Why do I always feel on edge?
Psychologist at Leeds Anxiety Clinic
Published Thursday, 17 July 2025
Sometimes we can struggle to stop worrying or relax, even when there does not seem to be anything to worry about. We might feel tense, on edge, or fidgety even though there is no obvious source of stress.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Unfortunately, these signs of anxiety are increasingly common in our modern on-the-go society. In this article, we will explore why it happens and what we can do about it.
Common signs of being on edge
You might recognise these signs in several different ways. First, you may notice it physically. For example:
- Feeling tense around your neck and shoulders
- Clenching your jaw
- Butterflies in your stomach
- Feeling exhausted at the end of the day
You might also notice it in your thinking:
- Experiencing racing thoughts
- Constantly searching for things to do or worry about
- Being unable to switch your brain off
- Finding yourself overthinking even when you are doing something relaxing
And you may notice it in your actions, too:
- Being jumpy or irritable
- Finding yourself unable to sit still
- Constantly rushing or looking for things to do
Why does this happen?
You may have heard of the fight, flight or freeze response. This is a stress response activated in the body when we feel we are under threat.
This is a healthy response when activated in the short term to keep us safe. But if the stress response is chronically activated, it leads to exhaustion, burnout, and can compromise our physical health.
Chronic activation of our stress response system can occur for several reasons including:
- Past trauma or difficult experiences
- Emotional pain relating to fear, shame, loneliness or anger
- Perfectionism and holding ourselves to high standards
- Ongoing pressure such as work, family issues or other life stressors
To deal with these issues, we often use worrying as a coping mechanism to make ourselves feel like we are doing something about them. Or we might use avoidance to stop ourselves from thinking about it.
Unfortunately, this can result in a feedback cycle where we engage in more and more worrying to feel in control of the situation, which then makes us feel more stressed, so we worry even more and the cycle continues.
None of this is your fault: these survival mechanisms are our default way of responding to stress. But there are more effective ways that help us avoid getting trapped in these cycles.
What can we do about it?
The key to tackling these issues is to change our relationship with worry.
Our current strategy is often to try and think our way out of it. If only we could apply a bit more worry, we would find the solution. But this is the strategy that keeps us feeling on edge.
Instead, we need to find a new way to deal with our difficult feelings that activates our relaxation response, rather than our stress response. This can involve:
- Calming our nervous system through grounding techniques and breathing exercises.
- Responding mindfully to our difficult thoughts, rather than engaging in worry.
- Changing our behaviour so that we confront, rather than avoid uncomfortable situations, to teach our nervous system that we are safe.
These steps can be taken on your own. By reading a range of textbooks on cognitive behavioural therapy, you can learn these principles and over time develop an action plan to change your relationship with worry.
Working with a professional psychotherapist can both speed up this process and make it much more likely to succeed. A therapist can provide a safe and supportive relationship, and specialist knowledge of anxiety and how to work with it.
Conclusion
Feeling constantly on edge can be exhausting. But it is also something we can change.
By understanding what’s really happening beneath the surface, and finding new ways to respond to anxiety, it is possible to feel calmer, more grounded, and more in control. Whether you choose to explore this on your own or with the help of a professional, support is available. You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode.