7 Signs of High-Functioning Anxiety (And How to Stop Stressing About It)
What Is High-Functioning Anxiety?
You’ve got your life together (or at least, that’s what it looks like from the outside). You check all the boxes—career, relationships, responsibilities—but inside? Your brain is running a 24/7 marathon, fueled by overthinking, self-doubt, and an occasional existential crisis. Sound familiar? Welcome to the world of high-functioning anxiety.
Unlike traditional anxiety, which can be visibly debilitating, high-functioning anxiety keeps you in motion—sometimes at an unsustainable pace. You’re productive, successful, and maybe even the “go-to” person in your circle, but underneath, there’s a constant undercurrent of stress keeping you wired and tired.
Here are 7 Signs of High Functioning Anxiety
So, how do you know if you’re secretly battling high-functioning anxiety? Here are 7 signs of high-functioning anxiety (with a side of humor, because hey, we need it).
1. Your To-Do List Has a To-Do List
If you color-code your grocery list, plan vacations down to the minute, or find joy in checking off boxes, you might have high-functioning anxiety. Structure helps you feel in control, but the moment something unexpected happens (like a barista spelling your name wrong), it can throw you into a minor spiral.
How to Ease Up:
Try loosening the grip on your schedule by allowing some flex time—not everything needs a spreadsheet. If it helps, you can begin by creating a task on your list to ‘chill out’ - find something different and unscripted to do during this time. It may help you to start to untether the reigns of your daily planned schedules, thus allowing for some spontaneity to arrive!
2. You Say Yes... to Everything
Need someone to organize the work event? You’re on it. Friend needs help moving? You’re already there. Somehow, you’ve become the human Swiss Army knife of your social and professional circles—because saying no makes you feel guilty.
How to Ease Up:
Take a deep breath before you respond and practice saying “Let me think about it” before committing. Setting boundaries doesn’t make you unreliable—it makes you sane. Practice pausing and noticing any tension in your body. Where does this reactive spark to FIX IT live? Allow yourself to acknowledge and send breath to that part of the body that holds this reactive tension.
3. You Overthink Text Messages (And Everything Else)
You send a simple “Thanks!” and immediately wonder if it sounded too abrupt. Should you have added an exclamation mark? A smiley face? Wait—did they leave you on read? Cue the mental breakdown.
How to Ease Up:
Not every interaction is a secret message waiting to be decoded. People are (probably) not analyzing your texts the way you analyze theirs. Practice smiling when you respond to texts. I am serious! By intentionally softening your face and allowing a gentle smile, you can subtly cue your body to relax, shift your perspective, and even enhance your overall experience of the moment.
4. Relaxing Feels... Uncomfortable
You finally have a free evening, but instead of relaxing, you start mentally reviewing your past mistakes from 2007. Your body is still, but your brain is running a full-blown triathlon.
How to Ease Up:
Try somatic practices like breathwork, movement, or grounding exercises to help your nervous system transition into a relaxed state (without feeling like you need to be doing something). A short 5 minute somatic exercise can really shift your state. There are several small exercises that are included in this post - you can utilize them anytime you need to slow down.
5. You Avoid Downtime Like the Plague
If you’ve ever scheduled “self-care” into your planner but then used that time to clean out your inbox, welcome to the club. The idea of doing nothing is stressful because productivity feels like your safety net.
How to Ease Up:
Start with micro-breaks—five minutes of stillness, stretching, or just staring out the window without checking your phone. Build up to actual relaxation (yes, it’s possible!). I call this practice of flex time - ‘creating margins’.
I create time ‘in between’ structured activities to allow space for ‘nothing’. I began with 15-20 minute increments, padding my schedule with time to play with having ‘down time’.
6. Your Body Is Keeping Score (And It’s Not Happy)
Muscle tension, headaches, digestive issues, insomnia—your body is throwing major hints that it needs a break. But instead of listening, you power through with caffeine and sheer willpower.
How to Ease Up:
Pay attention to physical cues. Your body isn’t trying to betray you—it’s trying to get your attention. When you notice a physical cue - turn your attention and awareness towards the sensation - place your hand on the area of sensation, pause and breathe. This practice is using touch as a somatic resource, it is a great way to let your body know you are listening.
7. You Worry About Worrying
Anxiety about anxiety—it’s a thing. You might catch yourself wondering, Why am I anxious? followed by, Oh no, what if this anxiety means something is wrong? And just like that, you’ve entered a spiral.
How to Ease Up:
Recognize that not every anxious thought requires action. Sometimes, it’s just noise. Acknowledge it, thank that part of you that is vigilant (it’s probably saved you throughout your life in many situations). Here I like to use the breath. With an exhale, I imagine sending the thought down to my feet, and releasing the worry into the stability of the ground. It is a great centering exercise to practice!
What’s Next? Managing These 7 Signs of High-Functioning Anxiety with Somatic Practices
If you see yourself in these 7 signs of high-functioning anxiety, the good news is that awareness is the first step. High-functioning anxiety doesn’t have to run your life—there are ways to rewire your nervous system and create more ease.
Consider Exploring:
Somatic Therapy: A body-based approach to releasing stress and restoring balance.
Breathwork & Movement: Simple exercises to bring your nervous system into a calmer state.
Boundaries & Rest Practices: Learning to say no and actually relax without guilt.
High-functioning anxiety might be sneaky, but it’s not unstoppable. With the right tools, you can shift from running on stress to truly thriving. And yes, you can put that on your to-do list. 😉
Want more support? Connect with me to talk about online somatic therapy sessions or explore 5Rhythms classes to help your nervous system find balance. Your future, less-anxious self will thank you!
