Tightly wound

If someone is “tightly wound”, they are stressed out and may overreact very easily. They may be very tense, anxious and highly reactive. It is difficult for someone who is tightly wound to relax.
* Tad = a little

1.  If you are tightly wound because of prolonged periods of stress (especially at work) it’s easy to get frustrated about small things that ordinarily don’t irritate you or even explode.

2. If you are burning the candle at both ends and not getting enough sleep for days on end, you will probably be tightly wound and moody (easily irritated).

3. Someone who is tightly wound may get offended easily, especially when people don’t treat them the way they expect. Are you defensive, just waiting to put someone in their place if they are rude to you?


4.  Listening to relaxing music could definitely help you if you are tightly wound. Sometimes we just need to take time out to de-stress and unwind.

5. Drug addicts many times are visibly tightly wound. They look anxious, nervous and jittery, especially when they are going through withdrawal symptoms (At least I’ve seen it on TV).

6. After any terrorist attack, the population of the city where it occurred will be on edge and tightly wound. They will be alert and suspicious of anything or anyone who they think looks unusual. Being tightly wound may cause people to jump to conclusions and judge others incorrectly, especially based on ethnicity.