-You've got it all together on the outside but are worried and fearful on the inside-
Understanding High-Functioning Anxiety
High-functioning anxiety is a term that has caught on in recent years to describe individuals who are able to maintain their day-to-day responsibilities despite experiencing significant anxiety. This form of anxiety does not necessarily cripple one's ability to function, but it does create real distress beneath the surface.
5 signs of high-functioning anxiety
Traditionally, anxiety is often spoken about in terms of people shutting down emotionally, panicking, going inside themselves, overthinking, over-analysing. Think about how someone extremely anxious might arrive into a room. They are hunched over, arms crossed, unconfident, wanting to hide, avoiding eye contact.
Now imagine someone who identifies with the internal experience described above but walks into a room and is energetic, they run meetings, lead teams, initiate social events, they stand tall, move confidentially and engage with the world around them. High functioning anxiety often masquerades as ambition, perfectionism, or high energy. Those grappling with it may appear successful and collected to outsiders, often functioning well in high-pressure environments. However they also find themselves:
1. Overthinking and constant worrying
2. Needing reassurance from others or repeated evidence to themselves
3. Procrastinating followed by bursts of over-preparation
4. Following rigid routines or rituals
5. Experiencing physical symptoms like insomnia, rapid heartbeat, or gastrointestinal issues
The Dual-Edge Sword of High-Functioning Anxiety
High-functioning anxiety can offer some advantages, particularly in professional environments. Being extremely organised, detail-oriented, and proactive in anticipating problems can be useful and these traits can be incredibly beneficial, leading to recognition, career advancement, and the esteem of peers. Maybe you feel like high functioning anxiety has served you well to some extent? Yet, what serves you in professional arenas can become overwhelming in personal contexts. The constant internal pressure to meet exceedingly high standards can lead to exhaustion and burnout. According to 2017 research published in the journal of occupational health psychology, individuals with perfectionistic tendencies (see my other blog on perfectionism for more on this) linked to high-functioning anxiety are more prone to burnout.
Creating change
I am a firm believer that before revision comes recognition. You first need to be aware of how you function and what gets ion the way of living the life you want to. Living with high-functioning anxiety can be challenging, but therapy can help transform your understanding and management of this internal struggle. Therapy provides a space to explore the roots of anxiety, understand its triggers, and develop healthier coping mechanisms. Skills learned in therapy can help lessen the burden of overthinking, managing perfectionism, and alleviating the physical symptoms of anxiety.
Next steps
If you recognise yourself in the traits of high-functioning anxiety, it’s important to acknowledge both the strengths and limitations it brings into your life. I would be happy to have a short conversation to think through how I can support you with this, you can message me here.
