Psychological reason people constantly shake their legs no matter the situation has been explained

There’s a psychological reason why people constantly shake their legs, no matter what the situation is.

We’ve all ended up sat next to someone in a café or on public transport that just won’t stop bouncing their leg up and down or perhaps you’ve got a mate that’s always causing the drinks to shake when their legs are rattling the table.

Or maybe you often find yourself sat at work, bruising your knee because your leg is tapping under the desk so much.

But whoever it is doing it or whenever it’s happening, there are a couple of different reasons behind it and mostly, they’re down to psychology.

Good news though, it’s unlikely that the constant leg shaking does you any harm except for the potential tired muscles or bruises from banging a table.

Some people may not even realise they're doing it (Getty Stock Image)

Psychological reasons behind leg shaking

Quite simply, BetterHelp explains that people might shake their legs out of boredom as their body is telling them they aren’t getting enough stimulation.

Or, the online therapy service says it can be an unconscious thing people do while concentrating.

The other key psychological reason is that leg shaking can be due to anxiety as the body releases your nervous energy in a quiet, more subtle way.

And Counselling Directory member Dawn Templeton previously explained this to Metro: “When we are stressed or feeling anxious, our bodies prepare us to fight the stress, or run away from it, known as the ‘fight or flight’ response.”

Our muscles then engage and leak out the ‘extra energy’ and as anxiety can make our body think we’re in danger, those who spend a lot of time sitting may find their legs jiggling away.

“It’s essentially our body getting ready to deal with an anticipated threat,” added clinical psychologist Catherine Huckle.

Your leg shaker mate might be anxious (Getty Stock Image)

Ways to help stop shaking legs

If the leg shaking isn’t caused by an underlying medical condition, there’s a few techniques people can try to stop it.

BetterHelp advises testing out different types of stimulation like doodling, chewing gum, playing with a fidget toy or taking notes.

It also recommends: addressing your emotions, making sure you get enough sleep, trying yoga or meditation and even looking into getting therapy.

You might also want to try something more physical and incorporate more exercise into your day to release that excess energy.

But, generally, constant leg shaking because of anxiety or other psychological reasons isn’t going to do you any harm (it just might p*ss off those around you).

Other reasons for leg shaking

There is also the chance that repetitive leg movements are a symptom of an underlying medical condition such as nerve or brain damage, restless leg syndrome (RLS), Parkinson’s disease or thyroid issues.

If you’re unable to control it, it’s worth speaking to a doctor or healthcare professional.