Why do I clench my jaw when anxious?
When you are anxious, your body switches into alert mode and braces its muscles, and biting down is part of that brace. Clenching can bring jaw pain, sore teeth, and temple headaches.
Try the practice nowWhat happens in your jaw
In alert mode your body braces to face a threat, and biting down is part of it. Your chewing muscles are some of the strongest in the body, so when they tighten, they press your teeth together with real force.
Many people clench during the day without noticing, often while concentrating or worrying. You can also grind your teeth at night in your sleep.
Where it hurts
Clenching and grinding can bring a sore jaw on waking, pain in front of your ears, and clicking in your jaw joint. It can also cause headaches at your temples and pain that feels like an earache.
Clenching your jaw often comes with a tight neck and shoulders. Over time, grinding can leave your teeth worn, cracked, or sensitive.
Jaw clenching from anxiety is not dangerous, and it eases as your alert state settles.
Why it keeps coming back
After weeks of anxiety, your body can stop switching between rest mode and alert mode and stay in alert mode. Because your body holds that state, clenching can show up on days you do not feel anxious.
This state is trainable with daily practice.
Try the I Am Willing practice
- Sit or lie down, close your eyes or soften your gaze, and feel the weight of your body.
- Scan down from the top of your head: forehead, eyes, jaw, neck, shoulders, chest, and belly, looking for tightness without trying to fix it.
- Rest your attention on a tight spot and say, silently or out loud: I am willing to be with this exactly as it is.
- Stay with the spot for a moment: the tension might soften or get stronger, and both are normal.
When to check with a doctor
- You have jaw pain that comes with chest pain, arm pain, sweating, or breathlessness (call emergency services).
- Your jaw aches when you walk fast or climb stairs and eases when you rest.
- Your jaw locks, or you cannot open or close your mouth fully (get seen the same day).
- You have swelling in your face or jaw, a fever, or a painful tooth (see a dentist or doctor the same day; go to the emergency room if it is hard to breathe, swallow or open your mouth, or your eye is swollen).
- You are over 50 and have pain when chewing with a headache or a tender scalp (get seen the same day).
- Your teeth are worn, cracked or sensitive, or someone hears you grinding at night.
- The jaw pain has lasted more than a few weeks.
Practice with the Stateshift app
Common questions
How do I know if I am clenching during the day?
The resting position for your jaw is lips together, teeth slightly apart, and your tongue resting on the roof of your mouth. Teeth that touch for long stretches are a sign of clenching. You can check in with your mouth when you are concentrating and let your teeth part slightly.
What makes night teeth grinding worse?
Caffeine, alcohol, and smoking can all make night grinding worse. If you grind at night, a dentist can also fit a mouth guard to protect your teeth.