High-functioning anxiety is not a medical diagnosis, but it is an increasingly common issue that’s being talked about by Forbes, US News & World Report, the Cleveland Clinic, and even the meditation app Headspace.
So, what is high-functioning anxiety?
On the outside, a person might appear to have it all together all the time:
✅ High-Achieving
✅ Perfectionistic
✅ Busy & In Control
✅ Meeting Deadlines
✅ Detail Oriented
✅ Organized & Productive
✅ People Pleasing
✅ Seemingly Confident
BUT….with high-functioning anxiety, the outward success comes at a cost of inner turmoil:
🤯 Constant Worry
🤯 Overthinking
🤯 Harshly Self-Critical
🤯 Restless & Irritable
🤯 Fear the Worst will Happen
🤯 Feeling Stressed
🤯 Overextended
🤯 Can’t say No
🤯 Mental & Physical Fatigue
Is it worth it??
Even though a little bit of anxiety can drive action and success, too much can take a toll on the body and mind.
That’s why people with high-functioning anxiety struggle not only with constant worry but also things like insomnia, muscle tension, racing heartbeat, exhaustion, and mood swings.
The thing about high-functioning anxiety is that it is very much an INNER struggle. Nobody would ever know on the outside, and the symptoms don’t meet the criteria for an anxiety diagnosis.
We’ll be following up with a series of posts to dive deeper into this idea of high-functioning anxiety. We’ll look at some underlying causes and some tips for easing the inner angst (while still staying productive and successful).
Tracey Mixon is a certified Family Nurse Practitioner, certified functional medicine health coach, and Founder of Desire To Live Now. After a lifelong battle with autoimmune disease, Tracey was introduced to Functional Medicine in 2012 which not only transformed her health but her life. Tracey became a nurse practitioner to help anyone who desires to optimize their health with lifestyle medicine and combat health disparities amongst minority communities.