Some people seek therapy because they feel stuck, unmotivated, and low. But some people can also be “over functioning.”
To others, these individuals appear to be high performing adults. At work, at home, in their communities, they are taking on task after task and appear to be capable of doing it all.
The problem is that that achievement can come at the expensive of your health, your sleep, or your sense of self.
This is a sign that you’re “over functioning.”
You’re taking on too much. You’re mortgaging your health and happiness to take on more than you can handle. You’re:
- Picking up responsibilities that aren’t yours because “no one else can do it.”
- You’re avoiding necessary rest and pushing yourself through exhaustion.
- You’re allowing your self-worth to be tied to your achievements.
- Saying “no” feels like it might risk your reputation or relationships.
Individuals that are “over functioning” are often stuck in this “go go go” mindset at the expense of their mental (and physical) health.
Why This Occurs
For some people, high achievement is a survival strategy. It’s a way to feel in control, useful, or needed. For others, it’s trauma, trying to achieve what their parents or past could not. For some, it’s what they were taught – that there is no such thing as enough success, and that you have to keep pushing yourself to achieve more.
No matter your specific reason, it’s a problem. It:
- Erodes your energy.
- Creates burnout.
- Causes anxiety and stress.
It can even affect your physical health. Chronic stress and anxiety from this always moving, high achieving, over-functioning personality can lead to depression, heart stress, and so much more. Achievement is good. But not at the expense of other parts of your mental health.
How Therapy Can Help
Psychotherapy is not a service limited to those that are in the middle of mental health crises. For some, it is a way to learn how to make their life more bearable and more enjoyable. It’s an opportunity to:
- Learn to set and hold healthy boundaries without guilt.
- Reclaim the right to rest and restore without “earning it.”
- Redefine your value beyond how much you achieve.
- Build tools to share responsibility rather than carrying it all.
No one wants to get in the way of you achieving great things. But it is important to do so without losing yourself and your mental health in the process. Ready to get started? Please reach out to me, today.