Neuroticism: Definition, signs, causes, and how to manage it

Reviewed by Robert Bogenberger, PhD

Written by

therapist.com team

Last updated: 12/05/2025

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What is neuroticism?

Neuroticism is a personality trait that increases your tendency to feel negative emotions, especially when something feels threatening or frustrating.¹ It’s one of the “Big Five” personality traits alongside openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness.²

This personality trait involves specific thinking patterns that stay relatively stable over time and affect how you handle daily life.³ While experiencing negative thoughts and emotions from time to time is normal, people with higher neuroticism tend to feel these emotions more intensely (and more often) than others.

Signs of neuroticism

Neuroticism sits on a spectrum. Your level of the trait, often described as “low” or “high,” influences how you handle stress and difficult emotions.

The trait shows up differently for everyone, but there are some common patterns seen in high neuroticism to look for:⁴

• Worry and anxiety about what might happen
• Sensitivity to criticism from others
• Strong reactions to everyday stress
• Self-consciousness in social situations
• Small problems feeling bigger than they are
• Quick mood changes throughout the day

Low neuroticism, on the other hand, might make it easier to:

• Stay calm under pressure
• Bounce back from setbacks quickly
• Maintain a stable mood most of the time
• Recover faster from disappointments

If you’re struggling with high neuroticism and it’s affecting your daily life, consider reaching out to a mental health professional. They can help you develop coping strategies that work for your specific situation.

Causes of neuroticism

Neuroticism develops from a variety of factors, with genetics being a major contributor.

Genetics: Twin and family studies show that neuroticism is a heritable trait; it’s estimated that genetics account for about 48% of how neuroticism presents.⁵ This means that if a person’s family tends to show certain high-neuroticism traits, it increases the likelihood they will have the same ones.

Early life experiences: Childhood abuse, including emotional abuse and neglect, can increase the likelihood of developing neuroticism.⁶

Brain differences: People with high neuroticism tend to have weaker functional connections between the amygdala (the brain’s alarm system) and parts of the prefrontal cortex (which helps regulate emotions).⁷

How neuroticism affects mental health and well-being

Higher neuroticism can change how you think and feel on a daily basis. It’s associated with a “negative bias” in attention, meaning you might focus more on what’s going wrong rather than what’s going right.⁸

People who score high on neuroticism are at a much greater risk for developing anxiety, mood disorders, and substance abuse disorders.⁹ This doesn’t mean everyone with high neuroticism will develop these conditions, but their vulnerability is higher.

Impact on daily life

Neuroticism can make everyday stressors feel incredibly challenging or even impossible to tackle.

Work: People with high neuroticism often struggle in the workplace due to being distracted by emotions or feeling exhausted.¹⁰

School: One study of medical students found that those with high neuroticism were at an increased risk for psychological distress and burnout when they faced increased academic stress.¹¹

Relationships: Married people with higher levels of neuroticism tend to report feeling less satisfied with the relationships they have with their spouses and report more frequent negative interactions with them.¹²

Physical fitness: Research shows a negative association between physical activity and neuroticism.¹³ This suggests a potential a cycle where less exercise leads to worse mood, which makes it even harder to get moving.

Overall physical health: People with higher neuroticism have higher odds of also experiencing certain health problems.¹⁴ Specific health problems associated with neuroticism include:

• Diabetes (3 times higher odds)
• Kidney/liver disease (2.5 times higher risk)
• Stomach problems (2.3 times more likely)

Daily coping: High-neuroticism individuals report more interpersonal stressors and use less-adaptive coping strategies like hostile reactions.¹⁵ This means you might:

• Have more conflicts with friends, family, or coworkers
• React with anger or hostility when stressed
• Feel more distressed even when using coping strategies
• View daily events more negatively than others would

How to manage neuroticism

The good news is that neuroticism doesn’t have to control your life. There are proven ways to manage these traits and feel better. Neuroticism treatment options include the following:

Psychotherapy: Professional help can make a real difference. The Unified Protocol is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) that has been shown to be an effective treatment for managing neuroticism and other emotional problems.¹⁶ This type of therapy helps you learn better ways to handle and express your emotions.

Educational and wellness programs: Programs that teach emotional skills in schools and communities can help reduce expressions of neuroticism and lessen the impact it has on relationships. These programs teach emotional regulation skills that can last a lifetime.

Pharmacotherapy: Neuroticism is responsive to medication and can effectively lower levels of the personality trait.¹⁷ If you’re struggling, this might be an option to discuss with a doctor.

Self-help and lifestyle strategies

You don’t have to wait for professional help to start feeling better. Here are a few simple but effective strategies you can use right now:

Mindfulness techniques can help you stay grounded when neurotic thoughts pop up, teaching you to notice your emotions without letting them take over.¹⁸ Mindfulness meditation can be as simple as starting with five minutes a day focusing on your breath.

Progressive muscle relaxation can help ease the physical tension that accompanies intense emotions. The technique involves tensing and releasing each muscle group, beginning with your toes and moving up, helping you get better at spotting and letting go of stress in your body.

Gratitude journaling can shift your focus from worries to good stuff in your life. Begin by jotting down three things you’re grateful for every day, even if they’re tiny. This helps retrain your brain to notice positive things.

Remember, managing this trait is a process, not a quick fix. Be patient with yourself as you try different strategies. What works for one person might not work for another, so it’s okay to experiment and find what helps you feel better.

When to seek professional help

While self-help strategies can be very effective, sometimes you need extra support. Remember that there’s no marker you need to reach to justify involving a professional.

You might benefit from reaching out to a mental health professional if:

• Your neuroticism is significantly affecting your work, relationships, or daily life
• You’re experiencing symptoms of anxiety, mood disorders, or substance abuse
• Self-help techniques aren’t providing relief
• You’re having thoughts of self-harm

A therapist can help you develop personalized coping strategies and provide additional treatment options that work best for your specific situation. Visit our directory to find a therapist online or near you.