AGITATION DEFINITION: Feeling upset or disturbed; a state of unrest PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS: A reddening of the face A sheen of sweat on the cheeks, chin, and forehead Flexing one’s fingers repeatedly Rubbing the back of the neck Patting pockets or digging in a purse, looking for something lost Clumsiness due to rushing (knocking things over, bumping tables, etc.) A gaze that bounces from place to place An inability to stay still Jamming or cramming things away without care Abrupt movement (e.g., causing a chair to tip or scuff the floor loudly) Flapping one’s hands or displaying jerky movements Becoming accident prone (e.g., bashing one’s hip on a desk corner) Dragging the hands through the hair repeatedly Forgetting words; being unable to articulate one’s thoughts Backtracking to try and undo something said in haste Adjusting one’s clothing Avoiding eye contact Speaking in a wavering voice or talking roughly Not knowing where to look or go Guarding one’s personal space—e.g., crossing the arms to block contact Taking too long to answer a question or respond Throat-clearing Overusingums,ahs, and other verbal hesitations Turning away from others A bobbing Adam’s apple Pacing Making odd noises in the throat Rapid lip movement as one tries to find the right thing to say Flinching if touched Feet that shift and move when one is standing or sitting Minimizing another’s compliments and refusing to be placated Fanning oneself or unbuttoning a top shirt button Tugging at a tie, collar, or scarf as clothing begins to feel restrictive Rolling one’s eyes when the person isn’t looking INTERNAL SENSATIONS: Excessive saliva Feeling overheated Stiffening hair on the nape Light-headedness Short, fast breaths due to a tightness in the chest Sweating Tingling skin as sweat forms A jittery feeling in one’s belly MENTAL RESPONSES: Mounting frustration that causes thoughts to blank Compounding mistakes due to rushing A tendency to lie to cover up or excuse one’s behavior and overreactions Anger at oneself for freezing up (negative self-talk) Trying to pinpoint the source of discomfort Mentally ordering oneself to calm down and relax ACUTE OR LONG-TERM RESPONSES FOR THIS EMOTION: Flight responses (looking for an escape route or fleeing the room) Snapping at others Adopting a defensive tone Not caring about damage (e.g., scattering papers and files during a frantic search) Being on edge due to the constant agitation SIGNS THAT THIS EMOTION IS BEING SUPPRESSED: Changing the subject Making excuses Joking to lighten the mood Staying busy with tasks to avoid dealing with the source of the emotion Shifting attention to others and putting them in the spotlight Responding minimally when the subject comes up or the person makes an appearance MAY ESCALATE TO:Flustered,Frustration,Anxiety,Anger MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:Admiration,Defensiveness,Resignation,Regret,Unease ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS: Annoy, berate, bother, bristle chafe, cram, curse, disturb erode, faze, fester, flush flutter, frustrate, fume, grate incite, irritate, jam, jerk offend, rankle, rattle, rile ruffle, shake, stew, tap toss, twitch, undercut, vex wince WRITER’S TIP:A ticking clock can ramp up the emotions in any scene. As the character hurries to complete a task or meet a need, mistakes caused by rushing might open the door for a richer emotional ride.