The top 5 coping tips for feeling uptight
Uptight Definition
The term 'uptight' is not an official medical or psychological term. Generally, this word is a non-official label for stress, anxiety, and worry. However, other difficult feelings are linked with being uptight (e.g., anger).
There is a negative feel to this concept. Most people do not like to be called uptight. This stance is problematic because it prevents people from talking openly about these difficulties.
The above issues tend to occur with the following signs:
Sleep and/or appetite changes
Fatigue
Aches, pains and bodily tension
Difficulties with attention, concentration and memory
Problem thoughts and thinking patterns
Uptight synonym
Other terms and synonyms for uptight include: stressed out, anxious, tense, nervous, and wound up.
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Uptight meaning
Being uptight is seen both in situational and dispositional terms. In other words, people are uptight about a particular issue or as part of their personality. In the latter case, a person will experience ongoing stress, tension and worry about multiple stressors.
Several psychological concepts are similar to uptight. For example, the Type A personality describes competitive, driven, work-driven and stressed people. Type A is associated with several medical and psychological problems (1,2).
Stress, anxiety and being uptight tend to occur with negative repetitive thinking. Rumination is when a person gets stuck thinking about the causes and consequences of their difficulties.
What are the causes of being too uptight?
The causes of being too uptight can vary from person to person.
Some reasons may be due to 'stressors'. These range from a high workload to relationship problems. Co-occurring mental health difficulties (e.g., depression, social anxiety) may also cause tension. Some psychological challenges are associated with personality, genetics, and modelling another person's behaviour (3).
What are the long-term effects of being too uptight?
Effects of stress and anxiety are numerous but vary depending on the person. Some examples include:
Heart illness (4)
Low mood (5)
Relationships difficulties (6)
These are potentially serious consequences. So, we should look to address stress, anxiety and being uptight.
How can I be less uptight?
Many psychological strategies can be used to be less uptight. Here are some examples:
Breathing: Getting physical control of your body can be a great stress-management strategy. Here is a breathing exercise to try.
Try relaxation strategies. Here is an example of a muscle relaxation technique.
Work with a professional to understand the root causes and factors that keep the problem going.
Try taking regular micro-breaks throughout the day.
Identify and re-work problem thinking patterns. Find example techniques on the skills video page.
These techniques are just a taster of what’s available. You can also access entire stress management courses, such as this mindfulness-based stress reduction program. Alternatively, you can try this workbook to reduce excessive worry.
We are Coaching & Clinical Psychologists with extensive experience helping people conquer a range of wellbeing and performance issues at home and in the workplace. Read more about our work, watch practical skills videos or browse other articles. Get in touch anytime.
References
(1) Wang, P., Wang, R., Tian, M., Sun, Y., Ma, J., Tu, Y., & Yan, Y. (2021). The Pathways from Type A Personality to Physical and Mental Health Amid COVID-19: A Multiple-Group Path Model of Frontline Anti-Epidemic Medical Staff and Ordinary People. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(4), 1874. MDPI AG. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041874
(2) Pollock, B.D., Chen, W., Harville, E.W. et al. Associations between Hunter Type A/B Personality and Cardiovascular Risk Factors from Adolescence through Young Adulthood. Int.J. Behav. Med. 24, 593–601 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-017-9636-5
(3) https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/mental-health-problems-introduction/causes/
(4) Dar, T., Radfar, A., Abohashem, S., Pitman, R. K., Tawakol, A., & Osborne, M. T. (2019). Psychosocial Stress and Cardiovascular Disease. Current treatment options in cardiovascular medicine, 21(5), 23. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-019-0724-5
(5) Salari, N., Hosseinian-Far, A., Jalali, R. et al. Prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Global Health 16, 57 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-020-00589-w
(6) https://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2018/atp-relationship-stress#:~:text=Stress%20can%20negatively%20impact%20relationships.&text=Oftentimes%2C%20people%20bottle%20up%20or,%E2%80%9Ccatch%E2%80%9D%20each%20other's%20stress.