How High-Functioning Anxiety Shows Up at Work
On the surface, you look like you’re crushing it--- and in a lot of ways, you are. You’re always prepared (even if you don’t feel like it), you’re hitting deadlines, and colleagues regularly praise you for your work ethic. But behind the scenes, it’s a different story: sleepless nights, overthinking every email, and feeling like you are one mistake away from blowing everything up. This is the reality of high-functioning anxiety. It’s sneaky, exhausting, and probably running the show more than you realize. This blog covers the real signs of high-functioning anxiety at work and why it matters.
Signs of High-Functioning Anxiety
For a lot of my high-achieving clients, it can be difficult to really know if they are struggling with anxiety. They do their job and do it well. The fact that we live in a high-pressure and fast-paced society can make it harder to notice these signs, especially since they are likely normalized and praised. Below are a few signs that you might be experiencing high-functioning anxiety.
Over-preparing and over-researching
Have a board presentation coming up? Meeting with a new client with a complex case? It’s not enough to be prepared. You spend hours researching and over-preparing, but still feel like it wasn’t enough.
Difficulty delegating tasks
Your to-do list is a mile long, and things keep adding up. Instead of delegating tasks, you are adding more to your list. You find it hard to delegate to others, and it feels like you have to do it to get it done right.
People pleasing
The fear of disappointing others, even your boss or clients, can lead you to engage in people-pleasing tendencies. This may look like answering emails outside of work hours, staying to late to “get ahead or catch up,” and taking on last minute shifts or clients because you are the “dependable one.”
Catastrophizing small mistakes
We all make mistakes. But for you, one small mistake can feel catastrophic. And when you do make a mistake, you’re very critical of yourself.
Feeling guilty when you try to relax, even outside of work
For a lot of my high-achieving folks, they struggle to take their PTO. But when they do, they find it hard to relax and be in the moment, without guilt Even if they are not thinking about work, there is this pull that they “have to be doing something.”
Perfectionism
You reread the latest brief or clinical note over and over, afraid that you’ve missed something. What should take an easy five minutes to complete, takes you longer. It’s not okay for things to be good enough; they need to be perfect.
How High-Functioning Anxiety Impacts Performance (Even if No One Notices…. Yet)
It can be hard to notice how high-functioning anxiety is impacting your performance, especially for high-achievers. They aren’t missing deadlines, they regularly receive positive feedback, and their clients love them. But high-functioning anxiety still takes a toll. The mental toll and load of dealing with high-functioning anxiety is often unseen by others. The constant pressure and worry about your performance, the internal struggle to set boundaries at work, and the constant need to be “working towards something.” It shows up in not feeling good enough, despite your achievements. Even though it doesn’t impact your performance outwardly, the mental load and toll it takes on you makes everything harder.
High-Functioning Anxiety is Anxiety and You Deserve Support
Just because high-functioning anxiety may not be visible to others doesn’t mean you don’t deserve support. You deserve to be able to be present with your family and friends and not be thinking about work. You deserve to be able to delegate tasks, assert your needs in your workplace, and set boundaries so you can thrive both at work and in your personal life. I would love to help you get there.
Take Control of Your Anxiety with Therapy for Anxiety in Austin and throughout the state of TX!
Your anxiety shouldn’t be the one calling the shots. You deserve to show up at work confident and trust yourself and your skills. If you are a high-achiever who struggles with anxiety and the fear of failure, Therapy for Anxiety in Austin, TX can help.
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Other Services Offered by Dr. Molly Moore of Moore Psychotherapy
Are you a high-achieving woman who struggles with anxiety, imposter syndrome, and burnout? I’m Dr. Molly Moore, a licensed psychologist in Austin, TX who specializes in working with high-achieving women just like you. In addition to helping clients ditch anxiety with Therapy for Anxiety in Austin, Texas, I also help women overcome self-doubt and feeling like a fraud with Therapy for Imposter Syndrome. Therapy for Burnout is for those folks who are exhausted—emotionally and physically—to find relief and be productive without sacrificing their needs. In my practice, I provide Online Therapy in Texas. To learn more about me and the work I do, check out my About Me page and my blog.