Highly Functional Anxiety: What It Is, Characteristics And How To Manage It
Anxiety is a human emotion that, although necessary, many people associate with psychological disorders and they are right. Extreme anxiety can bring with it diverse psychopathology, physical and mental health problems that take their toll on us.
There is a type of anxiety that, at first, seems to help us move forward and function correctly in our daily lives. This one, that They call it highly functional anxiety. it feels like it’s nothing more than working under a little pressure but, in the long run, it brings with it some problems.
Today we are going to see what this peculiar problem consists of, which, although today it is not considered a disorder, everything seems to indicate that it may be a risk factor for developing an anxiety disorder.
Anxiety is a common emotion. There are those who consider it an intrinsically negative emotion, although others consider that, in the right measure, it serves to be able to face the demands of life, preparing us to face moments in which many resources will have to be mobilized to be able to cope. . However, it is known that extreme anxiety can cause mental disorders and, in fact, in the DSM-5 there is a specific group for anxiety disorders.
In recent years, there has been talk of a type of problem that, although it is not considered a genuine mental disorder, can bring with it certain problems and moderate to intense psychological discomfort: highly functional anxiety. As its name suggests, it is a type of anxiety in which the person apparently functions well in their daily life, especially in the workplace, without getting blocked or panicking when having to do their chores.
It could be said that they are people who manage to function very well in day-to-day obligations, despite presenting worrying levels of anxiety. People with highly functional anxiety, seen from the outside, fulfill the cliché of a hard-working and successful person: they arrive at work early, with an immaculate appearance, always meet deadlines, are never absent from work and, despite having a thousand and one commitments, he fulfills them all.
But behind this facade of high performance and productivity there is a person who is afraid of failure, of disappointing the people in his family and work environment, especially those who helped him get the job or who have been supporting him.
She suffers from extreme nervousness, an almost pathological need to comply, even if that means having to take time for herself. In fact, the moments in which you are not working can be experienced as moments in which you waste time, feeling guilty for not taking the opportunity to get work done.
The advantage of being a highly functioning person with anxiety is that you are very productive, but the list of cons overrides the pros. These people worry a lot about looking good to everyone, they can talk too much, suffer from nervous tics, overthink things, and waste a lot of time by arriving very early to work or to their commitments. Additionally, they often need reassurance in everything they do, putting themselves in the worst-case scenario if they feel they are not meeting what they believe people expect of them unable to enjoy the moment and suffering from sleep problems.
People with highly functional anxiety can suffer a lot in their personal life because they are not able to stop the machine, rest a little and enjoy their life even though they are exhausted. Being with family and friends, whether at a meeting, trying to enjoy the outdoors or playing on the beach, you can’t help but have your head somewhere else, thinking about pending tasks, work obligations, how much you care. It is pending to deliver a project or to write a report.
Those who present this peculiar type of anxiety may well be called “perfectionists” and be seen as individuals who tend to be stressed naturally, people with a lot of neuroticism. Because they emanate an image of success, the moment they complain and worry about their mental health, their environment may tell them that they are too exaggerated, even dramatic, and that, since at the end of the day they work well, “what’s the problem?” “Is there going to be?”
Functional at the beginning, disorder at the end
High-functioning anxiety is not a psychological disorder. Although being highly effective in the workplace can be seen as a desired advantage, the fact that this implies doing so at the expense of family, social and leisure life means that the person with this type of anxiety deprives themselves of meaningful experiences with family members, friends and other significant people around you.
We may accept that we are like this, that having anxiety is normal in our lives and that there is little we can do about it. However, anxiety maintained for a long time and constantly can bring with it more serious problems, such as presenting a genuine anxiety disorder, in addition to presenting psychosomatic symptoms such as gastrointestinal, dermatological, cardiovascular problems…
Being very effective in our job is very good, but If this causes us psychological discomfort and does not allow us to enjoy life, then we are facing a problem. who will most likely require psychological help. Going to a psychologist for this should not be seen as an exaggeration or a symptom of weakness, but as a way of learning to better manage anxiety which, if left to its own devices, can play tricks on us.
It is important to understand that our value as a person will not be found in a list of tasks performed in our workplace, nor that our self-esteem or self-realization depend exclusively on the pressure to which we are subjected at work. Physical and mental health are very important aspects to take care of, in addition to our family and friends, spheres of our life that will offer us pleasure and that, if it is a healthy and functional environment, will function as a protective factor against an anxiety disorder.
What can we do?
Apart from going to a psychologist to make sure that the problem does not get worse, there are several small changes that we can incorporate into our daily lives that will help us reduce highly functional anxiety while continuing to be functional people in our lives. job.
1. Learn to say “no” at work
Yes to this, yes to that, yes to the other… this type of phrase is very common in people with highly functional anxiety, who accept all the reports, projects, meetings, and other work tasks that your boss or another colleague asks you to do.
The time has come to say no. It’s time to set limits, paying attention to how we feel when they tell us if we can kindly do a certain project or a certain report. It is true that it is difficult to say “no” to a boss, but if what he or she asks of us is outside of our obligations, it is advisable to leave it to someone else or, at least, leave it for later.
A good way to avoid this oversaturation of work obligations is to change the initial “yes” to “when I get organized, I will confirm it.” ; This way we don’t put that burden on ourselves and if we see that we have a gap, a moment that allows us to do that calmly and without rushing, then we take it freely.
If you are one of those people with a tendency to work too many hours in a row, a good option to stop it is mark in your own agenda the time for rest or leisure and, of course, respect it.
People with highly functional anxiety usually respect the tasks that have been written down on the agenda and this, even if it is resting, should also be seen as one more to accomplish. By writing it down you establish a commitment to yourself, leaving time for your care and work rest. It is highly recommended to leave one full day a week to rest.
3. Move the body
Doing physical exercise is essential for our physical and mental health, but sometimes we don’t have time for it. The feeling that you don’t have time for anything is common in people with high-functioning anxiety, so an alternative to conventional exercise is stretching.
With just about 15 minutes of stretching, with conscious breathing and followed by a few minutes of walking or doing gentle physical activity you can combat the feeling of anxiety.
If, on the other hand, we have more time or are motivated to exercise more intensely, go ahead! All physical activity helps calm the mind and, therefore, relieves us of anxiety a little.
4. Disconnect to connect with yourself
When we think of a person who is very focused on their work, an individual comes to mind who is constantly checking their email, chat messages or checking to see if they have received a call. Even if it is during rest time, Having devices on does not allow people with high-functioning anxiety to forget about work more than enough reason to decide to turn them all off and truly disconnect.
At the end of the day, when you finish working or at the time of rest, put down your cell phone, computer, tablet and any device and take the time necessary to do some pleasant habit. Whether reading, listening to music, meditating, doing macramé or whatever, do it without having your phone connected. Disconnect to connect with yourself.
