“Why Am I So Anxious All the Time?” (Even When Nothing’s Technically Wrong)
Understanding the “Always On” Feeling for Teens & College Students
Quick Takeaways:
Your nervous system isn’t broken — it’s overloaded by nonstop inputs that young people experience more intensely today (Rosen et al., 2014).
Constant notifications, group chats, school portals, and social feeds keep your brain in a low-key stress state.
Academic pressure + “figure out your life early” culture = anxiety by default (ACHA, 2023).
Sleep loss, late-night scrolling, and irregular routines make anxiety louder (Levenson et al., 2017).
Not enough movement and not enough outside time affect mood and energy more than people realize (Cotman et al., 2007; Berman et al., 2008).
Anxiety often hides under irritability, withdrawal, procrastination, or constant scrolling.
Therapy offers a calm, confidential place to understand what’s happening and build steadier habits.
If Your Brain Has 87 Tabs Open… You’re Not Imagining It
If your brain feels like it’s running multiple apps at once — your social life on one, your future on another, and anxiety buffering in the background — you’re not alone.
A lot of teens and college students tell me, “I don’t even know why I’m anxious. I just wake up like this.”
And honestly? That makes sense.
You don’t need a dramatic reason to feel overwhelmed.
You just need a nervous system trying to keep up with a world that never fully shuts off.
Your Nervous System Isn’t Broken — It’s Just Overloaded
Quick overview:
Gas pedal: alert, focused, ready to respond
Brake pedal: calm, grounded, able to rest
Most young adults live with the gas pedal lightly pressed all day — not because something is wrong with you, but because the environment around you is loud, fast, and demanding in subtle ways.
Constant updates, comparison, and unpredictability all take a toll.
Your body isn’t malfunctioning. It’s adjusting.
What Today’s Teens & College Students Are Living In (And Why It Makes Sense You Feel This Way)
Below is the real “stack” your brain deals with every day — the stuff I see come up over and over in sessions.
You can consider these points the gas pedals for anxiety.
1. Screens & Notifications: The Brain Never Gets to Fully Clock Out
Between:
group chats
Snap streaks
Discord servers
Canvas/Blackboard alerts
texts
news updates
DMs
last-minute plan changes
…it’s a nonstop drip of micro-alerts your nervous system interprets as “something needs your attention.”
Even small notifications activate the stress response (Rosen et al., 2014).
Your brain rarely gets a full break.
2. Social Media & Comparison: Quiet Pressure You Don’t Even Notice Building
Young people today face:
curated aesthetics
productivity culture
“what your 20s should look like” videos
constant highlight reels
aesthetic pressure
the expectation to be interesting, improving, and unbothered
All while trying to figure out who they are.
Social comparison is strongly linked to anxiety (Vogel et al., 2014).
It adds up fast.
3. School Stress & the Future Feeling Way Too Big
Students now grow up hearing versions of:
“Have a plan.”
“Have a backup plan.”
“Don’t fall behind.”
“Everything counts.”
College students consistently report rising anxiety related to academics and the future (ACHA, 2023).
Small assignments start feeling like life-deciding events.
It’s no wonder tasks feel heavier than they logically should.
4. Sleep: The Invisible Anxiety Amplifier
Irregular sleep is extremely common among teens and college students due to:
late-night studying
doom scrolling
stress loops
inconsistent routines
group chat noise
blue light exposure
And sleep disruption directly heightens anxiety (Levenson et al., 2017).
Less sleep → more anxiety
More anxiety → harder to sleep
The loop builds quietly.
5. Not Enough Movement or Time Outside (Your Body Was Built to Move)
Most young adults spend the majority of their day sitting:
in class
in the car
studying
scrolling in bed
Movement reduces stress hormones and boosts mood (Cotman et al., 2007).
Even brief nature exposure lowers rumination (Berman et al., 2008).
But the busier life gets, the easier it is to forget that your body needs movement and sunlight to feel balanced.
6. Hidden Pressure: Perfectionism, People-Pleasing, and Family Stress
Many teens and young adults carry:
fear of disappointing others
pressure to achieve
uncertainty about identity
past emotional wounds
an expectation to “keep it together”
feeling behind
Perfectionism is strongly tied to anxiety (Flett & Hewitt, 2002).
This isn’t a personal failing — it’s a real emotional load.
