Are You Stressed Or Anxious? Know The Difference!

Stress and anxiety are normal human reactions to potentially dangerous or distressing situations. They are a part of the fight-or-flight response, which protects people by preparing the body to respond to danger. There is, however, a clear differentiation between stress and anxiety. Both are emotional responses, but stress is usually triggered by something outside of one’s control. In contrast, anxiety is characterized by persistent, overwhelming worries that do not go away even with no stressor.

In simple words, stress is the body’s response to a threat, whereas anxiety is the body’s response to the stress.

What Is Stress?

Stress is a sensation of emotional or bodily tension to various changes, demands, or threats. Everyone has to deal with stress at some point in their lives as any event or thought that makes you annoyed, furious, or nervous can trigger stress. Individuals may react to stressors differently, with some reacting more strongly or frequently than others.

Stress doesn’t always have a negative impact; it has advantages like encouraging to finish tasks on time, implement actions properly and be aware and focused on every activity. But, chronic stress is harmful to mental health and physical health.

Here are some examples of stress triggers that may occur one-time or ongoing –

• 1. Personal life responsibilities
• 2. Financial crisis
• 3. Job or exam tension
• 4. Major life crisis like loss of a loved one or divorce
• 5. Sever traumatic experience

When stress occurs, each individual has different symptoms, leading to mental disorders like anxiety, depression, sleeping, and eating pattern changes. Timely psychotherapy assistance reduces stress in no time.

What Is Anxiety?

Anxiety is a reaction of the mind and body to stressful, harmful, or unexpected events. It’s the feeling of fear, discomfort, or worry you have before a big event. Anxiety helps us stay attentive and conscious to some extent, but it feels far from average for those who have anxiety disorders, and it can be destructive.

When anxiety becomes a problem, it is out of control and substantially negatively influences your life. Excessive anxiety can lead to the same mental and physical effects as persistent stress. Meeting up with friends, going to work, or attempting something new can be difficult when you have an anxiety disorder.

The triggering example is the same as stress but has a more decisive influence than stress! However, psychotherapies for anxiety and stress will help you overcome them in an early stage.

Differences Between Stress And Anxiety

As stated above, both stress and anxiety share the same signs and symptoms, making it difficult to differentiate. However, there are a few tips to determine stress and anxiety, which include –

• 1. Most stress comes from outside sources like negative self-talk, a pessimistic attitude, or a sense of perfectionism that might induce stress. It is triggered by having too many duties or working on a high-stakes project. Comparatively, anxiety is a more internal emotion. It’s all about how you handle pressure. If you remove those stresses yet still feel overwhelmed and agitated, you’re probably suffering from anxiety.
• 2. Anxiety is a strong reaction to a specific scenario, unlike stress. Certain events, such as dealing with the cremation of a loved one, sudden financial collapse, are difficult for everyone. It is more of an exaggerated response. If your anxiety and stress in a specific scenario are uncommon, excessive, or well above what other people are experiencing, it may be anxiety rather than stress.
• 3. Anxiety will make you incapable of functioning and performing daily routines. Whereas most stressful situations are difficult to get through and can overcome. An anxiety disorder may be the underlying issue if you are distressed to the point of being unable to work or having panic attacks.
• 4. Stress is your body’s reaction to something that happens to you or the pressure you are under. Anxiety can be entirely internal and unrelated to anything in the real world. For example, if you have an anxiety condition, you may have a generalized sense of terror, fear, and worry even if there is nothing you should be concerned about.
• 5. Anxiety disorders can manifest themselves in a variety of ways. If you experience certain, specific symptoms, it’s possible that you have an anxiety condition or that your problem is more serious than mere stress.

Psychotherapy Services For Stress & Anxiety

Everyone goes through periods of increased stress, which can be overwhelming at times. It’s essential to understand how to deal with stress and seek help. When stress becomes unbearable, and anxiety symptoms begin to interfere with daily life, it’s time to get help from professional psychotherapists.

Psychotherapy Partners Minneapolis has an excellent team of experienced professionals to assist individuals and couples through psychotherapy services to ensure mental well-being. If you need assistance, book a consult!