Restlessness and Agitation

Fidgeting, toe-tapping, thumb-rolling and other nervous tics (small, repetitive movements) are all symptoms of agitation, yet you may be unaware of them. Increased activity in your sympathetic nervous system, which controls your fight or flight response, causes the physical arousal associated with worry. Fidgeting and restlessness are frequent symptoms of this—the body's way of coping with all that nervous energy.

Sweating, shaking hands, a dry mouth, and headaches are signs of more severe agitation. Of course, not everyone who fidgets is anxious, and not everyone who is anxious is restless. However, if you notice that stopping fidgeting causes you to feel extreme physical discomfort and intensifies your worry, it's definitely a symptom of an anxiety problem. It might also be a sign of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which can occur alone or in conjunction with anxiety.