5 Signs of High-Functioning Anxiety
You’re often the hardest worker in the room. You’re usually the first person to arrive at work in the morning and one of the last people to leave at the end of the day. Most days, you work through lunch or just eat at your desk. You’re constantly monitoring your inbox and chat messages, even at night and during weekends. You try to stay on top of everything.
If your friends, family, and co-workers could describe you, they would use words like hardworking, organized, detail-oriented, and an overachiever. You’re proud to be all of these things, mainly because that means only you can see the internal battle you’re having. You’re not quite sure what’s going on, but you feel on edge, nervous, and anxious most days.
These are 5 signs of high-functioning anxiety.
1. You have a hard time relaxing.
You’re constantly moving a thousand miles a minute. You prefer it that way. You tend to have difficulty relaxing because when you slow down your body and mind, those negative thoughts, worries, and emotions start to creep in. It can be a lot harder for someone with high-functioning anxiety to actually slow down, take time for themself, and relax.
2. You set high goals for yourself.
High-functioning anxiety can cause individuals to set high goals for themselves, sometimes even swaying towards the unrealistic side. After hitting a goal, a new goal will be set immediately after. Setting a high, unrealistic, and unattainable goal for someone with high-functioning anxiety can harm their overall health and wellness. This can lead to feeling unsatisfied and unfulfilled in their daily life.
3. You have a hard time saying “No.”
Fear of failure is common among people with high-functioning anxiety as well. Due to this, someone may feel like they’ll be judged or even fired if they don’t take on more work or projects, especially when asked. Even if they’re drowning in work, they’ll have difficulty saying “no.” This choice can lead them to further exhaustion, and it can also affect their personal life. They may feel forced to stay late at the office or may even get involved in relationships they know aren’t necessarily good for them because they’re afraid to say “no.”
4. Your sleep schedule is out of wack.
Since relaxing tends to be hard for individuals with high-functioning anxiety, it’s no wonder that sleep would also be difficult. People with high-functioning anxiety typically will prioritize their work over their sleep. Even if they’re exhausted, burnt out, or run down, they’ll have a hard time calming down and sleeping. They may even feel the need to stay up and continue working, even if they know it’s time to get the rest and recovery their body and mind need to function the next day. If they can sleep, they’ll usually wake up early to get a head start on their day.
5. You’re constantly overthinking.
Individuals with high-functioning anxiety tend to be perfectionists. They often overthink or redo a simple project or task to guarantee it’s done in the best possible way. Overthinking is a good thing when it comes to some projects, but when this attention to detail to use in every single project or task in their life, it can actually impede their work and progress. Overthinking can lead to a spiral of negative events like further dismissing their sleep or turning in assignments later than the due date.
Next Steps
There is absolutely nothing wrong with having anxiety from time to time. Anyone can experience anxiety, just like being happy, sad, jealous, or angry. It’s a common emotion that can happen to anyone. That being said, if the anxiety that you’re facing is starting to impact your daily routine, it may be time to reach out for additional support.
Usually, people struggling with high-functioning anxiety throw themselves into their work or house projects to stay busy and distract themselves from their internal feelings. When this happens, instead of trying to get to the bottom of the anxiety and figure out a way to help or prevent it in the future, you’re just pushing it down deep inside of yourself. If anxiety is left untreated, the symptoms could worsen over time.
You’re not alone if you’re experiencing some signs of high-functioning anxiety. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to reach out for the help you deserve.
Kamini Wood, a certified professional coach, helps people take the courageous steps to identify their limiting beliefs, the reasons for their stagnation or feelings of not enoughness, so they can have what they want professionally and personally to live a fulfilled life.
She is the creator of AuthenticMe® and CEO of Live Joy Your Way, a coaching company helping high performers and overachievers who have seen success through old-rooted, traditional metrics, reestablish their relational self-awareness. Her best-selling book is Om: Life’s Gentle Reminders . For more information visit www.kaminiwood.com.
