Technical School College Students With High-Functioning Anxiety & Perfectionism

Our world is built on tech. If our tech runs smoothly, our lives run smoothly (for the most part!).

If you are in technical school or college, thank you! Your work is needed!

In the technical world, things change fast, so there is constant pressure to stay up to date on the latest developments. This can be a challenge for someone already working in the field, but when you’re still learning and building a foundation while ALSO having to keep up to date with these changes, avoiding mental overload can be a real challenge.

The internal pressure to excel in speed and aptitude, to pass all your tests with flying colors, and to impress your teachers so you have the best shot at the best programs and job opportunities can be immense and intense.

This constant internal pressure and drive towards excellence can produce greatness. But it also exists on a precipice - the constant pull towards perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety.

At Inside Wellness in Utah County, we know there are many students from Utah Tech University, Utah College of Applied Technology, Mountainland Technical College, and other schools and universities who work hard to excel in their studies…but also have a more private struggle between aiming for excellence and perfection.

Identifying the line between excellence and perfection can easily become blurry, especially when you’re working hard, sleep-deprived, and mentally exhausted from maintaining constant focus on your studies.

If you’re feeling the push and pull of this struggle, you are not alone. Perfectionism is a common problem among high-achievers (which many technical university and college students are), and often goes alongside high-functioning anxiety.

Perfectionism involves constantly trying to be perfect and produce perfect results, rarely (if ever) acknowledging your successes or achievements, and never being satisfied with your accomplishments.

Although that might seem to be a fastback to professional and personal success, the problem is that perfection is impossible for anyone to attain. That’s not a challenge; it’s simply a fact. Excellence is possible; perfection is not.

This relentless internal pressure to be perfect can start to wear you down mentally, emotionally, and even physically. It can begin to affect your relationships, both personal and professional. It can affect you to such an extent that you lose your passion and motivation for your studies, which can make burnout and dropping out of school an every-present threat.

This spiraling cycle of obsessive thoughts and behaviors often results in high-functioning anxiety: someone who lives with anxiety but feels they are still able to function in other areas of the life.

Just living with this combination of perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety can make you feel exhausted and trapped, slowly sapping your enjoyment of life and your studies.

The good news is that these two challenges can absolutely be helped and improved. A licensed mental health therapist who specializes in helping individuals with perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety will be able to gently and empathetically listen and guide you towards restoring balance.

If you currently live in the Salt Lake Valley, Salt Lake City, Holladay, Mill Creek, Murray, Provo, Orem, Lehi, Sandy or Draper, you likely have access to one of the most experienced and specialized therapy practices in the state.

Inside Wellness’ team of counselors specialize in helping individuals struggling with perfectionism, high-functioning anxiety, and eating disorders. Our therapists’ training includes therapy modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), talk therapy, and other therapy approaches proven to help with perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety.

If you are a technical university or college student in Utah and you know you need help to regain your inner balance, Inside Wellness can help.

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator who will help you find the therapist who will be the best fit for you

Undergraduate & College Students With High-Functioning Anxiety & Perfectionism

You’ve arrived. The day has finally come when you are taking the next steps and you can’t wait for all that the future holds for you. School, new friends, new freedoms & adventures await you!

The Drive For Excellence

You’ve crossed many hurdles already to reach this point in your education and moving into your professional life. You’ve already shown resilience, strength, problem-solving and decision-making ability, and determination.

As you start down the road to your chosen profession, you naturally want to do the very best you can. It’s common to feel intense internal pressure to learn everything you can, to pass all your tests with flying colors, and to impress your teachers so you have the best shot at the best programs and job opportunities.

This drive towards excellence can produce greatness. But it can also have a darker side - the slippery slope into perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety. Inside Wellness understands the dark side of the drive for excellence and our team of skilled therapists are here to help.

Perfectionism and High-Functioning Anxiety, A Slippery Slope

At Inside Wellness in Utah County, our team of skilled therapists work with many students from BYU, U.V.U. and University of Utah, and other schools and universities who work hard to excel in their studies…but also have a more private struggle between aiming for excellence and perfection. The line between the two can easily become blurry, especially when you’re sleep-deprived and mentally exhausted from maintaining constant focus.

If you’re feeling the push and pull of this struggle, you are not alone. Perfectionism is a common problem among high-achievers (which many undergraduates and college students are), and often goes hand in hand with high-functioning anxiety.

What is Perfectionism?

Perfectionism involves constantly trying to be perfect and produce perfect results, rarely (if ever) acknowledging your successes or achievements, and never being satisfied with your accomplishments. 

