Corporate Workshops

High-Functioning Anxiety in the Workplace: Can you be the strongest person in the room and struggle with anxiety?

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This webinar explores the paradox of being highly capable on the outside while silently battling anxiety within — and offers practical tools to bridge that gap.

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Key Statistics: 

• 67% of high performers report feeling “always or often” stressed at work, yet only 15% have disclosed this to their employer. (Harvard Business Review, 2021)

• 70% of leaders say they experience burnout or anxiety — often in silence — due to the pressure to appear competent and in control. (Deloitte, 2022)

• 62% of employees with anxiety say it affects their concentration, decision-making, and ability to meet deadlines. (Mind UK, 2023)

• 1 in 3 professionals with anxiety are classified as “high functioning” — meaning their performance masks their distress, delaying support. (Anxiety & Depression Association of America, 2022)

• Companies that prioritise mental health see 4x higher employee retention and 21% higher productivity. (World Health Organization, 2022)

 

Why this matters to your organisation

Your most driven, capable, and high-performing employees might also be the ones silently battling anxiety — without ever showing it.

High-functioning anxiety hides behind professionalism, perfectionism, and overachievement. It doesn’t show up as absenteeism — it shows up as burnout, strained relationships, poor emotional regulation, or sudden resignations from people you thought were “doing fine.”

According to Deloitte’s 2022 Global Wellbeing Survey, 70% of executives are seriously considering leaving for a job that better supports their wellbeing. Many cite internal pressure and burnout, not workload alone.

Research published in Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2021) shows that chronic stress impairs prefrontal cortex function, reducing decision-making capacity, impulse control, and emotional regulation — all critical for leadership and team performance.

In today’s high-pressure, high-performance culture, understanding this hidden issue is a leadership imperative.

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Why your team should attend

This session provides a psychologically informed, neuroscience-backed exploration of high-functioning anxiety, aimed at:

• Leaders who want to support teams with empathy and impact

• HR professionals managing performance, burnout, and wellbeing

• Employees navigating high-stakes roles while silently struggling

• Organisational cultures committed to resilience, retention, and wellbeing

A study in Frontiers in Psychology (2020) highlights how emotion suppression and overcontrol — common in high-functioning anxiety — correlate with long-term stress and poorer workplace relationships. These employees may appear calm, but experience high inner distress.

 

What you will learn

• How to spot the signs of high-functioning anxiety (often missed)

• Why anxiety shows up differently in high-achievers — and why they rarely speak up

• The neuroscience behind stress, overthinking, and emotional exhaustion

• How internal struggles can affect external performance, decision-making, and team dynamics

• The double-edged sword of perfectionism and drive

• Practical, evidence-based tools and strategies to manage anxiety at work 

Research by the American Psychological Association (2023) found that over 60% of high-performing employees report persistent anxiety, despite outward success — a silent risk factor for presenteeism and disengagement.

 

What the session includes

• A personal story from my time working in the City

• Real-world case examples relevant to leadership, finance, legal, tech and more

• Insights from psychology, neuroscience, therapy and coaching

• Takeaway tools: emotional regulation, distress tolerance, boundary setting, inner critic management

• Optional follow-up: leadership workshops or 1:1 therapeutic coaching support

 

Business benefits

• Reduce burnout and absenteeism in high-performing teams

• Improve psychological safety and emotional intelligence across your culture

• Boost retention by proactively supporting the wellbeing of top talent

• Equip your people with mental fitness tools that enhance productivity, creativity, and resilience

The World Economic Forum (2023) cites mental wellbeing as one of the top ten drivers of future-fit workplaces. Forward-thinking organisations are embedding proactive emotional health strategies — not just reactive policies.