Bilateral eye rubbing virtually always is a signal of a disparity - disparity between what is known in the intellectual brain versus what the emotional brain is trying to come to terms with. In his appearance recently on The Graham Norton Show, Tom Hanks displayed a fantastic example of this nonverbal emotional dissonance.
When describing the thought process for origin of Forrest Gump's voice, Hanks recalls the director, Robert Zemeckis, initially wanting Michael Connor Humphreys (the boy who played the young Forrest) to alter the idiosyncrasies of his voice. It was Tom Hanks' idea however, that he should change his to match voice of Humphreys. This brilliant moment of insight gave the film one of its many endearing qualities. And it's in Hanks' recounting of these events, when he illustrates another emotional component often seen with the bilateral eye rub - that of suppressing frustration and suppressing impatience. (1:16 - 1:17).
See also:
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3378: Ben Carson Likens Some Syrian Refugees to "Rabid Dogs" - Body Language Tells
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2163: Beirut, Lebanon Car Bomb Video - What is often Confused for Body Language
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3149: Edward Snowden on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Government Surveillance (HBO) - Body Language
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2746: John Kerry and Hugh Robertson - Eye Rub, Mouth Covering
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 3077: Barack Obama, The 2015 State of the Union Address Part II & What John Boehner Doesn't Believe - Body Language Tells
Nonverbal Communication Analysis No. 2944: Derek Jeter Answers Reporter's Cell Phone - Body Language Tells
_____________________________________________________________________________________