We often imagine anxiety as panic attacks or someone who looks visibly overwhelmed. But anxiety can look very different.

Think about Monica from Friends. On the outside, she’s organized, dependable, always on top of everything. But underneath, she’s driven by perfectionism, fear of failure, and a need for control. That’s what high-functioning anxiety looks like in real life: people who appear capable and composed, while quietly struggling with worry and tension that never shut off..