Managing “High Function Anxiety” and the Burden of a Packed Schedule
Sensing the Heavy Weight of Packed Days (and The Inner Frustration), looking to calm our nervous system and the enjoying moment (even on a Tuesday).
The days are full, but short and we are starting to really feel the invisible burdens of a hectic schedule, work and school as the fall is ramping up.
As we move through the middle of September, I have noticed that distinct seasonal drag where the weight of daily routines, packed schedules, endless appointments, and homework really starts to set in. It is so easy to find ourselves feeling completely overwhelmed, having little or no tolerance for anyone, and losing touch with the present moment.
I do not want to subscribed to the “overburden, burnt out parent” talk that happens when we discuss our packed schedules. It is a lot and we do feel it in the beginning of the year, but it is also our choice. We can either cancel EVERYTHING, be resentful of EVERYONE or we change our viewpoint. I am actively choosing to seek out joy within these busy, demanding days. I do not want to miss out on the enjoyment of this life that I worked very hard to build. I want to be able to be in the moments that I spent time day dreaming about when my kids were babies. There is so much joy and excitement when the goal is scored on the field, when a race is completed, or a tough math problem is finally solved. I do not want to simply hurry through my days just to crash exhausted on the couch every night. While our daily schedules might not slow down, we have the power to shift our perspective, slow our mental pace, and truly focus on the small joys, meaningful conversations, and quiet connections hidden within each activity.
How Therapy Creates Real, Lasting Change
I deeply believe that making small, intentional shifts in how we view our daily lives and understanding why certain situations or tasks feel so heavy can bring us back to a place of genuine joy, fulfillment, and excitement for ordinary "Tuesdays." I discuss the idea of enjoying our Tuesdays a lot in therapy. It is not difficult to find pleasure on Friday or Saturday, but Tuesday that “blah” middle day. It's not the beginning week, not even “hump day” or a Friday “eve” slow down. But, there is still happiness in the “Tuesday”, and looking at Tuesday differently or from a fresh perspective, we can see that Tuesday brings calm conversations about school, the possibility of sitting down at the dinner table together or even a 10 minute card game as a family before bed. Tuesdays present no expectations, just time, even if that time is on the soccer field or 5 minutes in the car. Focusing on finding some joy in the tasks we have to complete during a wild, running around ordinary days gives us the brief moments of calm that will regulate your nervous system and help you to manage some of those more frustrating moments.
Achieving the goal of “regulation” can happen on your own. We can’t take pause in our day to be breath, find gratitude and look at the positives in our lives. These tasks can feel overwhelming on our own and sometimes a shift in perspective comes from siting down with a therapist in-person or virtually to help you to see things through a different lens.
Therapy is so much more than just venting about a hard week. In our practice, we go deeper by equipping you with evidence-based, actionable framework tools:
Structured CBT Tools: We work together to identify cognitive distortions, challenge anxious thought patterns, and replace unhelpful cycles with grounded, empowering perspectives.
EMDR-Informed Processing: We target and address the root causes of chronic stress, lingering trauma, and emotional reactivity, helping your nervous system process past distress so it stops overwhelming your present.
The Transformation
You do not have to live in a perpetual state of fight-or-flight, constantly bracing for the next item on your to-do list. Through structured clinical support, you can experience measurable, sustainable growth in your emotional control, significantly reduce daily anxiety, and transition into a state of living that feels calm, grounded, present, and confident. We help you see that joy in a “Tuesday.”
