Is anxiety overwhelming you? In this article, we explore a different way of understanding it: not as an illness, but as a signal that deserves to be heard. A human and clinical perspective that invites you to reconnect with yourself and with what truly matters.
The current culture of maximizing performance and productivity has permeated not only the workplace but also personal life, generating high levels of anxiety and emotional distress. This constant pressure causes physical and psychological symptoms, such as tension, insomnia, and overthinking, as well as a chronic feeling of inadequacy fueled by social media and idealized models of success. Self-imposed demands lead to behaviors like perfectionism and overwork, which ultimately result in burnout or even emotional crises. The solution requires both individual and systemic strategies, including in-depth therapy that challenges self-imposed beliefs and allows for the development of a healthier relationship with performance, moving away from simplistic positive psychology discourses that can reinforce guilt and excessive demands.
In recent years, the so-called imposter syndrome has become popular, especially through social networks: a psychological experience in which people doubt their achievements or capabilities and have a persistent fear of being discovered as “frauds”.
It is a strange experience because, even when there is clear evidence of their competence, those who experience it remain convinced that they do not deserve the success or recognition they have achieved. The situation can be associated with feelings of anxiety, low mood and general psychological distress and can be limiting to a fulfilling life.
In modern society, mental health problems, such as anxiety, sadness, and feelings of failure and guilt, are not simply isolated or purely individual intrapsychic disorders. To understand the emotional distress many people experience today, it is essential to consider how individual biological and psychological factors are closely linked to the sociohistorical context in which they arise.