Anxiety is something millions of people deal with on a day-to-day basis. In my family there is actually a joke when someone is acting anxious we say “oh you have the Bailey anxiety.” My granddad had it, I have it, my sisters have it, and so on. Anxiety, however, is really no laughing matter. Especially in the case of High Functioning Anxiety.
Having any anxiety at all is exhausting, overwhelming, and simply not fun. Having High Functioning Anxiety just means you have anxiety, but you are still able to do everything you need/want to do. That means these people are often 10x more exhausted, stressed, and overwhelmed than people who don’t have High Functioning Anxiety. People who have this type of anxiety are often dismissed by others because they seem to be doing great with all the things they are able to accomplish.
It is important to recognize the signs within yourself and within others who have High Functioning Anxiety. To put it simply, it feels like you are constantly drowning. I know this because I have experienced it. These are some common habits that you may recognize as having High Functioning Anxiety.
1. Picking Your Skin
This is a fairly common behavior among those who experience anxiety. It may include picking or tearing away at the skin, biting the nails, or playing with your hair. It is often done subconsciously and isn’t noticed by the person doing it until after they have gone too far.
This type of nervous behavior can even extend outside of the body to things like chipping paint, or messing with something that is already broken, only to break it more.
2. Making Lists
Making lists all the time is another tall tell sign you have high-functioning anxiety. The lists could be made up in your mind, or physical lists that you write down. It could be something practical like a grocery list, a to-do list, or a packing list. Or it could also be just a list of things that you make to pass time or keep busy. Some are known to write the alphabet over and over or make lists of random things in a particular category.
Keeping track of a list is a way to stay organized or organize thoughts. This is something people with anxiety do probably because of the overwhelming amount of thoughts swirling around in their heads. It is also a behavior that allows one to stay in control of the situation, which is something people with anxiety strive desperately to do.
3. Overplanning
Overplanning is often seen as a good trait by those who benefit from it, but for those doing the overplanning, it is absolutely exhausting. This is something done by those who have anxiety because of the number of irrational thoughts they have when they go about doing any activity. It’s the “what if this happens” thoughts that drive this behavior.
Overplanning can lead to great success with certain things, because well you are prepared for anything when everyone else may not be. It can even make you stand out from a crowd because you are seen as the one who thought about something others forgot.
Make no mistake though, this is a habit driven by anxious tendencies. Sometimes, it may pay off sometimes to have thought about everything. I would say probably 95% percent of the time it is unnecessary and ill spend time trying to stay in control of situations that most of the time only ever exist in our minds.
4. Perfectionism
Those with high functioning anxiety are commonly perfectionists. Usually, it stems from the desire to stay in control of a situation. Perfectionism is being over the top, sticking to an exact plan, and being prepared for everything. This behavior can also lead to procrastination habits, as everything can just become too much.
Perfectionism could be something as simple as trying on multiple outfits in the morning, going over a text, several times before sending it, or making sure the house is spotless before company comes over. In a way, it is all a ruse. While everything on the surface may seem shiny and faultless, it is just a distraction so you won’t know anything is wrong just below the surface.
5. People Pleasing
Anxious people are frequently found to be people pleasers. This is likely the case for several reasons. For one, they want everything to run smoothly and according to plan. They don’t want any unforeseen conflict or situation arising that they weren’t mentally prepared to handle.
A second reason may be the need to be liked by everyone. Among the many things that anxious people worry about can sometimes be what other people think about them. Due to this lack of self-confidence, people with high functioning anxiety can often be found constantly seeking the advice of others or reassurance.
6. Having a Strict Routine
People who are plagued with anxiety often more than anything don’t want things to happen that they weren’t expecting. Anxious people are people who are easily lost in their own minds with their own thoughts about hundreds of different things. When there is that one thing that wasn’t accounted for among the hundreds of thoughts they had, it can feel like it was all for nothing and as if they failed.
Having a day-to-day routine, especially at night helps people with anxiety feel more at ease. It is just a way of having one less thing to worry about, and staying in control over their lives. However, having a routine can also be a huge downfall, because when the routine is broken it can cause serious angst and added stress.
7. Overachieving
Ah yes, the tendency to overachieve. In part to their habits of overplanning, people-pleasing, and perfectionism, it is not uncommon for these individuals to be overachievers. The trouble with this is, everyone around these types of people with high functioning anxiety often sees them as ambitious, hardworking, and successful. What is so bad about that? Well, everything. At least to people with anxiety.
As a personal example, I will use my own experience as someone with high functioning anxiety. Par exemple, in college I consistently had straight A’s, won many awards, and often received recognition for all the great work I had been doing as a student. Most of my professors probably saw me as an outstanding student. My family probably thought I was doing so well and paving a way for greatness. Little did they know the amount of stress I endured and the crippling anxiety I experienced on a daily basis.
The point of the story is, just because someone is doing well doesn’t mean that their stress or anxiety should be dismissed. The ends don’t always justify the means, and especially not for overachievers with anxiety.
8. Trouble Falling Asleep
For those who know what anxiety feels like, this should come as no surprise. It can be difficult at times for people with anxiety to go to sleep at night because they are left alone with their own thoughts. This is the time when crazy, irrational, and simply unreal thoughts make their way into our minds making it hard to find enough peace of mind to drift off.
At times, it can even become a habit for people with anxiety to just lay awake at night, because this is what they have grown to expect. From my own experience, not getting enough sleep can even create a new set of things to worry about. Everyone needs sleep, and not getting enough can really add to the stress and exhaustion of people with anxiety.
9. Never Able to Relax
If you are someone with high functioning anxiety you probably know what this feels like. There is usually a constant need in people with anxiety to stay busy, whether it’s making lists, planning, or anything else. When we aren’t busy we are left alone with our thoughts, which we try to avoid when we can.
People who have this type of anxiety endure mass amounts of stress and are overly exhausted because they literally can’t stop. They just go and they go, and they go until they collapse, burn out, get sick, or encounter something that physically stops them. There is usually a list of things to do, and these people will not stop until every last thing is done. The list, however, is never-ending.
Well, What’s Next?
I know this because I still have these tendencies at times. I find it difficult to relax if I know there is a dirty spoon left in the kitchen sink, or an email left unread. However, I learned to overcome these habits in my life little by little.
We believe this is possible for you too. That’s why we created a free eCourse called the 5 Day Self Care Challenge. Enroll today, and let us show you how to form habits for a healthy and happy life.
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