He’s reliable, respected, and relentless. He’s the first to respond and the last to rest. From the outside, his life appears enviable, starting from promotions, presentations, to performance. But inside, his mind runs marathons, fuelled not by ambition but by unease.

This is high-functioning anxiety: a paradox where outward success masks inner struggle. Unlike stereotypical anxiety, it doesn’t freeze; it drives. It doesn’t stop you; it pushes you often to the point of exhaustion.

And men? They're often the last to acknowledge it. Social conditioning teaches men to equate calm with control, stress with strength. Vulnerability gets buried beneath the grind.

Need all your wellness solutions in one place? A whole new world awaits just a click away.

Symptoms of High-Functioning Anxiety 

Symptoms of stress and anxiety are similar, including:

• Difficulty staying focused
• Frequent worry
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Muscle tension
• Racing heartbeat
• Restlessness
• Sweatiness

High-functioning anxiety in men doesn’t always show up as obvious panic. According to Jenny Maenpaa, based primarily in New York city, is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and therapist who combines coaching with therapy to support high-achieving individuals, it can often take on subtler, less recognisable forms:

• Over-preparation for every meeting
• Irritability masked as urgency
• Constant need for reassurance, dressed up as attention to detail
• A packed calendar that’s really a distraction from discomfort
• Struggling to sleep, even after a “successful” day
• People-pleasing disguised as team spirit

Related Story: Could Stress Lead to Bad Skin?

Why Men Often Stay Silent About Anxiety

• Fear of being seen as weak
• Lack of vocabulary to name emotional experiences
• Cultural ideals that prize stoicism over self-awareness
• A belief that if they’re still “delivering,” there’s no problem

But emotions don’t vanish when ignored. They internalise, compound, and eventually spill out, often as burnout, chronic health issues, or emotional disconnection.

Related Story: Five Ways To Relax in Stressful Situations

8 Ways to Manage High-Functioning Anxiety 

High-functioning anxiety demands not just awareness, but a redefinition of masculine resilience. Strength today isn’t about suppressing emotion, it’s more about meeting it without fear.

We’re now seeing a shift: from men who perform under pressure to men who process their emotions. Emotional intelligence is no longer optional. It’s professional currency, relationship glue, and mental armour. And it begins by learning how to pause, name, and work through emotional experience, without judgment.

Here are eight gentle, effective tools men can use, according to research to navigate high-functioning anxiety without dismantling their identity:

1. Mindful Breathing (Box Breathing)

This military-tested breathing technique lowers your heart rate, resets your nervous system, and clears the mental fog. To practice this breathing exercise, start by sitting upright in a comfortable position with your back straight and shoulders relaxed. Gently close your eyes if that feels natural. Inhale deeply through your nose for a count of four, feeling your lungs expand. Then, hold your breath for another four seconds. Slowly exhale through your mouth for four seconds, letting go of any tension. Finally, hold your breath again for four seconds before starting the next round. Repeat this cycle for four to five rounds, keeping your breath smooth, steady, and controlled.Whether before a pitch, in traffic, or while waiting for a reply that hasn’t come, this is your calm-on-command button.

Try it for 3 minutes between meetings. The shift is real.

2. Cognitive Labelling

“This is anxiety. Not weakness, not failure.” This is what you need to remind yourself every time anxiety shows up. Naming the emotion takes away its power. Men are often taught to fix, not feel. But high-functioning anxiety doesn’t need to be fixed; it needs to be understood. When you name what’s happening internally, you stop it from controlling your reaction externally.

3. Physical Movement (Not Just Workouts)

Movement isn’t just for muscles, but it’s for mental release.

• Swap one Zoom call for a walking one
• Stretch your spine for a few minutes midday
• Play a sport that isn’t about winning rather just moving

The goal isn't to exhaust yourself. It's to let your nervous system discharge built-up tension.

4. Therapeutic Check-ins

Therapy isn’t a breakdown thing. It’s a breakthrough tool. You don’t need a diagnosis to benefit from therapy. In fact, some of the most high-functioning men use it to process faster, lead smarter, and stay grounded. A therapist is not a rescuer. They're a mental performance coach for your emotional game.

Maybe a session/sessions in a few months can offer clarity you won’t get from caffeine or spreadsheets. Book a session with UR.Life now!

Related story: How to Ease Playground Anxiety for Your Child

5. Set Digital Boundaries

Every ping isn’t urgent. Every notification doesn’t need a reaction. Schedule tech-free buffers after intense digital blocks- even 10 minutes makes a difference.

• No-phone lunches
• Notification cut-off after 8 pm
• One day a week without email scrolls (yes, even on weekends)

6. Scheduled Stillness

Create blank space on your calendar and protect it like any other meeting. Call it your mental recess. This isn’t wasted time; rather, consider it a productivity investment.

Stillness might mean:

• Sitting in silence after coffee
• Journaling three lines in your Notes app
• Staring out the window without purpose

These are moments when your mind stops sprinting, and your real thoughts catch up.

7. Identity Anchoring

Ask yourself: “Who am I outside my output?”

High-functioning anxiety often fuses your identity with your achievements. Take 10 minutes weekly to journal or reflect on:

• What do you enjoy when no one’s watching
• What makes you feel alive, not just useful
• What does success mean to you, not just to others

This anchors your sense of self in something deeper than deliverables.

8. Micro-Wins and Self-Recognition

You celebrate your team. Now celebrate yourself. Men with high-functioning anxiety often downplay success and amplify shortcomings. Flip that script. Recognise:

• The email you didn’t overthink
• The conversation you handled calmly
• The time you said “no” without guilt

High-functioning anxiety in men often hides behind achievements and outward confidence, but acknowledging it is the first step toward healing. True strength lies not in suppressing emotions, but in understanding and working through them. With awareness, support, and consistent self-care, it's possible to thrive and not just perform.

Need all your wellness solutions in one place? A whole new world awaits just a click away.

Looking for an exclusive and unique experience, expert staff, and unparalleled member services? Come join us at URLife Studios! We offer a comprehensive range of wellness services that promote optimum well-being. We are a trusted source for unique holistic health and pregnancy care workshops. Our physiotherapists design customised rehab programs based on health conditions. 

At UR.Life Studios, we offer a complete multi-disciplined approach to fitness and well-being. The URLife Studio is a luxe wellness oasis, combining sleek modern design, lavish amenities, state-of-the-art equipment and personalised wellness programs. 

• Yoga
• Kickboxing
• Pool and Bollywood aerobics
• Pregnancy care workshops
• Customised physiotherapy 
• Spa
• Garden Cafe
• Women’s wellness program