Going Through Your Day Becomes Tiresome
Trying to go the extra mile can make your life tantalizing and hectic. Victims of high-functioning anxiety are usually excellent task organizers and planners. Due to performance anxiety, you are likely to suffer from fatigue. Thus, you are likely to exhibit avoidance behavior. This avoidance behavior will highly increase your anxiety levels over time.
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Chapter : What Does Having High
Anxiety disorder can manifest in some apparent ways amongst sufferers of this condition. However, high-functioning anxiety isnt a clinical diagnosis. So you might be thinking about whether you are suffering from this condition. Well, your concern is impossible to address as a single-liner.
Instead, there is a need to have more elaborate descriptions of experiences of whether a person is suffering from high-functioning anxiety. Below are some scientific-based facts on what the condition feels like. If the below signs sound more of a reality to you, you are probably suffering from this condition.
Prioritize Rest After All Your Overstimulated Hsp Mind Needs It
Over the years, Ive come to realize that, as an HSP, I need more sleep than others in order to feel refreshed. This is probably somewhat due to the fact that HSPs are so overstimulated all day long. When anxiety brought on fitful slumber and erratic sleeping patterns, I would spend my days in a sluggish brain fog.
After a few years of this, my inconsistent sleep patterns began to cause week-long migraines and I was forced to prioritize my sleep. These days, 8-9 hours of sleep per night is nonnegotiable. Plus, having sleep issues is common among those with anxiety, so adjusting your sleep patterns is important in order to lessen your anxiety.
With consistent effort to bring more balance into my life, Ive been able to manage my anxiety and live in tune with my high sensitivity. And you can, too.
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Have A Support System In Place
One of my biggest concerns was telling my peers, colleagues, and friends about my anxiety. I feared that they wouldnt believe me because I was always smiling and was always putting on a good front. Having a support system in place when your anxiety becomes too overwhelming can help. It gives you a safety net that you can fall back on when your anxiety causes you to feel discomfort.
Talking to people you trust can help you understand your struggle and how to work through it.
Get Help
- Mindfulness
- Medications
It is important to seek therapy when youre unable to control your anxiety. Untreated anxiety disorders can become life-threatening and can cause substance abuse and addiction problems in the future. If you need professional counseling, you can write to us at or visit our services page to connect with licensed counselors.
High-functioning anxiety might be a little difficult to break but you need to focus on the positive signs of high-functioning anxiety than the negative ones. Let go of the characteristics that are hurting your mental peace and health.
Having anxiety is normal and okay but letting your anxiety control your actions isnt. So when its time to let go do.
Man is not worried by real problems so much as by his imagined anxieties about real problems Epictetus
Have A Mantra And Use It Every Day
I have learned how to talk back to my fear. When that not-so-little voice inside starts to tell me that Im not good enough or that I need to push myself even harder, I have developed a few phrases to say back to it:
Who I am right now is good enough for me.
I am doing my best.
I am not perfect and I love myself for who I am.
I deserve to take good care of myself.
This tool is especially helpful when it comes to dealing with a challenging symptom of high-functioning anxiety: perfectionism. Having a mantra is empowering, and it gives me an opportunity to practice self-care and to cope with anxiety at the same time. I remember that I have a voice and that what I need is important, especially when it comes to my mental health.
When I start to obsess and check back and forth, back and forth, I stop. I make myselfwalk away from whatever is causing my anxiety to rise.
Anxiety feeds off of anxiety, like a giant snowball rolling downhill. Once you have identified your symptoms, you can learn how to intervene when they appear, and step out of the way before you get rolled over.
I find it difficult to make decisions, whether theyre about designing a brochure or picking out a brand of dishwasher detergent. When I start to obsess and check back and forth, back and forth, I stop. I make myself walk away from whatever is causing my anxiety to rise.
