The Price of Success: How to Handle Stress When You're a High Achiever

You barely slept last night. Despite the lack of proper sleep, you were up and out of bed before your alarm clock even went off. 

You get ready, make breakfast, grab a cup of coffee, and you’re out the door. You don’t want to waste your day at home when there’s so much to get done at the office. You’re usually one of the first people to show up at the office in the morning and one of the last to leave at night. 

Everyone at work thinks you’re hardworking, dedicated, and motivated. You’re hopeful that no one actually sees how stressed, anxious, and nervous you actually are. 

Here’s how to handle stress when you’re a high achiever. 

Take Care of Yourself

Finding time for yourself and incorporating a little "me time" into your day is crucial. Try to aim for at least 30 minutes each day to get your body moving. Exercise is proven to be a natural stress reliever.

Along with exercise, make sure you're fueling your body properly throughout the day by not skipping meals and drinking enough water. Eating 3-5 healthy and well-balanced meals throughout your day will ensure that you're fueling your body to perform to the best of its ability.

It can be easy to develop sleeping issues when you're dealing with stress and anxiety. Sleep is crucial for rest and recovery. Try your best to calm your mind each night so you're able to fall asleep faster and stay asleep during the night.

If you have a tight deadline, don't pull an all-nighter. Prioritize your sleep and wake up a little earlier to get work done instead.

Determine Healthy Ways to Handle Stress

A lot of high achievers actually deal with stress by making things worse. Some individuals will take on more stress or work as a way to avoid the stress they're currently facing. Another unhealthy way that some individuals will cope with stress is by turning to drugs and alcohol.

When you mask stress, it can lead to more issues in the future. Handling stress means actually dealing with the stress as it's happening.

If you notice yourself engaging in any of these behaviors, try to consider healthier ways to cope.

Focus on Being Present

Your mind is constantly racing to switch between reading emails in your inbox, working on a project, getting ready for a presentation, and thinking about what's next on your list of things to do.

You're constantly living in the past and in the future. You're wondering if you hit goals, met deadlines, or surpassed expectations. Isn't it time you started living in the present moment?

A lot of anxiety can stem from past actions or things that haven't even happened yet. Try to push those worries aside and let yourself just be present. Sit, relax, accept, and appreciate the present day and present moment in time. Mindfulness exercises can help you get into the habit of focusing on the present.

Seek Support

Asking for help doesn't mean you're any less of a high achiever. If fact, reaching out for help shows how strong of a performer you are. Seeking help can only make you better in the long term. By acknowledging you need additional help and actually reaching out for it, you're showing yourself that you're making yourself and your work a priority.

Sure, there are things that you can do to help ease some of the stress and anxiety you may be facing, but if it's starting to affect your daily life, talking to an outside third party may be exactly what you need to move forward and enjoy your life again.

If you're interested in working with a therapist for your stress, reach out to us today to set up a consultation for therapy for perfectionism.