Living In The Know: Stress vs. Anxiety

Stress. Anxiety. The same? Well, not so much.  While there are similarities, there are also differences and this can help us understand what we are feeling. We experience emotions for a reason. Learning about stress and anxiety can help us learn about how to take care of ourselves.

Stress:

• Is a response to an external cause that can be positive OR negative (think getting married or graduating from school OR important meeting/test or arguing with a friend or family member)

• Goes away once the situation has resolved

• Can have a positive or negative effect. For example, stress could motivate someone to meet a deadline (positive) or stress could cause loss of sleep (negative)

Anxiety:

• Commonly an internal response to stress

• Involves a frequent feeling of dread, doubt, or uneasiness that doesn’t go away and disrupts how you live your life

• Is persistent, even if there is no immediate threat

Both can affect your mind and body, with some common symptoms being:

• Tension

• Headaches, chest pain, or body pain

• Excessive worry

• Loss of sleep

• High blood pressure

How to take care of yourself when experiencing stress and/or anxiety:

• Exercise and eat healthy

• Journal

• Monitor intake of negative media

• Reach out to support systems (friends, family, etc.)

• Get regular sleep

• Avoid excess caffeine

• Identify and challenge negative thoughts (psychotherapy can be a safe place to do so)

Find more information about stress and anxiety at the National Institute of Mental Health website https://www.nimh.nih.gov/stressandanxiety

Sabrina Guzman, M.A., NCC, LPC-Associate