Hi there and welcome to episode 217. Today we're talking about high functioning anxiety.

Hi this is Deney. I'm the founder of Simple Families.

Simple Families is an online community for parents who are seeking a simpler, more intentional life.

In this show, we focus on minimalism with kids, positive parenting, family wellness, and decreasing the mental load. My perspectives are based in my

firsthand experience raising kids, but also rooted in my PhD in child development. So you're going to hear conversations that are based in research, but more importantly, real life. Thanks for joining us.

Hi there, Thanks so much for tuning in. Today we're talking about high

functioning anxiety and this topic is on the top of my mind because my anxiety has been high lately.

Sometimes it's hard to tell when it's creeping up,

but I've noticed in the past couple of weeks.

I've spent a lot of time studying the trees in my backyard. Now maybe this is because I've just been home for too long or maybe it's because I tend to look at my trees looking for dead branches because I have this perhaps strange and unusual fear that a

dead branch is going to fall on my kids and kill them.

I know that probably sounds completely crazy to you,

but you might have some of your own preoccupations

about safety and security

and some of your own anxieties.

Although it might not be tree branches in your backyard,

it might be car accidents.

It might be cancer.

So I'll start by talking a little bit

about high-functioning anxiety,

and then I'll share some of the things that

really work for me. Now what exactly do I mean by high functioning anxiety? High

...