The high achiever’s relationship with worry is a complicated one. Many high achievers identify as “worriers,” but credit their worrying as partly responsible for their success because “it keeps [them] on [their] toes” and “helps problem solve” – They treat worry a badge of honor or a battle wound to be proud of. The irony is that the experience of “worry” is more likely to impede productivity and analytical thinking than it is to support it.
Worry is also a significant symptom present in every type of anxiety. Generally speaking, anxiety disorders all include a combination of 1) worry; and 2) worry significantly impacting one’s behavior. Diagnoses that fall under the category of anxiety include: Generalized Anxiety; 2) Social Anxiety; 3) Phobias; 4) Separation Anxiety; and 5) Panic Disorder. OCD, Acute Stress Disorder, and PTSD have recently been re-categorized outside of the Anxiety umbrella, but are still considered very closely related to the other anxiety disorders.
Everyone worries to some degree, but you are starting to wonder if you are worrying more than others? Maybe you even start to worry about how much you worry. While that may be the impression, excessive worry can actually , getting in the way of enjoying professional success.