hey psychoers when you hear the word
anxiety what do you think of panic
attacks hyperventilation well
that's some of it some of the time
what if i told you that there are habits
and i mean habits not occasional one-off
actions that seem normy and common but
can actually be signs of anxiety
certainly anxiety isn't the same for
everyone but some symptoms and habits
are still always present one way or
another let's take a look
number one can't sleep
my brain won't shut up remember that one
time when the waiter said enjoy your
meal and you said thanks you too and
then you think to yourself what if you
think i'm dumb
it's already been a year since this
happened but it still keeps you up at
night
all right breathe you got this
do you struggle with falling asleep and
staying that way it feels like your mind
is running endlessly regardless of how
quiet things have been
this could be a sign of anxiety
especially if it's been consistent
seeing as the pros recommend a solid
seven to nine hours of good sleep per
night this might be an issue
number two
biting your nails fidgeting
or chewing the ends of your hair or
constantly picking at any piece of paper
you can get your hands on
these all may seem innocuous but these
are all repetitive self-stimulating
actions done unconsciously for stress
relief
any of us can do something like this
during particularly stressful moments
but it can be a budding sign of anxiety
if you find it happening pretty much all
the time
are those nail beds almost gone or are
your fingertips sore from frequent
nibbling
maybe take some moments of
self-awareness to see if you catch
yourself biting your nails in a not a
big deal situation you might have a
habit and it might be caused by anxiety
number three creating too many to-do
lists
too much of anything is a bad thing
sure being organized is great lists can
help you focus and get all the things
done but you knew this was coming
when your whole life is nothing but
lists and lists of lists
or you feel restless uneasy and grouchy
if you can't make a list for everything
this is when the too much probably has
stepped in
the habit has gone from a good thing to
a thing that stops you from living and
that is something anxiety does too
number four did you lock the door better
check for the 20th time
similar to the previously mentioned list
making the double triple quadruple
checking and structured day can be a
sign of anxiety it's a way for those
with anxiety to feel more in control
just like before though too much of a
thing
thorough check and a once-over great
obsessive-checking that interrupts your
whole day and you can't live life very
not great not great at all even worse no
matter how careful a person is no one is
100 all the time so when something slips
through despite all the checking the
impact can be more devastating than it
should be since the anxious person is
gripping onto their thoroughness as
their means of control over their lives
number five avoiding eye contact
the eyes are the windows to the soul
they say but what if you feel like your
soul hasn't been tidied up in a while
and it's kind of an embarrassing mess
wait no maybe you were thinking of our
homes
well
same thing really isn't it an anxious
person feels somewhat exposed all the
time just being outside period
letting someone look in with eye contact
just amps that feeling of being judged
weighed and measured
so where do the eyes look they're
looking for an escape if you find
yourself planning an exit strategy
fairly constantly and there's not really
a solid tangible reason for it it could
be a sign of anxiety
number six you apologize as a reflex
sorry to say
a true apology can take different forms
and saying sorry isn't always an apology
in the truest sense in some cultures a
quick sorry sorry isn't so much taking
fault in showing remorse it's more a
social courtesy in manners
in this point we mean that you're
actually apologizing the full meal deal
of taking blame feeling remorse and
vowing to do better now accountability
is a good mature thing and is a positive
trait apologies in this vein also
involve humility and quite the emotional
toll so they don't happen often and
they're meaningful
people with anxiety already have a
baseline of feeling guilty about things
they can't control so apologizing only
layers on even more guilt and
exasperates how personally they take
things they may feel inadequate about
themselves so they apologize to others
for being that way which in turn layers
on more guilt it's like an endless cycle
and number seven relying on inanimate
objects as safety blankets
do you have a linus blankie remember the
comic strip cartoon charlie brown and
his buddy linus linus's blue blankie
yeah linus probably had a bit of anxiety
going on
no blankie alright any other inanimate
non-essential objects you must have with
you when you leave your home lest you
feel uneasy without it that's your
blanky
it could even be some chewing gum or
earphones if you get an impending sense
that it's an omen of failure for the day
without this item this could be anxiety
whispering those worries to you
hey you made it through the whole video
go you we reiterate that each of these
points is talking about a habit
not that one time one and even so just
like the disclaimer said don't take our
word for it alone if you're concerned
reach out to a professional or someone
who can guide you to one
we hope that some of these infobites
helped you understand yourself or others
better do you recognize any of them
feel free to like share or comment if
the information helps you chill stick
around for another video thanks for
watching