- [Narrator] Hi Psych2Goers.
Have you noticed the little things you do
when you're feeling stressed out or anxious?
Like many people, when you think of anxiety,
you may think of someone who is having trouble breathing
or someone who is sweating profusely.
But what about the more subtle signs of anxiety?
There are many less obvious signs of anxiety
you may not be aware of.
So to help you out, here are seven little habits
you don't know are signs of anxiety.
Number one.
You excessively play with your hair.
Have you ever heard people say
that when a person is touching their hair,
it's a sign of flirting?
While there is some truth in this,
it does depend on the situation,
the psychological state of the person,
and who the person is interacting with.
When you're nervous,
you may feel some sort of harmless relief
when you touch your hair,
but too much of this may also lead to body-focused,
repetitive behaviors, or BFRBs,
which consists of a set of disorders
like compulsive hair-pulling, compulsive nailbiting,
and compulsive skin picking.
Number two.
You create multiple to-do lists.
How many task lists do you have?
Sometimes, when you're an over-thinker,
you may forget a lot of the little things,
whether it's buying groceries, bringing a document to work,
or to meet up with a friend at a certain time.
Writing your tasks may help you remember what to do
and reduce your overall anxiety about forgetting them.
But too many to-do-lists may not be helpful either
since writing tasks with no prioritization
can end up overwhelming us as well.
According to a study done by a senior doctoral student
at Carleton University,
it is indeed effective using to-do lists to plan your day.
However, its effectiveness may depend on
how much you like structure and organization.
Every year, most people set new year's resolutions,
but around 80% of these will get abandoned
in just the first two months.
The best way to succeed with your resolutions
is to transform them into tiny habits and stick to them,
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Number three.
You're not able to sleep through the night.
Can you sleep well at night?
When stressed out, people with anxiety disorders
tend to have a state of mental hyperarousal,
frequently marked by worry,
which leads to hypersleep reactivity.
Research also found connections between anxiety disorders
and changes in a person's sleep cycles.
When you're anxious and ruminate before sleep,
this affects rapid eye movement or REM sleep,
which may induce more unsettling dreams
and result in a higher likelihood of sleeping disruptions.
Having nightmares during sleep
may also reinforce a negative association
of dread and sleep.
Number four.
You use fear language.
Do a lot of your sentences start with,
"I'm concerned, I'm afraid, or I'm worried?"
According to a licensed clinical psychologist,
Alicia H. Clark, PsyD PLLC,
"The regular use of such phrases
"may indicate a deeper problem.
"Even though it may sound normal,
"sometimes this fear language can be a sign of anxiety
"that is most often brushed off."
Number five.
You're not able to sit still.
Can you be still when you're sitting down?
Perhaps you can't help but tap your foot
or scrum around in your chair.
According to Dr. Clark,
being restless and unable to sit still
can be a subtle sign of anxiety.
However, it's important to note
that being unable to sit still
can also be a classic example
of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD,
since sitting down is an under-stimulating task
that is unrewarding to the brain.
Number six.
You apologize excessively.
Do you say sorry a lot?
Another sign of anxiety is when a word of apology
comes too often and easily,
even when it's not your fault
or when it's out of your own control.
With anxiety, you may find yourself
still over-apologizing for the situation.
According to Dr. Juliana Breines,
an Assistant Professor of Psychology
at the University of Rhode Island,
"If you're always hard on yourself
"and have a tendency to beat yourself up for things,
"then it's likely
"you'll also have a tendency to over-apologize."
And number seven, you forget important details.
Are you always told off for overlooking small details
and making small mistakes?
Sometimes, when you have anxiety,
you may feel overwhelmed with thoughts,
such as about how things may go wrong
that you end up not paying attention
to the things happening around you.
This can make you overlook crucial moments
in details that are important.
So if you find yourself missing important details
or forgetting crucial information a lotta the time,
it may be a sign of anxiety.
What do you do when you're anxious?
Let us know in the comments below.
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The references and studies used in this video
are added in the description below.
Thanks for watching and we'll see you in the next one.
(lighthearted music)