You might have high-functioning anxiety, even if you handle it well

Do you maintain a well-structured everyday lifestyle but still feel anxious? It’s a subtle feeling of thriving but still not doing too well regardless. This article might be able to guide you through this.

As our lives get busier and more unpredictable than ever, our response is to develop skills to cope with the messiness. As a result, we have become better at multitasking and performing — under pressure and anxiety.

So, even if we give the impression that we are doing well and people see an optimistic and high-functioning facade, our inside tells us differently via signals of the nervous system, or anxiety.

Unlike general anxiety or social anxiety that often impairs daily activity, high-functioning anxiety is largely understudied and misunderstood. It can pass unnoticed since people with high-functioning anxiety are pushing through symptoms and are naturals at performing and delivering.

As a qualified social psychologist, this topic spoke volumes to me personally. However, this does not replace a professional’s advice by any means, so please make sure you do reach out for a professional assessment if you are in need of therapy, support techniques, or treatment.

Reliable sources on high-functioning anxiety indicate a few signs you might have it. Keep in mind that this will show up differently in each individual and that lived experience is essential for an accurate diagnosis. Take the following as general truths, but it is understandable if your experience varies.

Outward Success, Inner Struggle

You are perceived as calm and put together, but you feel overwhelmed and stressed out.

You give in to perfectionism, setting high expectations for yourself and fearing failure.

You tend to overthink the smallest details: conversations, decisions, or upcoming events.

The constant mental noise is like running on an emotional treadmill that never turns off. You risk horrible burnout and breakdown.

If you are familiar with anxiety disorders, you have already noticed that these all sound like general anxiety signs. Remember that the only difference is that high-functioning anxiety does not show on the outside.

Behavioral Signs

You are constantly doing people pleasing, have a difficulty saying no, and fear letting others down for unjustified reasons.

You are overpreparing and spending excessive amounts of time planning things out to avoid as much uncertainty as possible.

Your moments of procrastination are followed by seemingly super productive overdrive. You are putting off tasks due to anxiety but then work fine under pressure.

You have nurtured these behavioral habits to compensate on the outside. In anxiety, there usually aren’t many carefully developed tools to help override the inside. People with anxiety just do terribly with uncertainty but lack the tools to build an overpreparation coping mechanism. People with anxiety might procrastinate but not work fine under pressure.

I mean, in that case, high-functioning gives you a silver lining, doesn’t it? On your own, you managed to treat the symptoms, not the root cause. After all, it feels like you are halfway there! That’s what I would call resourceful!

Physical and Emotional Signs

The emotional and mental symptoms are more often than not associated with physical signs.

You might experience chronic tension, such as muscle tightness, jaw clenching, or headaches. You might suffer from restlessness or insomnia due to racing thoughts. And you might mask irritability and frustration with a composed demeanor.

Tip: Physical signs can stem from other places, or emotional symptoms can be contextual or temporary. If you can track them on paper, you will have a better image of what is really going on. People often do not connect high-functioning anxiety cues when taken separately, but understanding the complex associations between signs as a whole can ring a bell.

Fear Is Motivation

You stay on top of things, not because you are confident and optimally performing, but because you are driven by fear of failure, judgment, or disappointing others.

Luckily, there is an answer to this problem. Self-compassion and mindfulness alone can reduce symptoms of high-functioning anxiety, which usually stems from an emotionally intelligent person’s past trauma.

Difficulty Relaxing

Although this one is primarily explained by worries or feelings of guilt that you are not doing enough, even in your downtime, I would add more to the story.

People with high-functioning anxiety will naturally find it extra difficult to relax from multiple perspectives. If they are highly intelligent, the unnecessary worry and self-guilt might not be present. But the difficulty to relax is.

They can have all the mental health awareness there is. At the end of the day, they keep symptoms under control, not eradicate anxiety.

Scroll down to learn about relaxation techniques that reduce stress emotionally and physically.

Tools and Exercises

Managing high-functioning anxiety can be done via self-help. You have high-functioning anxiety because you are emotionally skilled. So, I would assume you have the required awareness, consistency, and resilience to start doing the following proactive tools and exercises that help with navigating high-functioning anxiety from the bottom up.

My tip is that you approach these frequently at first. After your system slowly gets used to the new way of doing things, the exercises become normal and fully embedded in your lifestyle. You don’t have to be in crisis mode to reach out to them.

*If you have tried most recommended exercises you can find but cannot see symptom alleviation, you would likely benefit from additional support from a professional.

**Substance use, other diagnoses, and extreme short-term stress can interfere with high-functioning anxiety and slow you down.

1. Mindfulness-based meditation & relaxation techniques

Stay present, control stress levels, and reduce racing thoughts. Try writing a gratitude list to focus on the bright side of things. Here is a Mindfulness Anxiety Plan you can check out.

Journaling is another proven technique if you can sit down and identify patterns and triggers. Try this mindfulness journal for grounding and living in the present. 

Other techniques, such as deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, can help physical symptoms if there are any. Square Breathing is one of the most effective relaxation techniques.

2. Time management skills

Work on your time management skills to prioritize tasks and reduce overthinking. Setting realistic to-do lists can help prevent burnout.

3. Exercise & sleep

Doing regular exercise and keeping a good sleep hygiene are crucial for overall wellbeing. Both release endorphins, which boost mood and reduce anxiety-related stress.

Takeaway

High-functioning anxiety is when people maintain a successful appearance on the outside but struggle to cope on the inside. It does not look like a crisis because it is a quiet battle.

Although highly emotionally intelligent, people experiencing some of the signs described are not exempt from nervous system responses.

Pros: They have a lot of clever resources and emotional tools to tackle adversity. They demonstrate that on a daily basis. They are able to perform and deliver under anxious conditions. Anxiety does not take an unbearable toll on their (external) lives.

Cons: At the end of the day, it is still extremely damaging, and struggling alone can be worse than showing it. It is draining — mentally and physically.

What is your experience with high-functioning anxiety? Do you have any other tips and tricks you wanted to share down below in the comments?

If you found this useful, continue reading 10 Tips On How To Convince Someone’s Mind, According to Psychologists.