You may think that people with anxiety are constantly nervous, always restless, and worry too much. But what about people who are high achievers, successful, and do everything right? Are they always relaxed? We live in a world where “hustle culture” is encouraged. High achievements, success, and perfectionism are often highly valued, making it challenging to prioritize self-care and rest. It instills the feeling of falling behind in the competition and losing the competition.
The criticism, overthinking, and constant stress are reasons for perfectionism, productivity, and the success of people with high-functioning anxiety. If this sounds like you, keep reading to understand high-functioning anxiety, its symptoms, and how to deal with it.
What Is High-Functioning Anxiety?
High-functioning anxiety is not an official medical term. Therefore, you will not find it in medical books, but it has somehow made its way into our mental health vocabulary. You may be feeling dread or fear in certain situations, or you may overreact at times. Your heart starts pounding, and you break into a sweat. However, despite the anxiety you are feeling internally, you can function at stunning levels both personally and professionally.
You may be achieving a lot and doing everything to the best of your ability in life. Still, beneath those achievements, one can sense a great deal of worry and stress. It is what makes it different from General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). In GAD, your fight-or-flight response becomes active. You would want to avoid situations that cause you anxiety. However, in high-functioning anxiety, the fight response becomes more active, and one tends to work hard to combat the anxiety.
Signs Of High-Functioning Anxiety
To identify high-functioning anxiety, one must understand its signs. The following are the signs that people with high-functioning anxiety may experience:
- Fear of Criticism: People with high-functioning anxiety may start to fear negative feedback from people. Even the slightest criticism may make you feel that you have flaws in your personality and work.
- Perfectionism: People who suffer from high-functioning anxiety set high standards for themselves that they are unable to achieve. They are extremely unsatisfied with the quality of their work. Additionally, they lose sleep due to the smallest error in a document or a minor mistake.
- Overthinking: They often overanalyze, overthink, and dissect every conversation, decision, or situation, leading to excessive scrutiny. Such people often overthink with "what if" scenarios, always double-guessing their decision.
- Constant Worry And Stress: People with this condition often find themselves in constant mental chatter, which can be draining and overwhelming. They live in constant stress, even when performing routine tasks. Their constant stress lies in the negative outcomes of every situation. These people may constantly worry about disastrous outcomes that are unlikely to occur.
- Imposter Syndrome: Imposter syndrome occurs when someone feels that they are not deserving of their accomplishments, despite clear evidence to the contrary. People with high-functioning may fear that their friends and family are about to find that they are not enough, their accomplishments are fake, and that they are not worthy of it.
- Difficulty Relaxing: Even after a full day of work, they feel the need to do more. They cannot fully relax, and their mind are always racing. Such people cannot sit still and enjoy leisure activities. They may also struggle to relax and fall asleep at night.
Other common signs may include migraines and headaches, muscle tension, feeling light-headed, social anxiety, or withdrawal.
Tips For Coping With High-Functioning Anxiety
There are various strategies that you can follow to manage high-functioning anxiety. If you think you have the symptoms, you can try following these tips to manage them:
- Try Daily Relaxation Techniques: Incorporate daily relaxation into your routine, just as you do your skincare routine. Whether it is a mindful breathing session or some gentle stretches, incorporating these into your routine can help alleviate the symptoms.
- Avoid Comparing Yourself to Others: Sometimes, high-functioning anxiety may stem from comparing yourself to others. Especially on social media, it may seem like everyone has figured it out, and you are lagging. It is essential to recognize that every individual's situation is unique, and their pace to achieve success varies accordingly.
- Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness means living in the present and fully enjoying the moments. It can only happen when you let go of all the worries in your head and focus on the things that are right in front of you. Forget about the past and try not to worry about the future. It can help you bring you back to the present moment.
- Seek Balance: Seeking balance is not just about balancing work and life. It's about finding a rhythmic balance between them. It's about finding the rhythms in the things that bring you enjoyment and reduce stress. You can dedicate 5-10 minutes of your day to yourself. Find new hobbies and try to set boundaries for how much you work and for how long.
- Speak About It: Sometimes speaking about the things that cause you stress or anxiety can reduce the intensity of the feeling. Talk to someone you trust, such as a friend, family member, or professional therapist. Discussing your concerns with a trusted individual can help alleviate the burden.
- Take Steps to Manage Day-to-Day Stress: Each of us encounters stress daily, but some of us can manage it more effectively. For some, even the smallest stressors can be overwhelming. When you encounter stress that seems overwhelming, try breathing exercises and meditation. It can help center your mind and provide ease.
Conclusion
High-functioning anxiety demands perfection. If you have high-functioning anxiety, you may always overthink, overanalyse, and worry about outcomes that are unlikely to happen. People suffering from this order are never truly in the present moment; they are either worrying about the past or constantly thinking about the future. To combat this condition, try daily relaxation techniques, where you clear your mind and focus solely on your breath. It will help you stay focused in the present moment. Don't compare yourself to others; seek balance and take steps to manage stress. Don't forget to be kind to yourself because change doesn't happen overnight.
