by High functioning fear can go unnoticed. It is a term that is often used to describe a person struggling with symptoms of fear, such as racing thoughts, body voltage,“ Or worry frequently – however, this person can mask or hide these symptoms and look “great” on the outside.
“It is not a diagnosis, but rather someone who has fear but still manages his daily lives,” said clinical psychologist Scott Lyons. “They are usually someone who is successful and performs well, but internally or at home experience this fear, instead of showing it in a work or public environment.”
Someone can experience fear at work for many different reasons: deadlines, toxic working relationships, worries about job security,“ And so much more. “People with well -functioning fear are often successful at work, but will mask this fear to others,” Lyons explained. “It is also a sign of composite stress, as if there are too many things to focus on, and there are not enough resources or control over the future.”
On the outside, someone with well -functioning fear may seem to have it all together, and yet their internal world and even their mental health suffers. They are constant in the mode of “something bad will happen if I don’t get this done”, which can be quite difficult to use day in day out.
Are you not sure if you actually show signs of well -functioning fear at work? We spoke with psychology and experts in the field of mental health care to draw up six work habits that secretly function properly, fear:
1. Being a perfectionist and everything in everything must be the best.
Woman in an office examines a document closely with a magnifying glass and emphasizes the attention to detail in a working environment
“Perfectionism is a huge sign of well -functioning fear while you work to be the best in everything, which is an impossible task,” explains L. Moran, a recognized mental health adviser in Jacksonville, Florida.
A perfectionist “often puts a lot of shame and the debt to yourself or others when something is experienced as less than perfect,” she added.
The idea that your boss or colleague is up to you or disappointed in you, even though there is zero specific evidence that they are actually, can take place in your steps to be perfect. Although you are doing well with your tasks at work, if your personal relationships with those in your office apparently do not meet the standards of people with well -functioning fear, you can start taking the feelings and intentions of others and personalize them.
“Someone with well -functioning fear can be a perfectionist with their work or conversations because they are worried about how others will be observed,” Lyons said.
2.
Being distracted and not being able to concentrate on your tasks at work, two common events are for those with a well -functioning fear. Often those who experience problems with concentration and focus will implement their own coping mechanisms to work efficiently.
For example, some people wear headphones at work. “A person with well -functioning fear can wear headphones because this helps them to feel less distracted and to have more control over the information they receive,” Lyons said.
The stress, worries and fear are the fault of the lack of focus at work and “will ultimately cause you to have more difficulty staying at your duties,” said Moran. “When a person overworks, overloaded and puts the high pressure on its own, there is an increased chance that their brains will drop some things because of the emotional energy tap that has been attached to fear.”
3. Looking for reassurance and validation of others.
Two colleagues sit at a table about work surrounded by books and plants, creating an informal and productive office atmosphere
Reassurance and validation are two very important things for people with well -functioning fear in the workplace, because it will determine how they perform, their thoughts and emotions every time they come to work.
“At work, people with well -functioning fear will often seek reassurance at their work or projects of others to alleviate their fear,” Lyons said.
The search for validation often reflects a fear reaction. “Validation is super important and helpful, but when you need your boss or colleague to give this feedback often without the ability to gauge your own success, this can create a feeling that you are not good enough when the likely reality is that other people are busy in their own work and will forget to praise or recognize that, what is not a reflection,”, “.
Reassurance can also come in the form of regular interaction with certain colleagues alone. “They find people safe and reassuring than others and, apart from those selected individuals, they may not be allowed to socialize at all,” said Michele Leno, a psychologist and founder of DML Psychological Services in Michigan. “They can even avoid the attempts of others to get to know them.”
4. Exaggerated responding to the least change in routine.
A routine is predictable and not an fear-inducing. However, if there is a small change, this can really generate all day for someone with well -functioning fear.
“The person with well -functioning anxiety can regard change as totally injustice and spend days over it because they cannot afford a malfunction in their routine,” said Leno.
5. Compare yourself with your colleagues.
Person peeks through window curtains, eyes focused and alert
Together with perfectionism and the search for validation, comparison is common in people with a well -functioning fear.
“The root of this is uncertainty associated with fear,” said Moran. “This is often associated with a fear of rejection, a desire to be considered worthy, and general pressure associated with trying to be seen as good enough and not wanting to experience a negative feedback from others.”
6. Keep yourself super sided throughout the entire working day.
In attempts to feel worthy at work, it is not unusual for someone who has a well -functioning fear of keeping himself extremely busy.
“This can include volunteering for extra projects, despite the fact that these additional projects create extra stress and tension and do not have the time to fully concentrate on it,” said Moran. “This often creates burnout because of the constant pressure and the lack of balance in the workload.”
Because of the overwhelming need to stay busy, these people will often arrive early to work and stay too late in the hope of walking around potential problems or changes. They will also rarely say ‘no’ to things.
“Often people with well-functioning fear are often people plunders and they will hesitate to say no when they are asked to do something,” Lyons explained.
What to do if you have well -functioning fear
Two people have a discussion in a living room, one that makes notes. The scene suggests a professional or counseling set
If these signs resonate with your working life, there are steps that you can take to help you feel more at ease, mentally and physically, at work:
Deep breathing exercises
Deep breathing is something that can help fear at the moment. Our body naturally responds to taking deep breath and will calm down when the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, according to the Clinic Cleveland.
Consider counseling and therapy
Speaking with someone else about what you are struggling with at work, you can help you enormously with your well -functioning fear. It will not only help you to talk about the things you worry, it can help you learn to manage your symptoms effectively.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is an option that helps people to learn to reformulate their thoughts about life and to transform that behavior that feeds you fear. This can help you manage your thoughts, find solutions that work for you and navigate your way through anxious moments.
Medication can be useful
By going drugs can help reduce your symptoms of well -functioning anxiety, and your doctor can work with you to find the right one for you, according to the Cleveland Clinic.This message originally appeared on Huffpost.
