Are You Suffering from High-Functioning Anxiety? – 5 Tell-Tale Signs

Many people identify with the long list of common anxiety symptoms.

From the racing thoughts to that notorious feeling of being on-edge, modern society has normalized these symptoms.

But perhaps you’re not exactly the poster child for anxiety because you appear to have your life together. You’re organized, pay attention to detail, and can focus on several projects at once. Plus, you seem to have eight sets of arms with all that you accomplish.

And yet, something is still not settled inside of you.

Could it be that you may identify with another type of anxiety—high-functioning anxiety?

Take a look at these tell-tale signs to see if this describes you.

1. It’s All or Nothing

High-functioning anxiety seems to strike in a certain way. Typically, those suffering from it exhibit many “Type A” traits like perfectionism or needing to be in control. More often than not, the expectations and standards you have for yourself aren’t realistic.

While it’s great to shoot for the stars, you’ve more or less aligned yourself with the Hercules. Knowing you can never measure up, you drive yourself even harder.

In a way, this makes you feel like you’re striving for self-improvement or that you’re in charge of your life. You embrace routines and patterns so that you constantly feel like a wheel in forward motion. And you give 150 percent of yourself to these pursuits.

2. No Such Thing as a Free Minute

If you’re like most people suffering from high-functioning anxiety, your schedule is full. And you’re proud of the fact that you have the energy and ability to get so much done.

You claim to enjoy being busy. That you just can’t stand still and do nothing. The commander of multitasking, sitting through an entire movie without simultaneously completing a few other tasks is probably asking too much of you.

The bottom line is that being busy serves as an excellent distraction for you. Should you stop and relax, you would have to deal with your thoughts. And that’s something you certainly try to avoid by all means.

3. Unexplained Things Happening in Your Body

As with traditional anxiety, high-functioning anxiety also impacts your body in a negative way. You may experience a lingering headache or a sick feeling in your stomach that just won’t go away.

For some, high-functioning anxiety fleshes out in the form of aches and pains that can’t be explained. They just show up and don’t want to leave. And further still, insomnia might be plaguing your nights. Although you’re exhausted from the barrage of mental anguish and your jam-packed scheduled, you simply can’t sleep.

Here’s the thing about your body—it doesn’t lie. Really, your body is one of the most accurate reflections of your mental state. Listen to what it’s telling you!

4. Others Can’t Read You

It’s not uncommon for people suffering from high-functioning anxiety to appear very together on the outside. You may notice this happening when people have a hard time reading you.

For instance, you look like the epitome of calm to others. So, they assume that you are. In reality, you’re anything but calm on the inside, but people can’t accurately gauge you.

The reason for this is that you can compartmentalize your feelings to give room for logic and rational thinking. It’s not that you’re truly functioning out of logic. Rather, logic is the brilliant facade you embrace when your inside feels catastrophic.

5. This Word Isn’t In Your Vocabulary

The word rarely escaping your lips is “No.”

Because you dislike letting people down, you often say yes to anything and everything that comes your way. Whether it’s volunteering, attending a social event, or completing a work project, you tend to take on more than you can handle.

Despite being overloaded with obligation, you can’t stand the idea of disappointing anyone. So, you put your own level of exhaustion to the side and take on more responsibility.

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If you’re ready to explore high-functioning anxiety in your own life, please contact me. I would like to help you reclaim your calm so that you can live your life the best way possible.