Anxious but High‑Functioning: Signs You’re Not Just ‘Too Sensitive’

By GGC Clinician, Stefanie Rozborski

You’re the one people admire: strong, capable, always seeming to have it together. Maybe you’re doing well in school or work, keeping up with your responsibilities, supporting others, and yet inside—it’s a different story. You feel anxious, maybe more than you let on. At times you’ve heard “you’re just too sensitive,” or you’ve minimized how much things affect you. But what if what you’re experiencing is something more than being just “sensitive”? What if what's going on is high‑functioning anxiety?

You are not alone. Many women and teen girls share this experience: on the outside, competence; on the inside, constant worry, tension, and self‑criticism. Understanding the signs can help you take care of yourself with tenderness instead of shame.

What is “High‑Functioning Anxiety”?

“High‑functioning anxiety” isn’t an official diagnosis—you won’t find it named in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM‑5). But therapists and researchers use it to describe people who cope, perform, and appear outwardly capable, while inside they’re in near‑constant stress, worry, and overdrive. Walden University+1

When this kind of anxiety goes unrecognized, it often gets mislabeled as being “too sensitive,” “overreacting,” or simply “not tough enough.” But sensitivity itself is not the problem—it’s how your nervous system, thoughts, and routines are being taxed beyond what feels manageable.

How to Tell You’re More Than “Sensitive”

Here are signs (backed by research or clinical observations) that what you’re feeling is more than just sensitivity.

Sensitivity vs. High‑Functioning Anxiety: What’s Different?

There is a real, positive trait called high sensitivity (also called sensory‑processing sensitivity). People who are highly sensitive tend to notice subtle details, feel deeply, be richly empathetic, and sometimes be overwhelmed by stimuli that others might barely notice. Verywell Mind+2The Guardian+2

But sensitivity by itself doesn’t necessarily lead to constant worry, insomnia, or feeling “on” all the time. The difference between healthy sensitivity and high‑functioning anxiety often shows up in:

• how constant the internal stress is
  
  
• whether it interferes (even subtly) with rest, mental peace, and self‑esteem
  
  
• whether your body shows signs of overuse (fatigue, tension, sickness)
  
  
• how you feel about yourself in quiet moments (do you rest easily, or do worries surge in?)
  
  

What the Research Says

• Sleep Disturbance & Anxiety: A review found that sleep disturbance isn’t just a side effect—it often exacerbates anxiety symptoms. Poor sleep makes emotional regulation harder, increases physiological arousal, and makes worry more frequent. PubMed+2PubMed+2
  
  
• Perfectionism, Sleep, and Anxiety: In research on perfectionism, sleep‑related worry and dysfunctional beliefs about sleep were key mediators between high perfectionism and insomnia symptoms. If you find yourself lying awake worrying that you must sleep well or else everything falls apart, this is more than normal self‑care. PMC
  
  
• Subthreshold Anxiety & Its Burden: Even when anxiety doesn’t meet diagnostic thresholds (i.e., isn’t labeled an “anxiety disorder”), it can still carry a meaningful burden—affecting quality of life, relationships, sleep, mood. Studies of subthreshold generalized anxiety disorder show significant distress and impairment even in less obvious forms. BioMed Central
  
  

Why It Matters for Women & Teen Girls

Society often tells girls to be caring, emotionally attuned, and self‑sacrificing. There can also be stigma or shame around admitting you’re anxious, especially when things “look fine.” You may internalize criticism (“you’re too sensitive,” “stop worrying so much”) rather than see that it might be a sign you need care, rest, boundaries.

Teen girls are particularly vulnerable: with school pressures, social comparison, family expectations, growing bodies/heavy emotions, and often less experience with self‑regulation, the gap between what’s expected (external) and what’s felt (internal) can feel especially wide.

What You Can Do: Gentle Steps Toward Healing

Here are ways to move from surviving to thriving—not by pushing harder, but by listening more deeply to what your mind, heart, and body need.

1. Name it: Just knowing this might be high‑functioning anxiety can feel relieving. You’re not weak or overreacting—you’re coping under load.
   
   
2. Set rest and boundary rituals: Time to decompress, say no when you’ve said yes too much, limit exposure to draining people or situations, protect your sleep. Sleep has a causal role with anxiety—better sleep supports regulation. PubMed+1
   
   
3. Practice shadow work with thoughts: Are there beliefs like “if I make a mistake, I’m a failure,” or “others will think less of me” that run and run? Journaling, therapy, or mindful noticing can help you catch those thoughts and challenge them.
   
   
4. Slow down in transitions: Build small rituals between activities—pause before switching tasks; breathe; check in with your internal state.
   
   
5. Prioritize self‑compassion: When sensitive people are also perfectionists, they often are their own harshest critics. What would you say to your best friend in your position? Let that be your voice to yourself.
   
   
6. Reach for supportive community & therapy: A counselor or therapist who understands both sensitivity and anxiety can help you disentangle what’s yours vs. what you’ve internalized from others. You don’t have to do this alone.
   
   

When to Seek More Support

You may want to consider counseling or mental health care if you notice:

• Anxiety is worsening: you’re more exhausted, more irritable, more physically ill.
  
  
• Sleep is becoming chronically disrupted—even though you feel deeply tired.
  
  
• You’ve begun avoiding things that matter (socially, academically, relationally) because of anxiety.
  
  
• You find yourself thinking about harming yourself, or other serious intrusions.
  
  

Counseling doesn’t mean something is “wrong” with you. It means you’re honoring your needs and your pain in a safe, healing space. At Grace & Gratitude Counseling, we believe every woman and teen girl deserves to feel she can be seen, understood, and held—even in the anxiety. Your sensitivity might be one of your greatest strengths. Sometimes, what you really need is support in learning how to live with it more gracefully.