She was fidgeting so furiously with her pen that it somehow flew out of her hand, into her colleague’s face. It happens, more often than she can count. Maybe not flinging a pen into her colleague’s desk, but fingernail biting and the occasional flying of stationery.

Dubai-based Aditi doesn’t hold back from admitting that stress seeps into her habits, sometimes, without her realising it. “I was always a nail-biter, for one. I thought that I stopped, but in the past month, I just started doing it again," she says.And even when there’s no immediate danger, the anticipation of probable threats, keeps the anxiety elevated, which manifests physically as fidgeting, and that includes tapping fingers, shaking legs and pacing.For her, it’s nail-biting and fidgeting with stationery.

For others, it might be desperate hair-pulling, foot tapping or even scribbling on the nearest piece of paper. There might not be immediate danger or a stressful reason nearby either, quite often, but fingers and toes tend to have a mind of their own. Many default to endless scrolling, the phone becoming a fidget in itself.And in times like these, these habits can worsen, further.

The body often speaks first, and under stress, it rarely stays still.Stress moves before it speaks Amid prolonged uncertainty and geopolitical tension, the mind often translates stress into restlessness and fidgeting.It comes down to the brain, as Dr Diana Maatouk, clinical psychologist at the Hummingbird Clinic explains. “When situations are uncontrollable, the brain stays in a state of alert, for a long period of time. This is tied to the body’s stress response system, which is often associated with the fight-or-flight mechanism.” And even when there’s no immediate danger, the anticipation of probable threats, keeps the anxiety elevated, which manifests physically as fidgeting, and that includes tapping fingers, shaking legs and pacing.Dr Diana Maatouk, Clinical Psychologist at The Hummingbird ClinicStress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline can increase during prolonged periods of uncertainty.

If there’s no direct action to 'resolve' the threat, that energy has nowhere to go. Fidgeting becomes a kind of low-level physical outlet to release that tension....Anxiety, redirected It's the burden of excessive energy. The stress hormones, such as cortisol and adrenaline increase during these times.

If there’s no direct action to ‘resolve’ the threat, the energy has nowhere to go. “Fidgeting becomes a kind of low-level physical outlet to release that tension,” she explains.Furthermore, people get caught in the cycle of thinking, ‘what if’. The mind does mental gymnastics, which is closely linked to physical restlessness.

The body mirrors the mind, and thoughts unravel. The movement becomes more erratic or frequent.As a result, people find these repetitive motions calming. It’s a form of sensory feedback, and a form of control.

Gradually, fidgeting, becomes a coping mechanism. When the brain starts to associate this fidgeting with relief, the habit is cemented, even when anxiety levels fluctuate.Hardwiring the habit A prevaricating sense of uncertainty keeps the anxiety heightened over time.Dr. Olivia Pounds, Clinical Psychologist at The Hummingbird Clinic breaks down what is happening in the brain: During such prolonged stress, the brain changes and adapts in numerous ways.

When the brain perceives a threat, the amygdala is activated and engages a wider stress-response network. Signals are sent, that increase alertness. If we can’t run or flight, this arousal manifests in behaviours such as nail biting or fidgeting as a way of regulation.

“Over time, because these behaviours can reduce discomfort in the moment, they become reinforced. The basal ganglia then turns this into a habit over time becoming an automatic reaction to stress,” she says.Moreover, the brain typically favours stronger, well-established pathways over weaker ones. “Over time, as the habit is reinforced by repeated stress, the association between stress and the behaviour strengthens, making it more difficult to break.

Additionally, in stressful situations, the prefrontal cortex is less active, resulting in reduced conscious control over automatic behaviours,” she explains. This makes it more difficult to override the habit, especially as it has already been encoded as a learned, efficient response.Dr Olivia Pounds, Clinical Psychologist at The Hummingbird ClinicDuring prolonged stress, the brain changes and adapts in various complex ways. A simplified understanding of one such process is when the brain perceives a threat, the amygdala is activated and engages a wider stress-response network, sending signals that increase alertness....The hidden toll on young minds An Abu Dhabi-based mother who doesn’t wish to be named, had a bit of a difficult time initially, to ensure that her child focused on his studies at home during the period of distance learning. The seven-year-old would start pacing up and