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Chapter : What Exactly Is High
High-functioning anxiety isnt a definite medical diagnosis, according to previous studies by health experts. Instead, the condition covers extensive experiences from people suffering from this condition. Research into this condition is currently ongoing. Today, health experts have a better understanding of the condition.
The condition has similar symptoms to specific anxiety disorders. Individuals suffering from high-functioning anxiety exhibit signs and symptoms that usually resemble those of other anxiety disorders. Luckily, victims of the conditions can easily manage their symptoms.
Victims of high-functioning anxiety are also able to perform their everyday duties. Thus, it means the condition can remain hidden in a person suffering from it. But there is a distinct difference between high-functioning anxiety and anxiety.
Symptoms Of High Functioning Anxiety
The symptoms of high functioning anxiety include an array of mental, physical, and emotional effects that influence a persons thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Because there are so many symptoms of anxiety disorders, no two people will have the same experience.
Some of the most common physical symptoms of high functioning anxiety include:4
- Being overly fatigued and easily tired
- Physical tension with tight muscles
- Problems with falling asleep or staying asleep
- Changes in heart rate with palpitations, pounding heartbeat, and quicker pulse
- Increased sweating
- Feeling shaky
- An inability to sit still or appearing fidgety
In addition to the physical signs and symptoms of high functioning anxiety, there are several emotional symptoms like:4
- Excessive anxiety or worry
- Feeling out of control or that something terrible is about to happen
- Issues concentrating or remembering
- Intense fear connected to certain people, places, or things
These symptoms are common in anxiety disorders, but those with high functioning anxiety may not exhibit the symptoms with the same frequency or intensity as others. Some people with high functioning anxiety will have an actual mental health diagnosis, while others will not have symptoms that meet the criteria for a disorder.
Often, outsiders cannot see the physical or emotional symptoms of high functioning anxiety when they are present. Those interested in identifying the high functioning anxiety of others could note behavioral symptoms, including:
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High Functioning Anxiety Leads To Burnout
Burnout is a significant issue as we all feel the social, technological, and economic pressure that causes overwork and exhaustion. Sometimes individual psychological patterns play a role, too.
People with high functioning anxiety can appear hardworking, helpful, and organized, but on the inside there is a deep fear of failure, disappointing others, and judgementand it can lead to burnout.
Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet the demands of your life.
A high functioning anxiety person arrives at burnout by :
- Rumination and excessive worrying What if thoughts can ruin attempts to relax and prevent a separation between work and home life.
- Constant need for reassurance Doubting your abilities can make it harder to feel positive, motivated and satisfied with life.
- People pleasing An inability to say no can lead to an overwhelming workload and a lack of control over your schedule.
- Perfectionism Constantly wanting to prove yourself can lead you to do more than necessaryand more than is healthy.
Are you headed for burnout? Read more here.
Practice Better Breathing Techniques
Proper breathing techniques are proven to relieve anxiety. Its easy and you can do it from any place where you are seated. You should also avoid shallow breathing as much as possible.
Proper breathing involves taking a deep breath with a focus on the airflow, holding it for a few seconds and slowly exhaling out. Repeat these steps until you feel relaxed. Deep breathing calms your mind, reduce blood pressure and helps regulate sleep. You can do this once in the morning and once in the evening to help reduce your anxiety.
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Recognise The Source Of Your Anxiety
When upsetting thoughts take over in your head, try to identify what is causing them. Are you working in an unsafe environment with toxic coworkers? Do you have worries about your personal life causing you to lose concentration at work? Discovering the cause of your anxiety is the first step in figuring out how to overcome it.
Anxiety Disorder At A Glance
People with high functioning anxiety tend to suffer intensely they also tend to suffer alone.
All this is because of the unique ways that social anxiety differs from other anxiety disorders such as:
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Clinical psychologist, explains that:
High functioning anxiety is a chronic mental health issue that affects a persons relationships, health and self-esteem.
