EMOTION THESAURUS

ANXIETY



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HELPFUL TIP:

The inner landscape of your characters (especially your protagonist) is the lifeblood that runs through your story. Emotions, and how they're expressed, are tied deeply to a character’s personality and which positive traits and negative traits will manifest. To bring your readers in deeper through shared experience, consider filtering the setting descriptions through your character’s emotions while also exploring important colors, textures, and shapes through his or her senses.
DEFINITION:
Mental apprehension and unease; a sense of foreboding

PHYSICAL SIGNALS AND BEHAVIORS:
Rubbing the back of the neck
Crossing the arms, forming a barrier to others
Standing with one arm holding the other at the elbow
Clutching a purse, coat, or other object
Wringing one's hands
Twisting a watch or ring
Scratching
Hands repeatedly rising to touch one's face
Fingering a necklace
Rolling one's shoulders
Bouncing a foot
Glancing at the clock, phone, or doorway
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INTERNAL SENSATIONS:
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MENTAL RESPONSES:
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CUES OF ACUTE OR LONG TERM ANXIETY:
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MAY ESCALATE TO:
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CUES OF SUPPRESSED ANXIETY:
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MAY DE-ESCALATE TO:
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ASSOCIATED POWER VERBS:
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