How Anxiety Actually Shows Up (Even If You Don’t Call It Anxiety)
For teens & college students, anxiety often looks like:
irritability
zoning out
procrastination
endless scrolling
overwhelm over simple tasks
stomach issues or tension
withdrawing
burnout
“tired but wired”
For parents, it can look like:
mood swings
isolation
avoidance
inconsistent sleep
shutting down
saying “I’m fine”
These aren’t character issues.
These are nervous-system signals.
What Actually Helps (And Doesn’t Just Feel Like One More Thing To Do)
Your body doesn’t need huge changes.
It needs small, steady resets.
Consider these simple things the brake pedals for anxiety.
1. A Few Minutes of Real “Off Time” for Your Brain
Just 10–15 minutes where nothing demands a reaction.
Not digital detox. Just breathing room.
2. Tiny Bits of Movement Your Nervous System Loves
A quick walk.
Stretching.
Standing breaks.
Small movement = big payoff (Cotman et al., 2007).
3. A Simple, Repeatable Night Routine That Calms Your System
Predictability regulates the nervous system more than intensity (Levenson et al., 2017).
4. Talking to Someone Safe (Doesn’t Have to Be Dramatic)
You don’t have to “be falling apart” to benefit from support.
Humans regulate better in connection (Gilbert, 2014).
If You’re the Teen or College Student Reading This
There’s nothing wrong with you.
You’re carrying more input, more pressure, and more uncertainty than people realize.
You don’t have to hit a breaking point to deserve help.
You deserve steadiness and a space where you don’t have to pretend you’re okay.
If You’re a Parent Reading This
The young adults in your life aren’t being dramatic or careless.
They’re navigating:
nonstop comparison
constant updates
academic pressure
identity development
unpredictable schedules
digital overload
What looks like avoidance or moodiness often comes from overwhelm, not defiance.
What Therapy Looks Like With Me (Hanks Therapy Co.)
When I work with teens and young adults, we create a space calm enough for you to actually hear yourself again. It’s not about “fixing” you — it’s about understanding what’s happening underneath everything you’re carrying.
In therapy, we might:
unpack anxiety without judgment
name the things your body has been holding
figure out what’s driving the overwhelm
build emotional and regulation skills that actually fit your life
strengthen confidence and boundaries
You choose what we talk about and what stays private. If you don’t know what to talk about, that’s okay! We don’t have to have an agenda.
My job is to help you understand yourself — not report to anyone.
If you feel wired, worn thin, or stuck in your head, therapy can give you a steadier place to sort things out.
I’d be glad to help.
If you’re thinking about therapy and want to understand how it could help, you can visit my Therapy For Teenage & College Age page for more details.
If you have questions about scheduling, fees, or how sessions work, my FAQ page covers all the common ones.
And if you’re ready to reach out, I’d be glad to talk with you —
click here to connect with me.
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References
American College Health Association. (2023). National College Health Assessment III: Undergraduate student reference group executive summary. ACHA.
Berman, M. G., Jonides, J., & Kaplan, S. (2008). The cognitive benefits of interacting with nature. Psychological Science, 19(12), 1207–1212.
Cotman, C. W., Berchtold, N. C., & Christie, L.-A. (2007). Exercise builds brain health: Key roles of growth factor cascades and inflammation. Trends in Neurosciences, 30(9), 464–472.
Flett, G. L., & Hewitt, P. L. (2002). Perfectionism and maladjustment: An overview of theoretical, definitional, and treatment issues. In Perfectionism: Theory, research, and treatment (pp. 5–31). American Psychological Association.
Gilbert, P. (2014). The compassionate mind: A new approach to life’s challenges. New Harbinger Publications.
Levenson, J. C., Shensa, A., Sidani, J. E., Colditz, J. B., & Primack, B. A. (2017). The association between social media use and sleep disturbance among young adults. Preventive Medicine, 85, 36–41.
McEwen, B. S. (1998). Protective and damaging effects of stress mediators. New England Journal of Medicine, 338(3), 171–179.
Rosen, L. D., Lim, A., Carrier, L. M., & Cheever, N. A. (2014). An empirical examination of the educational impact of text message interruptions during college lectures. Educational Psychology, 34(1), 1–14.
Vogel, E. A., Rose, J. P., Roberts, L. R., & Eckles, K. (2014). Social comparison, social media, and self-esteem. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(4), 206–222.