How do you know whether you are feeling stress or anxiety? Or both? It can be useful to know the difference between them and how to tackle them.

Stress is a physiological response to a perceived threat

Generally, stress is a response to an external cause, such as a tight deadline at work or having an argument with a friend, and subsides once the situation has been resolved. It is our threat response (fight, flight or freeze). The magnitude of our stress response is related to the threat level and our perceived ability to cope with it. The more dangerous it is, or the more out of control we feel, the higher the stress. We can tackle stress by taking action and increasing our ability to cope with the situation.

Anxiety is very much internal

Anxiety is what happens when our natural ‘worry’ starts to run the show. Anxiety is typically characterized by a “persistent feeling of apprehension or dread” in situations that are not actually threatening. Unlike stress, anxiety persists even after a concern has passed. In more severe cases, anxiety can escalate into an anxiety disorder, the most common mental health issue in the UK and USA, when the anxiety is on-going.

Both stress and anxiety can manifest in the body in similar ways, including an increased heart rate, tight chest and shallow breathing. The key difference is that sense of dread, which is not present in stress.

We can experience both stress and anxiety at the same time. Despite their different origins, stress and anxiety are very much intertwined in our minds. Stress can make our anxiety worse and anxiety can make our stress worse.

For example, you might feel stressed about an upcoming deadline at work and also anxious about whether you’ll be able to meet it. Where possible, keep the two things separate in your mind so that you can tackle them separately!

Knowing The Difference Helps

If you can analyse your feelings and identify whether you are feeling stress or anxiety (or both), you can take the appropriate action to tackle it. You may be able to ease some of the stress through tacking action, skilling up, or asking for help. Anxiety is more difficult to tackle, but you may be able to lessen it with some self-soothing talk, some mindfulness or meditation, or by talking to a friend or therapist.