The Cycle of High-Functioning Anxiety (and How to Finally Break It)
Release Date: 10/15/2025
How to Prioritize Your Nervous System as a High Achiever
Calmly Coping
If you’re constantly pushing yourself to do more but still feel anxious, overwhelmed, or exhausted, this episode is for you. I’m sharing why your nervous system—not your productivity—is the real foundation for feeling calm, balanced, and confident. You’ll learn how chronic stress keeps your body stuck in survival mode and three practical, realistic ways to regulate your nervous system, even if your life feels busy or out of control. In this episode, you will learn: Why focusing only on goals and productivity can keep you stuck in survival mode Three practical ways to regulate...
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Permission to Pause + A Quick Update
Calmly Coping
As we end the year, this is a brief discussion on the mindset shift of giving yourself permission to pause, rest, and recharge, along with a quick podcast update! 💌 Subscribe to the Calmly Coping Newsletter: Email me your podcast episode suggestions to: ✨ What would you love to hear about on the podcast in 2026? 1. Why you always feel behind and how to break that cycle 2. How to stop white-knuckling through life and ease constant pressure 3. Fear of being disappointed and how it keeps you playing small 4. The high-achiever trap: do well → get more...
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Metrics Are Making You Miserable
Calmly Coping
Metrics and “self-tracking” could be making you miserable. In recent years we have seen the rise of tracking metrics such as sleep, mood, habits, steps, water intake, and so much more, along with the pursuit of maintaining streaks, closing your rings, and other ways of gamifying health and wellness habits. However, if you struggle with perfectionism or are a high achiever, these forms of improving your physical and mental health could be causing you more pressure, guilt, and self-criticism than you realize. In this episode, I’ll be diving into why, along with how you can use digital...
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Should You Use ChatGPT for Therapy?
Calmly Coping
Increasingly more and more people are chatting with AI to help them talk through and manage mental health struggles. But is this okay? Does it actually help? And on the flip side — does it pose any dangers to your mental health? In this episode, I’m diving deep into whether or not using ChatGPT, or any AI bot, for therapy is a wise choice, along with the potential consequences. In this episode, you will learn: The risks of using AI for therapy The differences between chatting with AI and going to therapy Future considerations to use AI for mental health *** Correction: In...
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The Cure for Hurry Sickness
Calmly Coping
If you’ve ever worried that slowing down means you’re losing your edge, this episode will change your mind. You’ll learn why you feel the need to rush and do all the things always and immediately, along with practical tips for what to do about it so you can slow down, have space to breathe, and actually enjoy your life… while still working towards your goals. In this episode, you will learn: Why slowing down doesn’t mean giving up your ambition The hidden beliefs fueling your need to rush Simple ways to slow down without losing momentum ——————— Calmly...
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Affirmations for Rest and Self-Care (When You Feel Guilty Relaxing)
Calmly Coping
If you ever feel guilty taking a break or worry that rest makes you “lazy,” this affirmation episode is for you. These guided affirmations are designed to help you rewire the belief that your worth is tied to productivity and begin embracing rest as a vital part of your well-being. Listen daily for 30 days to retrain your mind to see rest and self-care not as indulgences, but as essential acts of balance and self-respect. In this episode, you’ll hear affirmations that help you: Release guilt around resting and slowing down Remember that your worth isn’t defined by how much you...
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How to Achieve More by Doing Less
Calmly Coping
How many times have you heard that hard work is the only path to success? Or that if you’re not grinding every second of the day, you’re falling behind? It’s everywhere—this idea that working harder, longer, and faster is the key to getting ahead. But what if that’s not true? If you’re someone who’s constantly pushing yourself to the edge, sacrificing sleep, downtime, and even your health, you might feel like that’s the price you have to pay for success. But what if you could achieve more by doing less? What if working smarter, not harder, is the real secret? In today’s...
