I don't take anything seriously outside of work.

I think that I take work too seriously. It dominates my existence, simply because of the difficulty to make a living. At this stage of my life, I should be enjoying what time I have left, not worrying about paying the rent or what some self-centered "client" is going to do to my livelihood just because they can.

I think all of us have those moments once in awhile. The things we see daily are of such magnitude that everything else seems trivial in comparison. The fact that you've recognized it means you're going to be able temper it. As long as you remember that each of us has different experiences and different anxieties, you'll get past this.

When my son was a small child, we made friends with another family at the oncology clinic we attended weekly; the boy was only a few weeks older than my son at the time and both of them were being treated for potentially life-ending diseases. Both his mom and I went back to school as soon as we were able to become nurses. She told me that when she did her peds rotation in school, she really struggled with the same feeling that anything less than leukemia in a child was just not anything to be upset about. She found herself thinking, "But it's just an appy... It could be so much worse! Like CANCER!!" The way I see it, having a child in hospital, for whatever reason, may very well be the worst thing that has ever happened to that family. They have nothing to compare it to, and it's a big deal for them. In the same way that your friend's performance anxiety is a big deal for her. You can reassure her without feeding her fears. When you find yourself thinking how much worse something could be, replace those thoughts with acknowledgement that it's important to that person so it matters. You'll be fine.

I also think that such feelings are common. Sometimes, I find myself faking concern with my friends/family while inside I am thinking, "Why are they so upset? This is no big deal."