As someone who has lived with anxiety for years, I know it all too well. On the outside, I may seem totally put together - running from meeting to meeting, hitting deadlines left and right, juggling a million things, and making it look easy. But on the inside? My mind races a mile a minute. My thoughts swirl and spiral out of control. Enter...anxiety triggers.
These triggers sneak up when you least expect them, causing my anxiety to rear its ugly head. Sometimes they're situational, like having an important work presentation or a difficult conversation with my partner. Other times, the triggers seem to come from nowhere, leaving me feeling on edge for no discernible reason. Sound familiar to any of my fellow high-functioning anxiety friends out there? Read on for some of the most common culprits that send my anxiety into overdrive.
Perfectionism - My Best Friend and Worst Enemy
Oh, perfectionism. This one goes way back for me. As someone who has always set impossibly high standards for myself, having things not go perfectly according to plan can really ramp up my anxiety. Whether it's struggling to meet an unrealistic deadline at work, making a silly mistake while cooking dinner, or just having a bad hair day - perfectionism has me spiraling over the smallest imperfections. I catastrophize everything, positive it means imminent failure or disaster (spoiler alert: it usually doesn't).
My tip? Learning to embrace the phrase "done is better than perfect" has helped me balance striving for excellence without destroying my mental health in the process. Give yourself grace, my friends. No one gets it right 100% of the time (and if they claim they do, they're lying).
Decision Overload - Struggling to Choose
Too many choices send my anxiety through the roof. Menu paralysis anyone? Whether it's deciding what to cook for dinner, where to go on vacation, or which project to tackle first at work - struggling with decision-making overwhelms my already overactive mind. What if I make the wrong choice? What if there was a better option and I missed it? Should I be spending my time on something else right now? Did I consider all the possibilities??
My brain cycles through question after question, making it impossible to commit to any decision at all. Next thing I know, I've wasted half the day stuck in indecision mode instead of taking action on what matters most. Sound exhausting? Because it is, my friends.
Negative Thought Spirals
Oh, cognitive distortions - you wily creatures love to toy with my anxiety, don't you? These negative thought patterns have an uncanny way of taking over my mind, growing from tiny "what ifs" to catastrophic proportions in 0 to 60 seconds flat. Next thing I know, I've dreamed up worst-case scenario after worst-case scenario, all stemming from some tiny, seemingly innocuous thought. What if no one likes my presentation? What if my friends don't actually want to hang out with me? What if I never meet my career goals? What if I'm actually a failure and I've just been faking it all these years??
See what I mean about negative thought spirals? My mind takes off down Anxiety Lane with no turn signal in sight. Learning to recognize these distorted thought patterns has been crucial for getting off the hamster wheel of negativity. I ask myself "Is this thought helpful? Am I catastrophizing or fortune-telling? What's the evidence this feared outcome will actually happen?" Slowing down my runaway thoughts helps put things back into perspective.
Work-Life Imbalance - All Work, No Play
With my go-go-go lifestyle, resisting the urge to favor work over everything else can be a huge challenge. But constantly choosing work over rest is a surefire path to anxiety for me. Skipping lunch to finish a project, staying up late to meet a deadline, cramming my calendar full of meetings morning to night - I've done it all.
While pushing through is necessary sometimes, I've learned the hard way that chronically overworking myself eventually backfires. Burnout comes knocking, inspiration runs dry, frustration sets in, and my anxiety goes through the roof over struggling to maintain my usual productivity. For the sake of your mental health, don't be afraid to set boundaries with work, take time off when you need it, and build in small breaks throughout the day. You (and your anxiety levels) will thank you later.
Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) - The Comparison Game
Here is my other old friend, social anxiety. You love to make me second-guess myself anytime I put myself out there. Whether it's worrying about awkward small talk at a party, overanalyzing things I said days after a social event, or scrolling endlessly through social media comparing myself to others (oh hey there, FOMO!) - feeling like I don't measure up torpedoes my confidence and amps up my anxiety fast.
When those anxious social thoughts creep in, one of the best things I can do is intentionally shift my mindset. I refocus on meaningful connections instead of superficial small talk. I replay positive interactions instead of beating myself up over perceived awkwardness. I celebrate friends' wins instead of envying their picture-perfect Instagram lives (#blessed! 😉). Social overthinking is inevitable, but learning how to reframe my thoughts makes all the difference.
Also read: How to Rebuild a Damaged Relationship
Health Worries - Dr. Google, We Meet Again
A few things rev up my anxiety like health worries. From frequent heart palpitations to weekly headaches to an upset stomach before important meetings - you name it, I've worried about it. And what's my go-to response? Compulsively consulting Dr. Google of course! But obsessively searching for answers about every ache, pain, or unfamiliar symptom inevitably sends me spiraling.
Headache? Could just be stress...or maybe it's something far more serious!
Tight chest? Probably anxiety...but what if it's actually a pulmonary embolism?!
Upset stomach? Surely just nerves...or maybe these are signs of a rare digestive disease!
See how quickly seemingly innocuous symptoms turn into catastrophic "what ifs" in my mind? Learning techniques to cope with anxiety around health worries has been life-changing. I ask myself questions like "What are the actual odds something is seriously wrong based on my symptoms?" and "If there was a bigger issue, could spiraling about it now change the outcome?" Keeping perspective really helps alleviate the anxiety I heap onto myself.
Once you ID the culprits, you can get to work building the right self-care practices, thought reframes, and coping strategies to start managing your anxiety instead of letting your anxiety manage you.
It also reminds me I’m not alone. So many awesomely talented, wildly driven go-getters out there manage anxiety just like I do. Even on days when my thoughts race out of control and my nerves feel fried, taking comfort in a community makes all the difference. So if any of this sounded just a little too relatable, know that you’ve got this! And you’ve always got me in your corner, reminding you to breathe through the overwhelmed one anxious thought spiral at a time.
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