Nervousness and Self-Comfort Gestures (Fidgeting).

Excess or absence of movement

Nervousness is one of the easiest emotions to detect, as people have great difficulty hiding it.

It manifests itself in two opposite ways: either an excess of movement (known as fidgeting) or a total absence of it (freezing).

Excessive fidgeting is the most common: a person in a meeting who keeps moving his leg rhythmically, plays constantly with a pen, or manipulates the buttons on his clothes.

The opposite is also true: the person who is so nervous that they stand completely still, like a statue, in their chair. Both extremes indicate a high level of internal tension.

Scratching (arms, face, legs)

When we feel nervous or uncomfortable, we increase the frequency with which we touch our bodies.

These gestures comfort us and help reduce the level of stress and anxiety. Scratching is a common form of self-comfort.

When people feel uncomfortable, they tend to scratch their arm, face, back of the neck or legs.

Obviously, a single scratch does not mean anything; the person may simply be itching.

But if the gesture is repeated, especially in a high-pressure context such as a job interview, it is a clear sign of discomfort.

Summary

Nervousness is one of the easiest emotions to detect. It manifests itself in two opposite ways: an excess of movement (fidgeting) or a total absence of it (freezing).

Excessive fidgeting is the most common: moving the leg rhythmically or playing with a pen. Total freezing also indicates a high level of internal tension.

When we are nervous, we increase the frequency with which we touch our body to comfort ourselves. Repeated scratching is a clear sign of discomfort.