ). And that's all the time we have today .