Who do you spend the most amount of time with throughout the whole day? It’s probably not a human being, but an electronic device - it’s the mobile phone. It’s only fitting that the mobile phone knows you the best and can tell a lot about you, or the state of your mind.Whether it’s your weekend roster or your choice of news updates - your phone knows it all! Along with all those little things, your phone possibly knows certain habits that could signify that you’re grappling with anxiety. Tasha Bailey, a psychotherapist in London and author of “Real Talk: Lessons From Therapy on Healing & Self-Love" told HuffPost, “When we’re anxious, our body goes into fight or flight, and a lot of the time, because we’re so attached to our phones ... that’s one of the first places where that fight or flight response shows up.”Below are some phone habits that may be a sign something deeper is going on.Doomscrolling:Doomscrolling is spending too much time reading negative news or consuming social media content. It can also refer to aimlessly scrolling through apps or social media.Most people are pretty familiar with the particular term which summarizes continuously scrolling and clicking to learn more and more about disturbing news or worrisome topics. Unsurprisingly, this could be a sign you’re feeling anxious.As per Carrie Howard, a Texas-based licensed clinical social worker and anxiety coach who provides services to clients worldwide, “In [doomscrolling], we’re trying to find some certainty, we’re trying to find answers, but by doing all that doomscrolling, we only make our anxiety worse.”When you scroll and scroll and scroll, anxiety-inducing thoughts can flood your mind and make it hard to think of anything else.But it’s just not about doomscrolling!As per Howard, scrolling seemingly “good” content like light-hearted posts or funny reels could be a sign of anxiety, too. Many people use this as a distraction method, you’re shifting your attention to your phone, which allows you to avoid what’s going on in your life, whether it’s a stressful work situation or a fight with a friend.Doom-searching:"Doom-searching" on social media refers to the act of intentionally seeking out negative news or content on platforms like Twitter or Facebook, often by actively searching for specific keywords related to crisis, tragedy, or other upsetting topics, essentially "doomscrolling" by actively looking for distressing information rather than passively encountering it while scrolling through your feed.As per Bailey, when we’re anxious, we often are hypervigilant and overthink things, which “can show up [in our] Google searches; we might have millions of tabs open of all the things that we’re anxious about.”Your searches can tell you a lot about what you’re worrying about — are you searching for symptoms of a sickness or looking up when you’ll feel healed after a big breakup?As Bailey said, “Our Google searches can show us how anxious we are and the intrusive thoughts that we might be carrying. We’re looking for some kind of validation, or some answers or guidance.”Getting away by using phones:Do you often tend to fiddle with your phone more aggressively when you want to avoid some situation or interaction? As per Howard, “I’ve had some clients that have told me especially if they’re socially anxious, they’ll actually pretend to be answering a text or a phone call as a way to avoid real-life social interactions.”Additionally, if you’re stressed about a work project, using your phone as a procrastination tool could be a red flag, too.Why? You’re “avoiding that stress and discomfort of the project that you’ve got to be facing,” Howard noted.Not putting your phone down:According to Emma Mahony, a therapist at A Better Life Therapy in Philadelphia and a mental health content creator on TikTok, the inability to detach yourself from your phone, even when you’re engrossed in some other activity, like exercising, going to bed, or in a work meeting — that can be a sign of anxiety.Moreover, it can even signify codependence. As per Mahony, “I think a lot of people are codependent when it comes to their phone, which is an unhealthy, unbalanced relationship.”As per Bailey, “If our phone was a person, we would be attached to them all day.”When people are anxious, they can become even more attached to their phones.If you’re dealing with anxiety, Howard added that you may constantly check your phone at inappropriate times, like when you’re at lunch with family or when you should be sleeping. As per Howard, “You just feel that obsessive urge to check the notifications on your phone.”Instant replies to notifications:Are you always spot-on with quick replies? As per Howard, some folks have a tendency to address notifications right away as a way to avoid anxiety. As per her, “But, the problem with that is, then you always end being on call and really struggle to have good boundaries with yourself around your phone use.”Those weak phone boundaries can lead to more anxiety — the expectation that you’ll reply to texts right away or always answer a work call can loom over you.Avoiding phone calls:It’s fairly common knowledge that, avoiding phone calls is a consequence of anxiety, and jokes are often made about younger generations’ dislike of the same. The youth these days rely more on texting, messaging apps, and voice notes to stay in touch with friends.However, according to Howard, phone call avoidance can be a sign of anxiety, too. As per her, “We’re kind of losing the art of social skills in some ways, and so when we feel less secure about our ability to engage with others, we tend to kind of hide behind our phone, or we don’t want to make a call that feels intimidating to us or answer a call as well.”Panic-stricken without the phone:Do you feel like all hell is breaking loose when your phone suddenly starts malfunctioning? As per Mahony, feeling nervous or panicked when your phone is not working, could be an indicative red flag.According to her, “I know that some people need to have their phone on them for safety, but when it’s just the withdrawal of not being able to text your friends or see what’s going on Instagram, I feel like that’s something really important to look into as well.”You should be able to be alone for some time without messages or calls. A constant need to be in contact with others can be problematic.What’s the remedy?It’s not shameful to be overly attached to your phone. Nor the acceptance of having anxiety.As per Mahony, “It’s not crazy ... they are essentially designed to keep you attached to them. And I feel like ... I can’t even really think of anything I spend more time with than my phone.” According to her, it’s important to have grace for yourself if your phone use does feel unhealthy or as a way that your anxiety is manifesting.Mahony said, “You need to have an honest conversation of how can I create a little bit of distance and connect back to myself?”To limit your phone usage, you can try a mindfulness trick.If you think your phone is fueling your anxiety, you can try to create a physical barrier between you and your phone.As per Mahony, “It’s very hard to text and to search things when there’s a rubber band around your phone. So, it kind of creates that mindfulness.” She mentioned, “I feel like a lot of people don’t even realize that they just pick up their phone and open an app, or just open their phone automatically because we’re so used to it,” adding that this creates alertness in our brain and reminds us that we are going on our phone.Moreover, you can establish clear phone boundaries, as those aren’t just for other people, they can be for your phone use, too.As per Bailey’s recommendation, setting time limits for certain apps or creating strict boundaries around your phone use after work hours. This could include not having work emails on your phone or silencing your notifications after a specific time.Mahony added that you could even just turn your phone off for an hour each day to give yourself some space, saying, “I’ll tell people that I’m going to turn my phone off, so if you need me, I’ll be able to respond in an hour and that’s setting expectations for yourself and for other people.”This could also include putting your phone upstairs after dinner or leaving it in your bag when you’re at the office. There is no right way to set phone boundaries, as long as it motivates you towards a healthier relationship between you and your phone. And it’s important to take care of yourself and your anxiety overall.Additionally, you can seek external support as well. You can find a mental health professional who is trained to support people with anxiety.