Am I Stressed?—or Is It Anxiety?
At one point or another, every person experiences anxiety and stress. It can be difficult to determine whether you are feeling stress or anxiety as they often feel the same. Both stress and anxiety induce symptoms such as uneasiness, muscle tension, headaches, rapid heartbeat and loss of sleep. However, their origins are different and knowing the difference can help you find ways to manage them.
Stress
Stress is a response to an external cause such as an upcoming exam, an urgent deadline at work, expectations from family and friends, major life changes and more. Stress is a short-term response and subsides once the external cause is resolved.
Anxiety
Anxiety originates internally. It can be a reaction to stress or may not have an identifiable trigger. Unlike stress, the symptoms of anxiety do not subside. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, anxiety is characterized by “a persistent, excessive fear or worry in situations that are not threatening.” Additionally, individuals who experience anxiety that persists for months and negatively affects mood and functioning most likely may have an anxiety disorder that could range as more severe than shorter term anxiety. Certain, specific symptoms may indicate that an individual has an anxiety disorder or that an issue is beyond simple stress, such as experiencing panic attacks that may indicate panic disorder.
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Experiencing stress or anxiety can feel overwhelming, so it’s important to know several ways of managing both. Individuals can cope with stress and anxiety by practicing relaxation strategies, such as breathing exercises (practicing yoga and slowly counting to ten) or through physical activity such as going on walks or bike rides. It could also be beneficial to talk about the stress or anxiety that a person is feeling.
With April being Stress Awareness Month, we are reminded to pay attention to our health and recognize when our minds and bodies are telling us that we are under high stress. Learning how to incorporate successful coping strategies into our lives can help us prevent the dangers stress can bring, such as mental health disorders and physical illnesses.
It’s also vital to try the best you can to prevent stress in the first place, such as by eating a diet full of fresh, whole foods (and avoiding stimulants like caffeine, alcohol and nicotine), getting the recommended amount of exercise and getting the proper amount of sleep. It’s important to be proactive when you are feeling overloaded and worn down so you can prevent stress levels from becoming too much to manage. If a person feels stressed or anxious all or most of the time, they should speak to a doctor to find resources that can ease their symptoms and help them manage the ways in which stress or anxiety influence their daily functioning.
Written by Talia Bina
