Hello camhardt: I see this is your first post here on PC. So... welcome to PsychCentral! I hope you find PC to be of benefit.

I'm not a mental health professional. So I can't tell you what is going on here. My non-professional opinion would be that this may simply be a response to pent-up generalized anxiety. Perhaps it is a coping mechanism you developed at some point along the way. And, over time, it has become habitual. It is, of course, possible that there is something else going on here too. But, at least from my perspective, you'd need to see a mental health professional to parse that. We here on PC can't diagnose you.

There is a forum, here on PC, dedicated to the subject of anxiety. Here's a link:

https://forums.psychcentral.com/anxi...c-and-phobias/

One other possibility for you, here on PC, would be to take some of the various quizzes & tests that are on offer in an effort to figure out what may be going on with you. Here's a link to the listing of available quizzes & tests:

Psychological Quizzes and Tests

And then here are links to some articles, from PsychCentral's archives, that offer tips on how to manage anxiety & stress:

9 Ways to Reduce Anxiety Right Here, Right Now

15 Small Steps You Can Take Today to Improve Anxiety Symptoms

Top 10 Lesser-Known Self-Help Strategies for Anxiety

https://psychcentral.com/blog/11-tip...dium=popular17

https://psychcentral.com/lib/20-tips...e-your-stress/

https://psychcentral.com/blog/10-pra...dium=popular17

https://psychcentral.com/blog/8-tips...dium=popular17

https://psychcentral.com/blog/18-ways-to-manage-stress/

My best wishes to you...