Restlessness: why we can no longer sit still

The world is loud and fast and is getting faster and faster. At least it feels like that. Before breakfast a little sport, scroll through the social media world on the toilet and briefly do the weekly shopping during the lunch break-we are used to using every free minute and being able to distract ourselves all the time. Many can no longer sit still. They become restless, if there is only short calm. Give the brain a little idle? Just don’t! Popular science has found the name Border-Collie syndrome for this increasing fidget philipization.

The Border Collie syndrome actually stands for the striking dog of the same name. This arises when the energetic herding dogs are not physically and mentally utilized. In terms of people who have to be constantly busy in order to feel good. This is not a medical diagnosis, but a catchy picture. The star asked the psychological psychotherapist Jürgen Tripp where this spreading restlessness comes from and what can be countered.

Tripp says that through our modern environment we are used to a very high level of stimulation. While you used to be just standing at the bus stop, the grip on the smartphone is now easy. “You always have the distraction at hand,” explains the therapist. In addition, there is the associated accessibility of social media, which is aimed at repeatedly moving users into social interactions and also using addiction mechanisms in the brain. “The constant stimulation ensures that people train themselves, to endure nothing and to endure boredom,” says Tripp. If you then fall back on yourself and your own thoughts, this could not only be unusual, but even overwhelming.

As a therapist, he more often encounters the phenomenon that patients cannot endure calm and then try to compensate for this with a high degree of activity or constant distraction. However, one must always see in individual cases and in the context of the respective diagnosis what functionality this behavior has. Whether, for example, depression, post -traumatic stress disorder or an attention deficit disorder is the cause.

But not for everyone who snaps and believes the term border collie syndrome and believes to recognize himself in there is a deeper psychological problem behind it. “Here I find it important to depress and not take a fashion concept too important,” warns Tripp. Because man is not the same. While some of the eternal rumwusele, they actually needed breaks, there are also those that even generated energy from the many input.

There are many motifs for people through every free minute of their day, there are many – from their own (perfectionist) claim to comparison with others. But how do you notice whether you are just very active or are you restless?

It is important that you check yourself from time to time and try out how it is when you deliberately let the cell phone in your pocket, says Tripp. “Can I deal with the calm or not? Maybe she even overwhelms me?” If it is difficult to withdraw, this could be a signal that you should question your habits.

It is healthy to let the thoughts wander and accept silence. Classic meditation and relaxation techniques could help to address the attention inwards and to regulate the level of arousal. Do not help such exercises and you are permanently bad, the conversation with a therapist is recommended.