When you need this

Restless is the opposite of flat. You have too much energy and nowhere to put it. Your legs won't stay still in the meeting. Three rainy days indoors, and you're pacing the kitchen. Or it's bigger: the same job for four years, and something in you wants a change.

English has two sets of phrases, one for each kind. The body kind is short and immediate: "I can't sit still," "I keep pacing," "I'm tossing and turning" for a restless night. The life kind is slower and more thoughtful: "I'm ready for a change," "I've been itching to travel," "I feel stuck." People use the life phrases to start big conversations, about moving, quitting, or trying something new.

"Cabin fever" and "stir-crazy" are two casual favorites. Both mean you've been inside or in one place too long. They're a little playful, so you can use them with coworkers and friends.

Phrases

your body has too much energy

you can't relax; you want to move or do something

you walk back and forth, often while waiting

you moved a lot and couldn't sleep

you've been stuck inside too long

being in one place is making you a bit wild

you need to leave and move around

you want something new in your life

you really want to take a trip

your life isn't moving forward

you can't focus on one thing or relax

you need exercise to calm down

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Practice · 3 min

Say what kind of restless you are. Situation on the left, one natural line on the right.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.