Weird Habits When Anxious...??

I decided to create this forum so people who do things that look weird to others when they become anxious can share their weird habits. I also created it so if people want to manage their behaviors may be able to get some advice on how to.
I'll start:

When i become nervous i start to uncontrollably shakes my legs, rub my feet together, bite around my nails, and scratch myself until i bleed. The only one that concerns me is the scratching, because i do it unconsciously. I never seem to realize that im scratching myself unless someone points it out or i look down and see that im bleeding. Im thinking its because there is so much other stimuli that i just dont notice it??? (i shake, rub, bite or scratch all at the same time) if anyone has any suggestions on how to stop i would appreciate it and would love to return the favor! thanks

I'm not really sure how you can stop. I know that now when I go to my T, I find my self playing with my hands fingers, rings, braclet (if I have one on). My hands are just in constant motion when I am talking about something that has caused me anxiety in the past. Maybe somehow that could work in your favor....occupy your hands in some other way when you feel the anxiety coming on....

Good luck!

I have a few weird things I do. 1) I giggle or laugh inappropriately, especially in social situations 2) when speaking to T or psychiatrist about something I'm either anxious or ashamed about I fiddle with my hands (jewelry if I'm wearing any) and avoid making eye contact 3) I scratch my head - sometimes until it bleeds...

Sorry I cant offer any solutions, but at least I can identify!

@slinks thanks for the tip.
@thesnowqueen i also tend to scratch my scalp until it bleeds it's really frustrating especially when i'm in classes and such, because i also pick off the scabs that form weather i'm anxious or not( i think it's my OCD). I always have to pick off scabs if i don't i get a shortness of breath and tightness in my chest. I hate it. I am in a constant state of laughter if i meet a new boy, but not like the stereotypical kind of thing in movies where the girl is 'acting'. when that happens i excuse myself for a minute go into a bathroom stare into the mirror take 3 quick deep breathes then one more deep breath, leave the bathroom (still holding breath) and walk towards the person that was causing me to laugh(dont have to make it back to the person just hold it as long as you can until you feel like you are about to explode) it helps me A LOT, and i hope it will help you!!

I definitely have a few of those bad habits...
1. I bite my nails and the skin around my nails... sometimes until it bleeds.
2. I pick skin off of my hands
3. If I am sitting I will bounce my feet up and down
4. I feel all itchy and scratch my arm or hand
5. I can't even turn my face to look at people

A) I'd bite my nails and the surrounding skin till they were all bloody messes. I have recently stopped doing this because I was damaging my front teeth. I have chips and grooves in my front teeth from having done this for so long.

B) Cracking my knuckles and my neck. The neck cracking must appear odd to others. I would do it as an almost spasmodic response to anxiety. I would just all of a sudden snap my head side to side.

C) If my anxiety becomes to high, I will just all of a sudden get up and excuse myself, which usually meant going home, where I could feel more at ease. Sometimes, i won't even give a reason for leaving and just go.

I definitely do that too George.

Thanks, guys for sharing. Now that I think about it I tend to snap my neck to the side until it cracks, too. Funny how we all have some of the same habits!

Hi i have similair habits to your self,the neck crackin caught my attention
as i do it lot.usually on the bus as i dislike them deeply or when i see youths starin at me...unfortunatly they see this as my tryin to be macho...lol no chance there.Any way be good to chat some thime. All the best

i tend to do that quite frequently on the rare occasion i am out of my room.

i will grind my teeth till my gums start bleeding and my leg shakes when im sitting but if im standing i will start to itch randomly. also i tend to become very paranoid always looking around me and especially behind me.

It's so nice to hear that we all have a lot of the same tendencies when we're nervous... I'm not alone! I typically:

1. Rock back and forth slowly
2. Play with my earrings or hair
3. Shake my legs or continuously change positions
4. Pace back and forth
5. Or just fidget all together

Mine have all been listed and it's a little comforting knowing that it's related and maybe once it's all under control I can get past these habits

1. I bite my nails, the skin around my nails and the scabs that form from prior biting on my fingers. I'm always upset by how gross my fingers look and I work in customer service and try to hide them when I'm giving change etc. I had almost kicked the habit in the spring but when I was going through the no income stress/new job stress I picked it up again. I've only gotten 3 nails but I've bitten around the nails on more fingers. It's frustrating because sometimes when I'm doing it, I know it, but I'm like stuck and can't stop even when I tell myself to
2. I scratch my legs. I have scars on them and they bleed sometimes. I have a physical feeling of being itchy so it's the natural instinct to scratch and it doesn't go away so I keep going
3. Grind my teeth. I do it in my sleep and when I'm awake.
4. I roll my neck. I say roll because I do it more than I can actually crack it
5. Fidget my hands. At the doctor or T when I'm talking about my anxiety I constantly roll my hands around each other. I wiggle my feet a lot too.