Although that might seem to be a fast track to professional and personal success, the problem is that perfection is impossible to attain. This relentless internal pressure to be perfect starts to wear you down mentally, emotionally, and even physically. It can start to affect your relationships, both personal and professional. It can affect you to such an extent that you become disillusioned and lose your passion and motivation for your studies, causing you to wonder why you even started down this road in the first place. Burnout and dropping out of school become constant, looming threats.

What is High-Functioning Anxiety?

In the pursuit of perfection, this spiraling cycle of obsessive thoughts and behaviors often results in high-functioning anxiety: a person who lives with anxiety but feels they are still able to function in other areas of the life.

The combination of perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety can make you feel exhausted and trapped, with your enjoyment of life and your studies slowly draining away.

You Are not Alone, Therapy for Perfectionism and High-Functioning Anxiety Can Help

The good news is that these two challenges can absolutely be helped and improved. A licensed mental health therapist who specializes in helping individuals with perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety will be able to gently and empathetically listen and guide you towards restoring balance. 

Locations in Utah

If you currently live in Park City, Salt Lake City, Holladay, Millcreek, Murray, Sandy, Provo, Orem, Lehi, or Draper, you likely have access to one of the most experienced and specialized therapy practices in the state. 

Specializations in Treating Perfectionism and High-Functioning Anxiety

Inside Wellness’ team of counselors specialize in therapy for students struggling with perfectionism, high-functioning anxiety, and eating disorders. Our therapists’ training includes therapy modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), talk therapy, and other therapy approaches proven to help with perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety.

If you are an undergraduate or college student and you need confidential help to overcome perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety, Inside Wellness can help.

Begin Therapy for Perfectionism in Utah

Seeking high-functioning anxiety treatment can be the first step to being successful not only in school but also in life. Therapy for students in Utah is available with our team of well-trained counselors! Follow the steps below to get connected with someone who can help you successfully navigate the pressures and expectations of graduate school.

If you're ready to get started, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Reach out to us about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.

2. Learn more about our counseling services and the members of our team.

3. Get set up with a counselor who is right for you!

Additional Services Offered at Inside Wellness

• Body Image

• Anxiety Counseling

• Eating Disorder Therapy

• Online Therapy in Utah

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator, who will work with you to find the right therapist match for you.

Medical Students With High-Functioning Anxiety & Perfectionism

If you’re working your way through medical school, chances are you wanted to join the profession because you care about and want to help people. Does that sound like you?

The Drive for Perfectionism

Naturally, you want to do the very best you can to help someone get well again, and to do that you feel intensely the need to learn everything you can, to pass all the tests with flying colors, and to impress your teachers and medical institutions so you can get the best position possible. 

This drive towards excellence can produce stellar, dedicated, well-informed physicians. But this drive towards excellence can also have a darker side - the slippery slope into perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety.

Finding Balance: The Struggle With Perfectionism and High-Functioning Anxiety

At Inside Wellness in Salt Lake County, we work with many students from the University of Utah, and other schools and universities who excel at their chosen field of study…but struggle to keep a balance between aiming for excellence and perfection.

If you’re suffering from perfectionism and aren’t sure how or if you want to achieve a greater level of balance in your life, you are not alone. Perfectionism is a common problem among high-achievers, and often goes hand in hand with high-functioning anxiety.

What is perfectionism?

Perfectionism involves constantly striving for perfection, rarely (if ever) acknowledging your successes or achievements, and never being satisfied with your accomplishments. 

The problem is that perfection is, by definition, impossible to attain, so this relentless pressure to be perfect starts to wear you down mentally, emotionally, and even physically. It can start to affect your relationships, both personal and professional. It can affect you to such an extent that you become disillusioned and lose your passion and motivation for your chosen field, causing you to wonder why you even started down this road in the first place. Burnout becomes a constant, looming threat.

What is high-functioning anxiety?

This ever-building cycle of obsessive thoughts and behaviors often results in high-functioning anxiety. That is, a person who lives with anxiety but feels they are still able to function in other areas of the life.

The combination of perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety can make you feel exhausted and trapped, with your enjoyment of life and your area of study slowly draining away.

Therapy Options in Utah

The good news is that these two afflictions can absolutely be helped and improved. A licensed mental health therapist who specializes in helping individuals with perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety will be able to gently and empathetically listen and guide you as you move towards restoring balance. 