Most people assume that those impacted by the disorder are just stressed out, or in need of a holiday, they may even suggest the person is suffering from other mental health problems when in reality they are suffering from high functioning anxiety.
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Your Personal Life Is In Chaos
Victims of high-functioning anxiety usually excel in their respective professional careers. However, they dont apply the level of excellence in their personal lives. When you have high-functioning anxiety, your loved ones become like your workmates. You tend to live a chaotic personal life, which can be messy and uncomfortable. You have no boundaries of the things to avoid in your relationships. Victims of high-functioning anxiety usually have a hard time solving their personal problems.
How Does It Link To Depression
However, there may be a potential link between high functioning anxiety and depression. The National Alliance for Mental Illness indicates that 60% of people with anxiety will also have symptoms of depression.
Furthermore, if people do not seek treatment for chronic anxiety and stress, they may be at an increased risk of depression. Only 36.9% of those with an anxiety disorder receive treatment.
People with high functioning anxiety may be less likely than others to seek treatment. Research indicates that people often only seek help when they struggle to cope with their symptoms. Those with high functioning anxiety often manage very well in some areas of their lives.
Also, individuals may only seek help when they their symptoms as being a problem. Individuals with high functioning anxiety may view some anxiety symptoms, such as perfectionism, as positive traits that help them progress and achieve.
However, chronic anxiety may adversely impact their self-esteem and mental health in other ways, contributing to depression.
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How To Manage High
Feb 19, 2021 | Anxiety |
A typical day at work can be challenging for someone with High-Functioning Anxiety. Constant worrying, an inability to focus, or the fear of failing can make it difficult to perform at your best. There are various ways to overcome these obstacles and remain a productive worker. Here are some useful tips to manage High-Functioning Anxiety at work.
You’re Not In Tune With Your Personal Life
We all love enjoying our personal space after long office hours.
But, the same cannot be said about people suffering from a high-functioning anxiety disorder.
Since they suppress their anxiety all day, their mind becomes exhausted from the emotional tension and tends to vent out the toxin.
This results in sudden fits of rage, mood swings, getting annoyed for no reason, depression, and lack of interpersonal communication.
Their family, their close ones, friends, and relatives remain bewildered as to why this person, whos so successful in their profession, tends to go haywire when engaging in their personal sphere.
Little do they know that these behaviors are but defense mechanisms to cope with the immense mental and emotional restraints they impose on their health to make things look normal at their workplace.
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Anxiety Prompts You To Have A Considerable Workload
People with high-functioning anxiety usually work for long hours. They strive to meet their deadlines. Moreover, they do extra hard work, analyze details and go ahead of their fellow workmates regarding workload. The anxiety in them pushes them to work hard. When you have high-functioning anxiety, your inner insecurities and complexities may push you to go the extra mile for fear of lagging behind your workmates.
How To Get Help For High Functioning Anxiety
As long as a person is ready and willing to admit the need for treatment, accessing quality care for anxiety is a simple process. A quick phone call, a stop in the doctors office, or a few minutes of searching online is all it takes to find a treatment team ready to start the process of anxiety recovery.
To get help for high functioning anxiety, consider:
- Contacting a friend or loved one with mental health experience for a recommendation
- Consulting with your PCP
- Browsing around online for options
Be sure to ask what the average waiting time is for a therapist and if medication management options are available as well.
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Accept That You Dont Have To Be Perfect
Oftentimes, people who have high-functioning anxiety also have a streak of perfectionism. On the one hand, this helps motivate them to strive to be their best. Yet, on the other hand, it also creates a fear of failure and being judged.
Does this sound like you?
Even though you are managing your high-functioning anxiety, the reality may be that you feel you are just one step away from slipping up. A better way of living with anxiety, instead, is to accept and be OK with not being perfect. That may sound like a very big thing to ask, but it doesnt have to be.
You can use some reassuring thoughts to help you, such as:
- Everyone makes mistakes
- I am a good person
- Its OK to make a mistake
- I am not a failure