Living With High Functioning Anxiety | Jordan Raskopoulos | TEDxSydney

As a comedian and performer, Jordan Raskopolous does not suffer from stage fright, but away from the lights it’s a different story. In this compelling and funny talk, she shares her insights into what it is like to live with high functioning anxiety and how people like her can be perceived - to be both shy and loud at the same time. A talk many will relate to and one that offers strategies for dealing with it.

Jordan Raskopoulos is a comedian, musician and digital content creator. She is best known as the lead singer of The Axis of Awesome, a world renowned musical comedy group and YouTube Juggernaut. She is the creative director of Press Start Productions. Press Start is currently producing Insert Coin, an ongoing web series about video games. Jordan is also host of This is About, a narrative non-fiction podcast on ABC RN. In 2016 she came out as transgender in a viral video called ‘What’s Happened to Jordan’s Beard’. Since then Jordan has become an inspiration to young LGBTQIA+ people by living her genuine life, openly and publicly and using her platform and profile to promote awareness and understanding to a broad audience through humour.

[palomajune]

People: you're so calm
Me: Actually, I'm just too anxious to express my anxiety

[thcollegestudent]

I think the worst thing is when I get stuck between doing work or relaxing and don't accomplish either.

[theantt]

The daunting thing about high functioning anxiety is that you face your fears all the time but the fear never goes away.

[littlepurple]

When she said “I never relax, I never stop. Even when I’m procrastinating!!”
That is such a true line.

[youjerkwads]

"I'm never relaxing, even when I'm procrastinating..." Yep... Can't stop thinking. Can't get anything done. Can't relax.

[lish]

"Even small tasks take a lot of mental energy" whoa

[alexandradominguez]

My anxiety forces me to go back and reanalyze any social interaction after-the-fact: Did I say too much because I was nervous/"loudshy"? Did talk about myself too much? Did I ask enough questions? It all goes back to that fear that you're being judged... Especially with first impressions like at a party

[vee]

i really loved the way that she reframed procrastination. as someone who has been diagnosed with anxiety and has issues with deadlines but always had “high quality work” and “great grades” it didn’t make sense that i constantly procrastinate. but she’s so right— i was constantly paralyzed and unable to sit down to actually work on a project. i had even gotten an extension for it and still wasn’t working on it. but i was thinking about it so much that i had dreams about it and would wake up thinking about my project. when i sat down to work on it due 2 hours before, i got one of the best grades and feedback i’d ever received.

[hellozen]

Today it took me an hour to work up the courage to return a phone call I missed from the employer of the job I applied for. Even though I sound confident on the phone, my heart is racing, my face is red and I hate every minute of it.

[yellowgirlxd]

People laugh in the audience.. But I'm just here silent and relating to mostly everything.

[tiffanyheilman]

"I just need to leave everything for the last minute and it's fine"- my life motto. 90% of my time is spent ridden with anxiety over a task, 10% is spent actually doing the task.

[joshuagardener]

" Even the smallest tasks take a lot of mental energy" that I can relate to well

[clarymay]

“I never get to relax. I never stop.” this just hit me hard. I’ve been constantly stressed nonstop for years now and it’s destroying me

[roanne]

“I don’t get stage fright, I get life fright” 😭😭😭😭😭😭

This line really struck me

[Shan-hcxc]

"I get terrified when I have a chatty taxi driver or hair stylist." I have never felt anything so deeply. The drive to connect with other people and the absolute paralyzing fear of connecting with strangers is a tough life to balance.

[xoxnataiie]

she’s so real, i get my anxious thoughts proven wrong time and time again yet they keep coming. not being able to trust your thoughts is such an awful and lonesome feeling

[tera]

When chatty people are around me I get anxiety because I feel like like I have to talk to them

[norwegian]

Simply brilliant. She described exactly what I have struggled with my entire life. I can be very outgoing animated joking and at the same time quietly have a panic attack and want to leave the conversation at the same time

[rachelposavetz]

When Jordan spoke about how anxiety manifests at work, I started crying, overwhelmed at the relief that someone can explain the same experience I have, that I finally understand this part of myself. Thank you so much Jordan, you are helping so many by sharing your authentic story <3

[katecarlin]

You just described my 40 year old son. Never fit in, social anxiety finds it difficult to engage etc. However, two years ago he started doing a youtube show about dye cast cars like hot wheels. He never shows his face but when you hear him he sounds so confident. For the first time he has a place where he has no anxiety. His show is called Mystery Box Monday. Take care and keep doing what you're doing.