Is This Stress or Anxiety?
"It's not stress that kills us, it is our reaction to it." - Hans Selye
A very common question I receive from my clients is, “is this anxiety, or am I just stressed out?”
This is a great question! I see the terms “anxiety” and “stress” being used interchangeably very often. For good reason, as there are definitely overlaps between anxiety and stress and how they manifest.
First, let’s take a closer look at how the two are similar.
Both anxiety and stress can be experienced as:
Mental and Emotional Symptoms such as,
Difficulty concentrating
Irritability
Excessive Worrying
Loss of motivation
Anger
And
Physical Symptoms such as,
Headaches
Sweating
Nausea
Indigestion
Chest Pain
Now, let’s define what anxiety and stress are as separate experiences.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is a manifestation of arousal in response to a perceived threat, yet it doesn’t always have an obvious trigger.
Anxiety is a reaction based on an internal process, whether real or imagined.
Anxiety can benefit us in certain situations; however, prolonged and intense symptoms of anxiety can lead to significant distress.
What is Stress?
Stress is a physical response to the exertion of energy in any given situation.
Stress can be good, but like with anxiety, prolonged and intense experiences of stress can lead to significant distress and chronic illnesses.
Stress is the response to something external. We cannot avoid stress, as we manage stress daily, even within routine and mundane tasks. The effects of stress can be minimal or large.
Working in a fast-paced, high demand environment or navigating being enrolled in a rigorous higher educational program, can make it very easy to confuse the two, or to experience the negative effects of one or both simultaneously.
Participating in therapy with a mental health professional is a great way to understand how anxiety or stress may be contributing to how you may be feeling, or any difficulties you may be currently experiencing.
If you’d be interested in learning more about anxiety, stress, and how to cope, you can contact me here.
How about you? Have you experienced any of the manifestations of anxiety or stress listed above?
I hope this helps!
As Always, Be Well!
~Jessica
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