Can Anxiety Contribute to Depression and Overwhelm? 8 Ways to Cope
- 6 days ago
- 8 min read
Part Two: When Constant Worry Becomes Exhausting
Written by Jessica Schladt, LPC
Anxiety and depression often occur together, but some people notice the depression or overwhelm first.
After years of functioning through worry, perfectionism, urgency, self-criticism, and fear of disappointing others, someone may eventually become emotionally and physically exhausted. A person may be used to managing anxiety, but the depression is new to them. They may seek therapy because they feel depressed, unmotivated, irritable, burned out, or unable to keep up.
Only later do they begin recognizing how long anxiety has been operating in the background.
This is Part Two of a series about anxiety that hides behind productivity. Check out 12 signs of high-functioning anxiety you may not recognize if you have not already read Part One.
Can Anxiety Contribute to Depression?
Anxiety does not automatically cause depression, and depression is not always the result of anxiety.
However, anxiety and depression frequently occur together. The National Institute of Mental Health identifies depression as one of the conditions that can co-occur with generalized anxiety disorder. For some people, anxiety seems to appear first.
Living under constant internal pressure requires energy. The person repeatedly anticipates problems, evaluates their performance, manages uncomfortable feelings, and tries to prevent mistakes or disappointment. Eventually, they may no longer be able to maintain the same pace.
Their internal experience may shift from:
“I have to keep going or everything will fall apart.”
to:
“I cannot keep going, and I do not know how to fix this.”
Depression can involve loss of interest, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in sleep or appetite, hopelessness, guilt, withdrawal, irritability, and difficulty managing everyday responsibilities. These symptoms may be the first indication that the person’s usual coping system is no longer sustainable.
What Is Anxiety Burnout?
Anxiety burnout is an informal description of the exhaustion that can develop after spending a prolonged period worrying, overpreparing, monitoring problems, managing other people’s reactions, or relying on pressure to stay productive.
It is not a formal diagnosis.
It describes the point at which the strategies someone uses to stay functional begin consuming more energy than they can sustain.
Anxiety burnout may feel like:
Being physically tired but mentally unable to relax
Feeling overwhelmed by ordinary decisions
Becoming increasingly irritable
Avoiding tasks that once felt manageable
Losing motivation
Feeling emotionally numb or detached
Wanting to withdraw from other people
Feeling guilty about not accomplishing enough
Believing you should be coping better
Feeling unable to reduce your responsibilities
Why Overwhelm May Be the First Obvious Sign
High-functioning anxiety often depends on someone staying ahead of their responsibilities. They may rely on detailed planning, constant mental reminders, overpreparation, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or completing tasks early.
That system may work until life requires more than the system can hold. Parenthood, caregiving, relationship conflict, health concerns, work demands, grief, financial strain, relocation, or several smaller changes may reduce the person’s ability to maintain control.
They begin falling behind.
Tasks that once felt manageable now feel impossible. They become tired but cannot rest. They lose motivation but remain mentally preoccupied with everything they should be doing. They may initially describe the problem as depression, burnout, laziness, poor time management, or a lack of discipline.
Underneath the overwhelm, however, there may still be an anxious belief that they must do everything correctly, prevent every problem, and avoid disappointing anyone.
Signs Anxiety May Be Contributing to Your Depression or Overwhelm
Anxiety may be part of the picture when you also notice that:
Rest makes you feel guilty or restless
Your mind keeps working even when your body is exhausted
You constantly worry about disappointing people
You struggle to determine what is “good enough”
Small decisions feel disproportionately difficult
You avoid tasks you cannot guarantee you will complete correctly
You repeatedly seek reassurance but rarely feel reassured
You feel responsible for other people’s reactions
You become distressed when you cannot control the plan
Accomplishing something creates only brief relief
Your self-worth is closely connected to productivity
You feel overwhelmed but cannot give yourself permission to do less
These signs do not prove that someone has an anxiety or depressive disorder. They are patterns worth examining, particularly when they begin interfering with everyday functioning.
How to Manage High-Functioning Anxiety and Overwhelm
Recognizing anxiety can feel confusing when the same behaviors have also contributed to your success.
The goal is not to become careless, unreliable, or unconcerned.
The goal is to learn to function without relying on fear, pressure, urgency, or self-criticism to keep you moving.
1. Notice What Is Driving the Behavior
Two people may complete the same behavior for very different reasons. You may prepare thoroughly because preparation is helpful. You may also prepare because you believe making one mistake would be unbearable. You may help someone because you genuinely want to. You may also help because you are afraid they will be upset if you say no.
Ask yourself:
What am I afraid will happen if I do not do this?
Am I making a choice or trying to relieve anxiety?
Would I still do this if no one would be disappointed?
Does this reflect my values, or does it help me avoid discomfort?
You do not have to change the behavior immediately. Start by becoming curious about what drives it.
2. Identify the Anxious Prediction
Anxiety often communicates through predictions:
I will fall behind.
They will think I am unreliable.
I will make the wrong decision.
Something bad will happen if I do not stay on top of this.
If I disappoint someone, the relationship will be damaged.
If I slow down, I will lose control.
Suggestion: Writing down the prediction can make it easier to examine. Our brain processes information differently when we write it down. Plus, we can't write as fast as we think, which forces us to slow down.
Then ask:
Is this possible, probable, or simply uncomfortable?
What evidence supports this prediction?
What evidence does not support it?
Have I managed a similar situation before?
What would I tell someone else in this position?
The goal is not to replace every anxious thought with a positive one. It is to respond with more balance.