If you currently live in the Salt Lake Valley, Salt Lake City, Holladay, Mill Creek, Murray, Lehi, Sandy, or Draper, you likely have access to one of the most experienced and specialized therapy practices in the state. 

Inside Wellness’ team of counselors specializes in helping individuals struggling with perfectionism, high-functioning anxiety, body image and eating disorders. Some of our therapists’ training includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), talk therapy, and other modalities proven to help with perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety.

If you are a medical student and you need some evidence-based, confidential help to overcome perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety, Inside Wellness can help.

Begin Therapy for Perfectionism in Utah

Seeking high-functioning anxiety treatment can be the first step to being successful not only in school but also in life. Therapy for students in Utah is available with our team of well-trained counselors! Follow the steps below to get connected with someone who can help you successfully navigate the pressures and expectations of graduate school.

If you're ready to get started, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Reach out to us about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.

2. Learn more about our counseling services and the members of our team.

3. Get set up with a counselor who is right for you!

Additional Services Offered at Inside Wellness

• Body Image

• Anxiety Counseling

• Eating Disorder Therapy

• Online Therapy in Utah

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator, who will work with you to find the right therapist match for you.

Graduate Students With High-Functioning Anxiety & Perfectionism

Congratulations on moving on to grad school!

You’re no stranger to hard work to have gotten where you are today, and naturally you have your sights trained on achieving personal and professional excellence.

If you’re reading this article, though, you already know that there can be a darker side to striving for excellence. Maintaining mental balance while constantly trying to be noticed, to stand out, and to be the best can be tricky at. At Wildflower Therapy our skilled team of Therapists understand these challenges!

Perfectionism

Many graduate students suffer from perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety without even knowing there is a name for what they’re battling.

Perfectionism has been described as setting high standards and striving for flawlessness while also being highly self-critical. Does this sound like you?

High Functioning Anxiety

Perfectionism often goes hand-in-hand with high-functioning anxiety. Although high-functioning anxiety is not currently a recognized mental health diagnosis, it generally refers to people who live with anxiety but also function reasonably well in other aspects of their life.

Individuals who struggle with high-functioning anxiety often notice that their anxiety propels them forward rather than leaving them frozen in fear. On the surface, you may also appear to be successful, calm, and focused—the type of person who generally excels at work and life. However, that outer veneer may be very different to how you actually feel on the inside.

The Trade-Off

Perfectionism and high-functioning anxiety can rob you of inner peace and mental and emotional balance. Although they may propel you forward in your chosen career, they will eventually exact payment for their services, in the form of lost relationships, extreme stress, and dangerous mistakes. They can also cause physical changes, such as insomnia, eating and appetite changes, as well as a whole host of other issues.

Managing Perfectionism

It’s worth the effort to regain mental and emotional balance. Here are five tips to help you manage perfectionism:

1 - Practice self-acknowledgment and self-praise.

So much of perfectionism involves pushing for More, Better, without taking any time to acknowledge the accomplishments you’ve had or the effort you’ve put in. Next time you accomplish something, no matter how small, take a minute to say ‘Well done’ or ‘I did well with that’ to yourself.

2 - Set realistic goals.

Big goals are great, but it can be demoralizing to constantly be striving for a big goal that will be out of reach for years. Set the big goals, but then work backwards and set the mid- and short-term goals that build on each other and lead you to that bigger end goal. Setting and reaching goals has been shown to improve well-being and fuel future efforts.

3 - Acknowledge your strengths.

Western culture tends to focus on individual weaknesses and failings while glorifying other people’s successes and strengths. In reality, we are all a mixture of strengths and weaknesses. Don’t allow your weaknesses to drown out your attention.

Make a list of your strengths and then look for these in your efforts; you will likely start noticing them constantly as your strengths are what you use daily to be the best you can be. Acknowledge them and be grateful for them.

4 - Challenge your unhealthy thoughts.

While thoughts may seem to appear, unbidden, in our heads, they can be controlled and changed over time. When you have a thought that exhausts you or makes you feel bad, challenge it. Ask yourself, ‘Is this thought balanced?’ ‘Is it true or is it just my perception?’ ‘What would be a healthier way to think about this?’ Our brains are flexible and plastic, able to change and grow. With or without help, you CAN change your thoughts.

5 - Be gentle with yourself.

Graduate school is not easy; you fought to get here. Staying here and thriving is not just about hard work and focus; it’s important to care for your body and mind so they are able to continue supporting you as you work towards your dreams.

Take time to do something you enjoy, go for a walk in nature, listen to music, practice mindfulness, have lunch with a friend, watch a funny movie. Give your body even these short, restorative sessions and it will be able to give you the strength you need to achieve your goals.

