We often think of anxiety as something that affects our ability to function and is visible to everyone. This is one reason why many people with High Functioning Anxiety don’t recognise that they have anxiety, because they are still productive and able to function at a high level.
To other people, a person experiencing High Functioning Anxiety may appear successful, driven and able to cope with anything that comes their way.
They may appear to “have it all together” and not appear obviously anxious but under the surface, they’re fighting a constant battle with worries, fears and self-doubt.
All of this can mask the struggle that is happening internally and make it difficult to realise that High Functioning Anxiety is present.
How to recognise the signs in your own behaviour
It’s important to recognise when anxiety is debilitating and proving harmful, even if it’s not negatively affecting your productivity or success. The anxiety you feel is very real, regardless of whether it’s impacting day-to-day life or not.
If you’re living with High Functioning Anxiety, you may see these feelings or patterns of behaviour in yourself:
You’re likely to be highly ambitious and seek perfection. You may be scared of even the thought of failure. This combination can mean that you’re very successful and excel at what you do but it can cause significant anxiety too.
Rather than avoiding situations that trigger anxiety, you may continue to push through and work even harder in a bid to fight the inner anxiety.
You probably find it very difficult to switch off and are prone to burning the candle at both ends. By the end of the day or week, you tend to crash – if you manage to take time off at all.
You’re likely to be a people pleaser who worries about letting others down and consistently puts everyone else before their own needs.
You may feel that you’re always a little too busy but are unable to step back or stop pushing through.
Your social schedule may be crammed with activities, to the point that you often feel overwhelmed and are secretly relieved if the plans fall through.
You may find yourself feeling irritable and frustrated very easily. Sleep issues are also common with High Functioning Anxiety, especially if your mind is racing at night.
How can Hypnotherapy Help With High Functioning Anxiety?
Hypnotherapy can help you to notice feelings and patterns of behaviour that can be linked to High Functioning Anxiety and address them. This can boost self-esteem, encourage the mind and body to relax, improve sleep, as well as reducing the anxiety and overwhelm you are experiencing.
Hypnotherapy enables deep relaxation, which allows the subconscious mind to be more receptive to positive suggestions and can bring about changes in thoughts and behaviours. It can help to rewire the brain to let go of unhelpful and debilitating pattterns and replace them with alternatives that don’t contribute to anxiety.
If you want to explore the role that hypnotherapy can play in overcoming High Functioning Anxiety, I would love to help you to get to the root cause and develop effective coping strategies.
About me
I’m an anxiety specialist and I help women to overcome anxiety and self-doubt, and live the life they were truly meant for. Together, we can retrain your brain to manage your self-doubt, build your confidence and reframe the way you feel about yourself.
Why not book a call with me to take the next step towards achieving a more Positive Resilient Mindset that sets you up for a happier and calmer life?