Anxiety’s Two Moods: Hyperdrive and Hibernate
I think a good place to start would be to talk about high-functioning vs. low-functioning anxiety and what they look like.
This isn’t about labeling yourself. It’s about understanding your wiring so you can find the right ways to work with your anxiety, not against it.
Personally, learning about the differences has helped me understand myself better and taught me how to manage my high-functioning anxiety.
So, let’s get into it!
High-Functioning Anxiety
Have you ever felt so much motivation and ambition to achieve everything in your life that you overwork yourself straight into burnout? Or maybe you take criticism so personally that one small mistake makes you question your entire worth as a human?
Yeah… same. That’s classic high-functioning anxiety.
That unrealistic strive for perfection and the fear of not being valued often hide behind your achievements and drive to work harder. You tell yourself, If I keep pushing to be the best, there’s no way I can fail, right?
Sorry to say it, girl, but you are SO wrong. (Don’t worry — I thought the same thing until burnout came knocking.)
For me, burnout looked like not caring about work anymore, getting by doing the bare minimum, ordering takeout because cooking felt impossible, and struggling to get out of bed. I had constant headaches, was irritable, isolated myself, and cried A LOT. It’s true — ask my dog, lol.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have goals and ambition to achieve great things in life, it just means to slow down a little bit. Your brain is working faster than your body can keep up. If you don’t take a break every once in a while, your body will force you to take a break and little things like someone merging into your lane without using their blinker will piss you off more than it should.
Low-Functioning Anxiety
On the other hand, low-functioning anxiety is more visible to others because there’s nothing to hide it behind. You might feel like you’re going to fail anyway, so what’s the point in even trying?
It tends to affect your daily routine — maybe you’re not sleeping well, your eating habits are off, or you’ve lost motivation to get ready in the morning. However it shows up, it sucks. And you’re not alone.
Low-functioning anxiety isn’t about laziness — it’s your body’s way of saying, “I’m overwhelmed, and I need rest.”
The Similarities (and Overlap)
High- and low-functioning anxiety share the same root symptoms — racing thoughts, worry, physical tension, irritability, and overwhelm. The main difference is how it shows up on the outside.
Is your anxiety hidden behind being the “productive girly” 24/7, or is it forcing you to stay in bed all day?
Spoiler: sometimes, it’s both.
The great thing about anxiety is that it’s not all black and white. (Yay, complexity!) You can experience both sides, but you probably fall more toward one than the other depending on your stress levels, environment, and how much energy you have left in the tank.
Whether you’re in hyperdrive or hibernation mode, both are signals — not failures. The goal isn’t to “fix” your anxiety; it’s to understand what it’s trying to tell you.
Journal Prompt
What does your anxiety look like, and which type do you resonate with more?
What patterns do you notice when you feel anxious — do you start saying “no” to everything, or push through and tell yourself you’ll deal with it later?