When people think of anxiety, they picture panic attacks or someone who looks noticeably stressed out. That’s normally what’s pictured on the TV, so it’s often what people associate it with. Sometimes anxiety can hide behind our achievements though. It can show itself through the person that never takes a break and can’t rest without feeling guilty.
It’s the kind of anxiety where you convince yourself you’re just a hard worker, but, really, you’re avoiding the feelings that would happen if you stopped. You work harder so you don’t have to feel it at all.
That kind of anxiety looks so responsible and mature from the outside. People praise it and say things like, “You always get things done.” They fail to see the fact that you’re always under this pressure to do so.
While overachievers might like being praised for their work, sometimes they’re just doing it because it’s what they think is best (not for their well-being but to avoid their problems). When you sit too still for long, your mind and your own thoughts can take over. That’s not always a good thing.
We need to remember that overachieving isn’t always healthy. Sometimes it’s just how people think they need to feel in control when everything else feels like it’s out of our hands.
The hard part is learning to slow down and let yourself have a break without feeling guilty about it. Anxiety might still try and convince you that you’re not doing enough, but you can learn not to listen to it all the time.
If any or all of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone in this. Many people live with that anxiety and talking about it can help.
You can still be a hard worker and rest. You can still care deeply about something and take a break from it. Overachievement might look cool, but your peace and well-being is worth so much more than that. It’s time to learn that because that’s one of the healthiest things we can choose to focus on.