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Time Management Essentials for High Achievers with Anna Dearmon Kornick
Calmly Coping
If you’ve ever found yourself juggling endless to-do lists, trying to “do it all,” yet still feeling behind — this conversation is for you. In this episode, I’m joined by Anna Dearmon Kornick, a sought-after time management coach, keynote speaker, and founder of the It’s About Time Academy. Anna shares why overwhelm isn’t just about being busy, the truth about context switching, and how to create balance that actually feels good — without sacrificing your ambition. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why high achievers are especially prone to overwhelm (and how to...
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3 Lessons I’ve Learned Helping High Achievers Manage Anxiety
Calmly Coping
Most people think anxiety keeps you stuck in inaction — hiding, avoiding, or freezing. But with high-functioning anxiety, it often looks completely different. In this episode, I’m sharing three powerful lessons I’ve learned from helping hundreds of high-achieving professionals manage their anxiety — lessons that may just change the way you see yourself. In this episode, you will learn: The unexpected way anxiety drives high achievers to cope A common pattern that leaves you drained without realizing it A powerful shift that can help you finally feel calmer 3-Part...
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The Cycle of High-Functioning Anxiety (and How to Finally Break It)
Calmly Coping
Do you ever feel like no matter how much you do, it never feels like enough? That constant cycle of overthinking and overdoing has a name — and today, I’m going to break down the cycle of high-functioning anxiety, why it keeps you stuck, and most importantly, how you can start breaking free from it. In this episode, you will learn: The 4-stage cycle that keeps high-functioning anxiety going Why it feels like you’re stuck on a hamster wheel of overthinking and overdoing A simple way to start interrupting the cycle in real time 3-Part High-Functioning Anxiety Series: Part...
info_outlineDo you ever feel like no matter how much you do, it never feels like enough? That constant cycle of overthinking and overdoing has a name — and today, I’m going to break down the cycle of high-functioning anxiety, why it keeps you stuck, and most importantly, how you can start breaking free from it.
In this episode, you will learn:
- The 4-stage cycle that keeps high-functioning anxiety going
- Why it feels like you’re stuck on a hamster wheel of overthinking and overdoing
- A simple way to start interrupting the cycle in real time
3-Part High-Functioning Anxiety Series:
Part 1: The Hidden Costs of High-Functioning Anxiety: https://www.becalmwithtati.com/costs-of-hfa/
Part 2: This episode!
Part 3: 3 Lessons I’ve Learned Helping High Achievers Manage Anxiety: https://www.becalmwithtati.com/hfa-lessons/
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Calmly Coping is a self-improvement podcast for high achievers who struggle with high-functioning anxiety to help you feel more calm, balanced, and confident from within.
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✨ Learn more about the brand new Calm & Ambitious Resource Vault: https://www.calmlycoping.com/vault
💬 Submit a message, question, or suggestion to the podcast: https://calmlycoping.com/message
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Want more?
👩🏽💻 Work with me: My mission is to help you decrease your anxiety, declutter your mind, and say hello to a life of calm and balance. Learn more about my coaching, therapy, and course offerings here: https://becalmwithtati.com/work-with-me
👥 Join the Calmly Coping Group: The free supportive community for high-achievers with high-functioning anxiety. Join Today: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CalmlyCoping
📝 Take the Free High-Functioning Anxiety Quiz: http://hfaquiz.com
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My favorite tools:
🧘🏽♀️ Mindfulness Meditation App*: https://mindfulnesscom-partner-program.pxf.io/x97kyd
✅ Todoist To-Do List App*: https://get.todoist.io/8e7o0ay8n081
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Say hi on social:
🔗 Website: https://becalmwithtati.com/
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/tatianaglpc
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tatianaglpc/
📌 Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/tatianaglpc
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Intro/Outro Music: Rescue Me (Instrumental) by Aussens@iter (c) copyright 2018 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/tobias_weber/57990 Ft: Copperhead
Disclaimer
All content here is for informational purposes only. This content does not replace the professional judgment of your own mental health provider. Please consult a licensed mental health professional for all individual questions and issues.
*Links included in these show notes may be affiliate links. This means that I may earn a small commission for purchases made using these links (at no additional cost to you). All products that I share are products I use, love, and recommend.