I feel like I have so many of these habits I can't replace them because it's just such a huge task. On a completely random note, I was literally just about to post something like this, so thank you for doing so

I use to shred my paper napkin if I was eating out/with a group. I found it a little funny because I'd really really shred it and not be away and at the end of the meal there'd be this ball of "strings" of bits of napkin, LOL. Everyone including myself would look at it and I'd just shake my head and laugh.

Sometimes I jokingly "warn" people if I know I have an unconscious behavior that looks weird. I'd say something like, "okay, you have to warn me if I'm doing a lot of scratching because I go for the bone without realizing it and if I start bleeding, I'm going to blame you!" Other people are startled but not more so than seeing you bleed and enjoy being of help to you with your unconscious habit.

Ah! I used to tear my sugar substitute packets into strips, then tear... well, point is, last few times I've been out, I noticed I don't anymore! Difference is, not seeing the family in the past 2 years, not taking their phone calls in the past one year, improved relationship with t in that time (being on meds for ten plus years).

Getting a massage or better yet seeing the chiropractor helps my neck rolling / cracking habit.

HaHa. I loved finding this thread. I PET MYSELF!. When my ptsd is triggered and im superanxious i literally pet myself as if i were stroking a kitty. I will pet my arms or my thighs and I cant stop. I dont even realize that i am doing it.

For those that fiddle with their jewelry there are those spin rings, bands that have a rotating band on them tht you can spin when you are nervous.

I pick at the skin on my lips... It looks pretty gross because I always go for the same spot

When I am freaking out about something - what I do is Freeze. I am afraid to take a step forward or backward, I just stand there and my mind races, I feel flush or like I'm going to pass out. I let the world go on around me until I feel safe enough to at least find a place to sit down and try to calm myself. I take xanax and to me it's like a rescue inhaler for an asthmatic.. I will take a pill and within 10 minutes I am able to carry on.

to name a few i pick at my head, go really quiet and withdrawn, pick at my eyebrows, bit my nails fidget with things, bit my lip or inside my mouth, go off in my own wee world, play with my hair, if im anxious in town i keep my head down and walk really fast to avoid eye contact with people, if im anxious about going some where i wont go, nervous laff, count in my head multipls of 3 or 6 wat ever number, fidget with my mobile, say really stupid things

I do a lot of this same stuff. My worst thing is I'm always picking at the skin along my thumb nail, with my index finger. I've done it so long now, that even when it heals there's a noticeable dent in my thumb where I've picked really deep into the meat.

These used to get infected all the time, but I've learned to put peroxide on them all the time now. I hate any kind of topical creams or anything like that with a passion, so I don't pick at them when they're still peroxide covered. Kind of using a phobia against a compulsion lol. Anyway, maybe that'll help someone else.

I am actually very happy to know someone else scratches there scalp. I started scratching(and picking) after I was stuck in an airport for almost three days last year. Everyone assumed it was the ADHD pills I have been on, but I knew It wasn't because I have been the same dose for years. I feel embarrassed around new people bc I know it's odd and I need to stop. So Today I decided to look up weird habits with anxiety and this site came up. I am also pretty positive I am OCD. However, The breathing thing doesn't work for me because I feel short of breath. Which is also a problem (among other things)... I just want you to know your not alone and I am glad I'm not alone

I tap fingers, or play repeatedly with the corners of clothing/seams, et al. I scratch, at my temple. Click pens...

I twirl my hair. I bounce my foot around. I dig my nails into my skin. I bite the inside of my cheek. I pick at my skin around the bridge of my nose/eyebrows. I fidget with random objects. I look at anything but the person. I clench my jaw. I fidget with my earrings. I fidget/grip my purse strap. I'll stack things if I can. Or try to balance things. Or organize. I fold paper. I doodle.

... I apparently do a lot. At least I've got variety in my life! rofl

I pace around a lot

i pick up any old object- and just fiddle with it.

roll it about in my hands and stuff

Crack my knuckles, clear my throat/cough, tap my fingers, blink my eyes constantly. I know there's more that I do, but those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.