Asking for Help: The Benefits of Therapy for Perfectionism and High-Functioning Anxiety Treatment

If you still find yourself struggling to regain your mental balance, don’t be afraid to reach out for extra support. Enlisting the help and guidance of a qualified mental health therapist can give you the boost you need to regain your balance.

Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign of strength to recognize you have a need and to ask for help with it. This is a strength that will continue to serve you as you finish school and move into your chosen profession. Perfection may not be attainable, but good, and even great, are possible. Especially if you allow others to help lift you higher than you could climb alone.

Begin Therapy for Perfectionism in Utah

Seeking high-functioning anxiety treatment can be the first step to being successful not only in school but also in life. Therapy for students in Utah is available with our team of well-trained counselors! Follow the steps below to get connected with someone who can help you successfully navigate the pressures and expectations of graduate school.

If you're ready to get started, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Reach out to us about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.

2. Learn more about our counseling services and the members of our team.

3. Get set up with a counselor who is right for you!

Additional Services Offered at Inside Wellness

• Body Image

• Anxiety Counseling

• Eating Disorder Therapy

• Online Therapy in Utah

Schedule a call today with our Care Coordinator, who will work with you to find the right therapist match for you.

Why Online Therapy Is Better (If You’re A VBP)

We realize that these are two rather provocative statements. Firstly, how can online counseling possibly be better than in-person therapy? And secondly, what on earth is a VBP??!

The Shift to Online Therapy

Until relatively recently, online therapy (that is, therapy sessions conducted via video like Zoom) were relatively unheard of. They may have been used in particular situations - for example, if a client is on vacation but doesn’t want to miss their session - but as a whole, in-person therapy sessions were the norm.

As we know, the Covid-19 pandemic changed all that. Work meetings, lunch breaks, job interviews, concerts with friends, and, yes, therapy sessions all went virtual as everyone worked to stay safe and protect others.

Is online therapy effective?

What We Know

We learned several things about ourselves and our society as this prolonged change took place. We learned that most of us can work just as productively (sometimes more so) from home than we did in the office. We learned that it’s chatting with your friends that’s most important, virtually or in-person. And we learned that therapy sessions are just as effective virtually as in-person.

Online Counseling, Effective as In-Person

But how can that possibly be? I hear you say. Online counseling sessions involve two-dimensional people instead of three-dimensional, there’s no one to hand you tissues or let you in and out through an actual door. While these things are all true, the results are conclusive: online therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy.

Benefits of Online Therapy

For most people, that means virtual therapy is no better or worse than in-person therapy; it’s entirely up to someone’s personal preference. Maybe they’re too nervous to do in-person sessions or battle a chronic health condition that leaves them vulnerable to infection. Or maybe they just prefer the experience of in-person therapy sessions.

Very Busy People, Ideal For Online Therapy

However, there is a group of people for whom online counseling sessions are absolutely, 100%, no doubt, simply BETTER: VBPs.

Very

Busy

People

If you are someone who is highly efficient, highly productive, and highly booked, taking an extra hour or more out of your day just to commute back and forth from a therapy appointment (PLUS the hour at the practice) is simply not an option for you or a good use of your time.

Benefits of Online Counseling in Utah

The thought of therapy may appeal to you, you may know you need it, but simply struggle to find the time to do it. In this case, virtual therapy sessions are the answer you need.

There is no commute time. No chatty preamble with the receptionist. No waiting in a waiting room, drumming your fingers and thinking of all the extra work you could be doing if you were still at your desk.

You simply schedule your session on a day and time that work for you, connect using the one-click link when you’re ready to join, have your session, and then get on with your day.

You will still have to take the time to schedule the session with your therapist. Which will take fifteen minutes or less, AND you get to schedule the day and time that works best for you to do that too.

So if you are a VBP (Very Busy Person), online therapy sessions may be the solution you haven’t had time to search for.

Begin Online Therapy in Utah

As a very busy person or VBP, it’s even more important to manage your time effectively. Taking care of your mental health does not have to take a back seat! We offer our online counseling services throughout the state of Utah for ease of access and convenience. Follow the steps below to get started on your self-care journey.

If you're ready to get started, you can follow these simple steps:

1. Reach out to us about scheduling a free 15-minute phone consultation.

2. Learn more about our counseling services and the members of our team.

3. Get set up with a counselor who is right for you!

Additional Mental Health Services Offered at Inside Wellness in Utah

• Body Image

• Anxiety Counseling

• Eating Disorder Therapy

• Online Therapy in Utah

How EMDR Can Change Your Beliefs And Your Relationships

The prevailing culture in Utah as a whole, Utah County, and the Salt Lake Valley places great importance on relationships.

