Individuals with this condition experience difficulty initiating conversations.
People with high-function anxiety excel at work and study and look competent enough at handling their relationships.
Anxiety can manifest itself in several ways, one of which is called high-function anxiety. In general, a person dealing with high-function anxiety looks well-groomed, successful, and capable in life from the outside. However, they can deal with intense anxiety and stress from the inside out. People with high-function anxiety excel at work and study and look competent enough at handling their relationships. It is often the fear of failure and letting others down that results in a perfect exterior.
Speaking of high-functioning anxiety, therapist Lalitaa Suglani wrote in an Instagram post, “High-functioning anxiety is a form of anxiety in which individuals appear outwardly successful and capable in their day-to-day lives, but internally they experience significant anxiety and stress. People with high performance anxiety often excel at work or study, maintain relationships and accomplish tasks, but this success comes at the cost of intense and constant worry, perfectionism and fear of failure.”
According to Suglani, high-functioning anxiety can be hard to spot because people can appear calm from the outside. If the inner conflict is not addressed, it can lead to increased stress, burnout and a negative impact on overall well-being.
Suglani said managing high-function anxiety is an ongoing process and it’s good to seek help if you need it. You should embrace the journey of self-discovery and self-care and celebrate their progress along the way, she added.
Here are the ways to deal with high functioning anxiety
- Practice awareness: Meditation and deep breathing are mindfulness techniques that can help us become familiar with our thoughts and become better at understanding the fear.
- creativity: Creativity helps us release stress and anxiety. Finding creative outlets like painting, dancing, and sketching can help us release difficult emotions, ease our burden, and ease anxiety.
- Spend less time on social media: Spending our time on social media and seeing other people’s posts can make us feel anxious about missing out. It leads to deep dissatisfaction with our lives, resulting in anxiety, inadequacy and loneliness. That’s why it’s important to limit our time on social media.
- Time management: A healthy routine can help us manage our anxiety well. It’s important to take the time to meditate, journal, exercise, and practice self-care.
- Seek Professional Help: Stigma around mental health can make us afraid to seek help. Therefore, we should not hesitate or be embarrassed to seek help from a therapist, counselor or psychiatrist.
- Controlling and overthinking negative thoughts: Negative thoughts can escalate anxiety and worry. Putting an end to overthinking can help reduce anxiety.
- Practice self-compassion: Indulging in self-care is important to feeling good about yourself. There’s no point in being hard on ourselves. Viewing ourselves with kindness and compassion is important. A person with self-compassion admits his mistakes without any judgment.
- Set realistic goals: By setting realistic and achievable goals and expecting reasonable results from yourself, you create less anxiety and stress.