8 Little Habits You Don’t Know Are Signs Of Anxiety
– [Amanda] According to statistics, only a small percentage of you who watch our videos are actually subscribed. If you're not subscribed yet and you enjoy what you see, do consider hitting the subscribe button. This encourages YouTube's algorithm in promoting more of our mental health content to more people out there. Hey, Psych2Goers. Welcome back to another video. Are you fidgety or maybe you twirl your hair, or pick at your skin? Did you know these habits could be due to anxiety? How anxiety is manifested can be expressed in many ways, even ways we may not necessarily associate with anxiety, which may make it hard
to identify at first. It may express itself as a habit you've had since you were a child, so you dismiss it as just
something that you do. Or it could be something you picked up along the way that you've come to accept as normal. Here are eight habits you may not know could be caused by anxiety. Number one, hair twirling.
Do you twirl your hair? To most, hair twirling is seen as an innocent act that some people do absentmindedly and it can even seem cute. But in some instances, hair twirling can be a sign of anxiety. According to Healthline, hair twirling can be caused by anxiety and maybe an anxiety disorder symptom. In an interview with Psych2Go, Dr. Mary Ann Terminello, a clinical psychologist, said that hair twirling can be a way of channeling excess energy into an activity that doesn't look like an anxiety response to outsiders. This in turn helps the person reduce their anxiety because they feel their anxiety is masked. And so, aren't as self-conscious. Number two, picking at your skin. Another unconscious habit that most might not think much of is picking at your skin. In some cases, though, it can be a habit caused by anxiety.
According to WebMD, finding that you can
relieve stress and anxiety by repetitively picking at your skin can create a habit of it. This skin picking can then become a disorder called excoriation, if done excessively. according to Dr. Terminello, some skin picking like peeling of the skin on a finger can be a clear sign of anxiety. But others like picking
around the nail beds, which are more subtle, can be overlooked. Number three, daydreaming
or checking out mentally. Have you ever decided to take a daydreaming break only to find out that you had spent hours looking out the window? While daydreaming isn't inherently bad, it can become troublesome
when it's over done and doesn't let you return to reality, or gets in the way of you completing everyday tasks. If this happens, it might be a sign of
maladaptive daydreaming that may be caused by anxiety. In a 2020 study from Cureus about maladaptive daydreaming, it was found that there is a connection between maladaptive daydreaming and generalized anxiety disorder.
The study said maladaptive daydreaming can occur as a way to
escape reality and anxiety, and feel safer in imaginary place. And that general anxiety disorder can develop from not being able to manage these daydreams
and their studies. It concluded that GAD was comorbid to maladaptive daydreaming. Number four, fidgeting or
playing with something. Do you often find yourself playing with the first thing that you have in your hand during a stressful moment? When we see other people playing with something in their hands, for example, tapping a pencil in class, we think they're being disrespectful. But for some people, it's a way to channel the excess energy and restlessness that they're feeling. Smoking sometimes falls into that category of fidgeting. It allows people to take deep breaths, which can calm anxiety and is similar to how
diaphragmatic breathing can help with relaxation. Dr. Deborah R.
Glasofer, a professor of clinical
medical psychology, defines this fidgeting as edginess that can also manifest as irritability, shaking or trembling, which can be more visible to outsiders than the anxious person themselves. Number five, sleeping
too much or too little. Sometimes sleeping too little or too much can be a sign of anxiety, as people can use sleeping as a way to avoid anxiety. While sleeping is a way to take a pause or rest from anxiety, not getting enough sleep at night due to anxiety can mean that the anxiety is too overwhelming to let you rest.
According to the Sleep Foundation, an online source for sleep information, there is a connection between sleep cycle and anxiety. Research has shown that anxiety can affect rapid eye movement sleep, provoking disturbing dreams and creating sleep disruption. The nightmares caused by anxiety can reinforce negative associations and fear about going to sleep. There can be a vicious cycle between anxiety and sleep deprivation as worrying can cause disrupted sleep, which then causes more anxiety. Number six, being on
social media too much. Being on social media for hours or days on end can be a sign of anxiety as well. Like some of the other habits listed, social media gives us a way to escape from our stressors and anxiety triggers by engaging our minds in something else. For example, looking at pictures of cats on social media can distract you from your anxiety and it can be a coping mechanism to deal with overwhelming anxiety. Number seven, talking too much or too little, or arguing. The truth is that some people that may talk a lot are overwhelmed within a social situation or they can't tolerate the silence, so they start talking in order to relieve that anxiety.
Being quiet can indicate anxiety because they don't know what to say. Starting arguments can also be a sign of anxiety because they can blame
ending the conversation on that other person and be able to escape it. In reality, the person is
very anxious and overwhelmed. But instead of letting people know that, the argument instigator would rather people believe they're jerks. And number eight, forgetfulness and lack of concentration. Memory and concentration are impacted by high levels of anxiety. If somebody keeps forgetting or keeps asking for things to be repeated because they're not concentrating or missing details of what you said, and your thinking to yourself that they don't care about what you say or that they're not listening to what you're saying, this could be anxiety.
It could be that this person is so in their head about what's bothering them, that they're not present. And so, they seem inattentive. Like they don't care about the people who are talking to them. Do you recognize any of these habits? Do you recognize these
habits in anyone you know? Let us know in the comments below.
Remember to share this article with those who might benefit from it. As always, the references and studies used in this video are listed in the description below. Stay tuned for part two of this video. And until next time, take care..
