Recognizing and Managing the Effects of High Functioning Anxiety

One of my specialties in the work that I do is working with clients who live with high functioning anxiety. People often use the term “high functioning” to normalize an issue, but dismissing or minimizing your struggles doesn’t make them go away. Instead, it can be more detrimental to your health and wellbeing because it means you’re postponing the healing process.

The same can be said about high functioning anxiety. The phrase is often associated with positive attributes such as having a strong work ethic, being organized, or working well under pressure. However, while that may be true to an extent, high functioning anxiety can be hard to recognize in oneself and, in turn, can wear on your mental health.  

So What is High Functioning Anxiety?

The biggest difference between anxiety and high functioning anxiety is that high functioning anxiety does not meet the criteria for a formal or “official” anxiety disorder diagnosis. However, it’s effects can be debilitating and leave a lasting impact on those living with it just like an anxiety disorder. 

In an article on Health.com, Debra Kissen, Ph.D., co-chair of the public education committee for the Anxiety and Depression Association of America described people with high functioning anxiety as “...[people] that are near meeting the criteria for anxiety disorders, but they’re white-knuckling their way through it.”

The Good, the Bad and the Next Steps

High functioning anxiety can create a huge disconnect in one’s identity because what your life looks like on the outside may not match how you feel on the inside. In fact, some of its characteristics can actually drive success in both professional and personal settings, which makes asking for help even more of a challenge (but we’ll get into that later). Some of the positive attributes of high functioning anxiety include:

• An outgoing personality

• Being organized & detail-oriented

• Overachieving

• Being outwardly calm, worry-free or level-headed

• Having a positive attitude

While being an outgoing, organized overachiever may sound fine and dandy, it’s what others don’t see that make high functioning anxiety an exhausting issue to live with. If the condition is ignored, it can manifest into overworking, an inability to set boundaries, codependency, perfectionism, and disordered eating. 

Oftentimes people living with high functioning anxiety are hesitant to seek help because they don’t feel deserving of assistance, worry people won’t believe they’re struggling, or fear that treatment may compromise their work ethic. 

High functioning anxiety can be a double-edged sword, but with a little awareness and understanding, the negative impacts can be acknowledged and coped with in a healthy way!

How to Manage Your High Functioning Anxiety 

1. Be Open and Honest

   While it’s always helpful to talk through challenges with someone you trust, it’s just as (if not more) important to be honest with yourself. Be mindful of your struggles and acknowledge your anxiety when you can feel it coming into your life. Then, be honest with yourself and others so you can navigate the anxiety and make sure your needs are met. 

2. Take Action

   Obviously, as a talk therapist, I believe there is immense value in not being alone in your problems, yet sometimes anxious people can keep talking about an issue without taking action. Anxiety fuels avoidance and a major part of the therapeutic work is to be able to take action in addressing your anxiety. This can be done with healthy coping mechanisms such as meditating and psychotherapeutic yoga, or by facing situations that enhance your anxiety head-on (i.e. giving presentations or approaching someone new).

3. Be Mindful of What You Can and Can’t Control

   Anxiety is strongly connected to the concept of control, so find ways to acknowledge and accept things that are out of your hands. This can be done in a list format, free journaling or other mindfulness practices. By making note of what you can and can’t control, you can eventually learn to be at peace with letting things go, which can bring forth an enhanced peace of mind.

4. Try Breathing Exercises or Calming Yoga

   The mind-body connection is important to address, and this is especially true when your nervous system is in overdrive. Structured breathing exercises or a calming yoga practice helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system in order to allow you to "rest and reset". Check out my Youtube channel for free, guided meditations and yoga flows geared toward anxiety and stress management, establishing self-compassion, and other mental health concerns.

5. Practice Mindfulness and Grounding in Nature.

   Get outside and out of your head! Spending time outdoors allows you to engage your senses and focus on what you can see, hear, smell and touch around you. Leaving your home and embracing nature is the quickest way to create space from ruminating, anxious thoughts and allow yourself to be in the present moment.

6. Embrace Your Needs

   You know your mind, body and needs better than anyone else, so please remember that it’s OK to exercise caution when taking advice from friends, family and colleagues. Everybody is unique and there are different triggers to anxiety based on your history. If you’ve tried all the remedies your friends, family, colleagues and the internet have to offer without any success, try talking to a mental health professional! A good therapist will take your history, lifestyle triggers and other unique needs into account to help you discover effective coping skills.

For custom-tailored support in managing your high-functioning anxiety, please contact me to request a virtual counseling session!