3. Separate Discomfort From Danger
Anxiety often treats discomfort as evidence that something is wrong.
Feeling uncertain does not necessarily mean you are making the wrong decision. Feeling guilty does not automatically mean you have done something selfish. Feeling nervous does not mean you are incapable.
Sometimes the work is allowing an uncomfortable feeling to exist without immediately reorganizing your life to make it disappear.
4. Practice “Good Enough”
Choose low-risk opportunities to do slightly less. What this looks like will be extremely individualistic.
Suggestions: Send an email after reviewing it once instead of five times. Complete a household task adequately rather than perfectly. Allow someone else to make the plan. Wait before responding to a nonurgent message.
These experiments are not about intentionally performing poorly.
They help your brain gather evidence that reducing anxiety-driven effort does not automatically lead to disaster.
5. Pause Before Automatically Saying Yes
Anxiety can make requests feel urgent even when they are not.
Instead of immediately agreeing, try:
“Let me check my schedule.”
“I need to think about whether I have the capacity.”
“I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
A pause creates space between the request and the anxious reaction. It gives you an opportunity to decide rather than respond automatically.
Related reading: Why Overperformers Struggle to Set Boundaries
6. Rebuild Rest and Recovery
People who rely on anxiety for motivation often treat rest as something they earn after everything is finished.
The problem is that nothing is ever truly finished.
Rest, hobbies, movement, enjoyment, and connection are not rewards for reaching the end of an endless list. They help you maintain your ability to function.
Try scheduling small, consistent periods of recovery instead of waiting until you are completely depleted.
7. Support Your Body, Not Only Your Thoughts
Anxiety is not only a thought process
.
It may also involve muscle tension, restlessness, fatigue, disrupted sleep, headaches, stomach discomfort, or feeling physically unable to settle.
Helpful routines may include:
Consistent sleep and wake times
Regular meals
Walking or other physical movement
Stretching
Breathing exercises
Getting adequate sleep
Reducing excessive caffeine
Spending time outside
Connecting with supportive people
Making time for low-stress activities you enjoy
....and did I mention getting enough sleep?
Healthy routines can support mental health, but they are not a replacement for professional treatment when symptoms are persistent or severe.
8. Consider Therapy
Therapy can help you understand where anxious patterns developed, how they have protected you, and what they may be costing you now.
It can also help you:
Recognize anxiety earlier
Challenge catastrophic predictions
Reduce perfectionism and avoidance
Practice tolerating uncertainty
Develop healthier boundaries
Separate your worth from productivity
Rebuild motivation without relying on fear
Address symptoms of anxiety and depression together
Therapy can be used to treat both anxiety and depression. Cognitive behavioral therapy is one evidence-based approach that focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful patterns in thoughts and behaviors.
When Should You Seek Professional Help?
Consider reaching out to a mental health or medical professional when symptoms:
Persist or continue worsening
Interfere with sleep, work, school, parenting, or relationships
Make everyday responsibilities difficult to complete
Cause you to withdraw from activities or people
Leave you feeling hopeless, worthless, or unable to cope
Do not improve with your usual coping strategies
The impact of the symptoms matters, even when you are technically still functioning.
You Do Not Have to Wait Until You Stop Functioning
You can be capable and anxious.
You can be productive and exhausted.
You can appreciate the ways your coping strategies have helped you while also recognizing that you no longer want to live under constant internal pressure.
The goal is not to eliminate every anxious thought or stop caring about your responsibilities. It is to build a life where fear is no longer responsible for keeping everything moving.
Looking for Online Therapy for Anxiety and Depression?
If anxiety, depression, overwhelm, perfectionism, or constant self-pressure are interfering with your life, therapy can provide a space to better understand those patterns and develop more sustainable ways of coping.
I provide online therapy for clients physically located in Maryland, Virginia, Rhode Island, and Texas. I currently accept Aetna, CareFirst BCBS, Cigna, and TRICARE East, as well as self-pay options.
There is no point to therapy if you don't feel like you can talk to your therapist. That's why I offer a free 15-minute consultation if you are curious about therapy or would like to explore whether I may be a good fit for you.
Frequently Asked Questions About Anxiety and Depression
Can long-term anxiety turn into depression?
Anxiety does not always become depression. However, they frequently occur together, and prolonged anxiety can leave someone feeling exhausted, discouraged, and overwhelmed.
What does anxiety burnout feel like?
Anxiety burnout may feel like physical exhaustion, irritability, emotional numbness, difficulty making decisions, reduced motivation, and being unable to relax even when you desperately need rest.
Why does anxiety make simple tasks feel overwhelming?
Anxiety may add several layers of evaluation to an ordinary task. Instead of simply completing it, the person may be worrying about doing it correctly, making the right decision, disappointing someone, or preventing a future problem.
Why do I feel more anxious when I slow down?
Busyness can temporarily distract from anxious thoughts. Slowing down may make those thoughts easier to notice, especially if you have learned to connect productivity with safety or self-worth.
How can I stop using anxiety as motivation?
Start with structure rather than fear. Break tasks into smaller steps, set realistic deadlines, identify what is good enough, and notice when self-criticism or catastrophic predictions are being used to create urgency.
Can therapy address anxiety and depression at the same time?
Yes. Because anxiety and depression can overlap, treatment may address both sets of symptoms together. The most appropriate approach depends on the person’s experiences, needs, preferences, and medical situation.
Sources and Further Reading
This article is intended for educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized mental health or medical care.
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