A 2020 study by CDC involving 54,000 participants found out that symptoms of anxiety are three times higher than the number recorded in the second half of 2019. What could be the reason?
Achievement-oriented people are more likely to get anxious. While they have the perfect job, high salary, well-raised children, and a beautiful house, they expect themselves to stay productive and steadfast in the face of the pandemic.
Here are 3 high-achiever habits that trigger anxiety.
1. They Find It Hard to Say No
People can count on high achievers to complete their tasks efficiently. Because of that, they get a lot of requests for help and are assigned complex tasks. The issue arises when guilt stops them from saying no. They reluctantly take on more responsibilities. As they’re already working on full capacity, they get overwhelmed and spread too thin.
Saying no makes you guilty because you expect yourself to say yes. There are only two ways you can reduce guilt: increase your self-imposed expectations and take more responsibilities or bring your expectation to an acceptably low level.
Remember that not saying no to others is speaking to your mental peace.
2. They Compare Themselves With Highly Successful People
Social comparisons are natural. People tend to use other’s achievements as a measure of their worth. Often high-achievers define success narrowly by comparing themselves with other successful people. It distorts their perspective their reality, and they experience anxiety, trying to match themselves with their reference.
To combat this, one must learn to appreciate others on their achievements and not feel envious by them. People must realize that other people’s success has no bearing on them.
3. They Only Feel Worthy When They Achieve
High achievers connect their self-worth with achievement. It troubling because self-worth is conditional as life moves between failures and success. Moreover, happiness derived from success wears off quickly. So, if you begin to rely on it, you’ll fall in a toxic pattern of achieving and driving pleasure from it with no end in sight.
Get Help from a Leading Therapist in Birmingham, AL
David Myers is a Birmingham, Alabama-based psychologist. He specializes in depression, anxiety, and relationship counseling. His practice centers on the mind-body-spirit connection and ensures healing and growth from within, giving you the emotional relief and peace of mind that you’re seeking.
Schedule an appointment with David Myers today.