[camhardt]

I have a severe pacing problem that makes it difficult to get things done in a timely fashion. I’m a video editor and I work from home, and I find myself getting up frequently to pace the second floor of my house. Sometimes I’m getting up every two minutes, other times I can get away with 30 minutes. I feel like pacing helps me refocus and put my swarming thoughts at ease. It’s not linked with any emotion, but the stronger the emotion is, the more I will pace. Also, the more I don’t want to accomplish a task, the more I will pace. When I pace, I’m either analyzing an issue that has been bothering me, thinking about the project I’m working on, or day dreaming. Outside of accomplishing tasks, I have trouble sitting still to watch movies and tv shows. I can control the urge to pace outside my home for the most part, at school I always take the longest way to my classes. It’s almost like I’ve got so much going on in my head I cope by attempting to walk it away. I’ve found that showering (even if I don’t leave my home for work/school), keeping my workspace in order, and drinking tea helps me stay focused a little bit, but it’s not enough.
I don’t know if this is ADHD, OCD, maladaptive daydreaming, or what, but I really want it to stop. If anyone knows, please tell me! I am not in a situation where I can get a diagnosis, medication, or therapy, so if anyone knows any self treatment options, I’m all ears!

[xmascarol]

Originally Posted by camhardt

I have a severe pacing problem that makes it difficult to get things done in a timely fashion. I’m a video editor and I work from home, and I find myself getting up frequently to pace the second floor of my house. Sometimes I’m getting up every two minutes, other times I can get away with 30 minutes. I feel like pacing helps me refocus and put my swarming thoughts at ease. It’s not linked with any emotion, but the stronger the emotion is, the more I will pace. Also, the more I don’t want to accomplish a task, the more I will pace. When I pace, I’m either analyzing an issue that has been bothering me, thinking about the project I’m working on, or day dreaming. Outside of accomplishing tasks, I have trouble sitting still to watch movies and tv shows. I can control the urge to pace outside my home for the most part, at school I always take the longest way to my classes. It’s almost like I’ve got so much going on in my head I cope by attempting to walk it away. I’ve found that showering (even if I don’t leave my home for work/school), keeping my workspace in order, and drinking tea helps me stay focused a little bit, but it’s not enough.
I don’t know if this is ADHD, OCD, maladaptive daydreaming, or what, but I really want it to stop. If anyone knows, please tell me! I am not in a situation where I can get a diagnosis, medication, or therapy, so if anyone knows any self treatment options, I’m all ears!

There are times when I pace to,if I am not to anxious I will just go and lay down try to think of something pleasant and something you really love.Like for me it would be going to the beach I can invision myself walking along the shore with my feet in the water and believe it or not sometimes it does actually help.hope this helps some

[Skeezyks]

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...

[nikon]

i have had this problem before, and i think i paced to calm anxiety. it was like the pacing could occupy my anxious body while my mind thought everything through over and over again. i think for me reducing pacing has come with reduced anxiety, but now i also do stuff like working with the tv playing in the background or something like that, so that it's not this deafening silence of myself and my thoughts and the work i'm doing.