Do I Have Anxiety or Am I Just Stressed?
This post on Anxiety is written by Brooke Henry, MSW
Key Insights
- Know Your Triggers: Stress stems from specific external events, while anxiety can emerge without clear causes, helping you identify what you’re experiencing.
- Watch the Timeline – Stress resolves when the situation ends, but anxiety may persist regardless, indicating whether professional support is needed.
- Recognize Physical Clues – Stress manifests as tension and headaches, while anxiety presents with rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and chest tightness.
- Match Your Response – Stress responds to practical solutions like time management, while anxiety often requires therapy, mindfulness, and sometimes medication.
- Seek Professional Clarity – When feelings persist or interfere with daily life, talking with a mental health professional provides essential guidance.
Have you ever been so overwhelmed that you can’t even figure out what you’re feeling? Same here. And honestly, I think most people can relate to that.
With all the noise from social media, the news, and even well-meaning friends, it’s really easy to start self-diagnosing, and that can often lead to confusion and misinformation.
Understanding the difference between stress and anxiety is essential for mental health awareness. While they’re closely related and sometimes feel very similar, there are key differences between the two, both internally and externally.
What Is Stress?
Let’s start with the basics. Stress is a natural physical and emotional response to a specific external situation, like a deadline at work, a conflict with a friend, or financial pressures. It’s your body’s way of saying, “Hey, something’s going on and we need to deal with it.”
Stress can be:
- Short-term: like feeling tense before a big presentation or during a busy day.
- Long-term: like the kind that builds up over weeks or months due to ongoing situations like caregiving, chronic work pressure, or an unstable relationship.
Commotion Symptoms of Stress
Stress usually goes away once the trigger is resolved, or at least eases up.
- Muscle tension
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Trouble sleeping
- Racing thoughts
- Digestive issues
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety, on the other hand, is a bit different. According to the American Psychological Association, anxiety is defined as:
“An emotion characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure.”
Unlike stress, anxiety isn’t always tied to a specific, immediate challenge. It can show up even when there’s no clear cause. You might feel anxious about something that might happen, or even have an overwhelming sense of dread without knowing why.
Signs of Anxiety
Anxiety can be situational (like test anxiety) or chronic (as in Generalized Anxiety Disorder). If it’s ongoing and interferes with daily life, it’s important to seek support from a mental health professional.
- Constant worry that feels hard to control
- Overthinking worst-case scenarios
- Trouble concentrating
- Physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat, sweating, shortness of breath, or stomach issues
- Avoiding certain situations out of fear
Stress vs Anxiety: How to Tell the Difference
Trigger
- Stress: Usually a specific external event
- Anxiety: Can occur without a clear cause
Duration
- Stress: Ends when the situation is resolved
- Anxiety: May persist regardless of external events
Feelings
- Stress: Frustration, overwhelm, urgency
- Anxiety: Nervousness, dread, excessive worry
Physical Symptoms
- Stress: Tension, headaches, trouble sleeping
- Anxiety: Rapid heart rate, dizziness, tight chest
Helpful Resources
- Stress: Time management, problem-solving
- Anxiety: Therapy, mindfulness, (sometimes) medication
In Summary
It’s completely normal to feel stressed. It’s part of life. Anxiety is also something many people experience, and you’re not alone if you’re dealing with it. The key difference is how long it lasts and how much it impacts your life.
If you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, or something else entirely, reaching out to a mental health professional can help. Sometimes talking it out is the first step to understanding what your mind and body are really trying to tell you.
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