Relationships are the foundation of nearly every aspect of our lives: from love relationships to work relationships to parent/child relationships to friendships to even unhealthy relationships. These relationships create a net of familiarity in our minds, a net that we hope will catch us when we fall, lift us back up when we stumble, support us in our daily lives, cheer us on as we reach for our goals.

Healthy relationships are vital to a peaceful inner and outer life. But often, negative or untrue beliefs that have amassed over the years about ourselves or others can create barriers and even conflict in one, some or even all of these relationships.

The way you view yourself affects more people than just you. How you view yourself affects how you present yourself and others treatment of and expectations for you. When belief systems are unhealthy, even if you don’t realize it, these WILL affect your relationships.

Often, the first place unhealthy belief systems draw attention to themselves is in a love relationship. This is often the closest relationship in your life, the one with the most vulnerability, trust, and lack of restraint. So it makes sense that the person with whom you are in a love relationship is often the one to first draw attention to incorrect beliefs you may have about yourself, them, or even other people.

This observation can be hard to receive without responding defensively. After all, in questioning deeply-held beliefs, it can feel like this person is tugging at your safety net. We build up our belief systems over time in response to our experience of different events. The purpose of them is to ostensibly protect us in the future if such a situation were to arise again. So any perceived rattling of this ‘safety net’ - your beliefs - can be unsettling and cause you to react defensively.

This is normal and completely understandable. If you can see that there may be some truth in your partner’s observations about you, what can you do to improve things so your relationship doesn’t continue to be affected and potentially broken down by these unhealthy beliefs?

EMDR therapy is a proven, powerful tool that helps individuals heal and recover from trauma in a safe, guided environment. At the same time, it gently helps you to challenge your beliefs and belief systems, carefully looking at each belief and asking yourself, ‘Is this belief really helping me?’ ‘Is this belief really true?’ ‘How might changing my belief change my relationship?’

EMDR accomplishes all this by helping you remove the burden of emotion that usually accompanies memories and even beliefs. In this less emotionally-charged setting, you are better able to look objectively at your beliefs and consider what’s working for you and what isn’t.

The eight phases of EMDR therapy build off each other, helping you identify beliefs you want to change, and helping you reprocess these into more accurate, positive belief patterns.

This relatively small investment of time can have a huge impact on your life, including in your closest relationships. When you believe things that are true and positive about yourself and others, you start to act and react differently. This has an immediate and noticeable effect on your relationships.

Countless people just like you have been helped to overcome trauma and unhealthy belief systems using the power of EMDR therapy.

If you are currently residing in Provo, Orem, Lehi, Draper, Sandy, Midvale, Murray, Holladay or the surrounding area, you have access to some of the most highly-trained specialists at Inside Wellness therapy practice.

Our EMDR specialists want to help and support you in your journey towards healthy beliefs, inner peace, and peaceful relationships. Call our warm Care Coordinator today to get started.

How Perfectionism Can Ruin Relationships

Perfectionism can be exhausting to live with - both for you and your loved ones. Trying to reach and maintain extremely high standards in relationships can lead to depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout. 

While high standards can be a positive thing, moving us to do our best in a task or activity, constant perfectionism can wear you down. It can lead to feelings of being trapped, anxiety, depression, loneliness, and isolation.

It can also insidiously wear down your relationships, as people start to feel it’s impossible to reach or maintain your high standards. This can lead to feelings of sadness and disconnection in both partners even when ultimately you both want to see each other succeed while simultaneously feeling connected.

Some stress and pressure can be good. But humans are just not equipped to cope with extreme or constant pressure and stress. It affects our bodies and minds negatively.

Perfectionism often begins with a series of negative thoughts or beliefs that become increasingly entrenched. The good news is that this same downward spiral of negative thinking can often be unwound back to its source.

A trained therapist who specializes in treating perfectionism in relationships will be able to help you work towards the mental balance and inner peace you (and your loved ones!) crave.

At Inside Wellness Utah, we specialize in a holistic approach to your mental health. Our perfectionism and relationship expert, Angela, specializes in helping you restore balance to your mental health and your relationships.

A common side effect of perfectionism is procrastination. Don’t procrastinate with getting the help you need to restore your mental health and relationships!

Schedule a call with our Care Coordinator today to book your first session with Angela.