Stress and anxiety are both emotional responses, representing how we feel when faced with a real or perceived challenge. Understanding the differences and similarities between the two can help in managing them effectively.

Anxiety is characterised by persistent, excessive fear or worry that doesn’t go away, even in the absence of an actual stressor. Often centred around “What if?” scenarios, anxiety can be a common reaction to stress. It manifests through nervousness, fear of negative consequences, worry about the future, feeling out of control, and uncertainty.

Anxiety can come-and-go in response to an immediate, or specific situation – e.g. ‘What if I can’t pay my debt?’ or ‘What if I don’t meet this deadline? ‘.  But anxiety can also be ever-present, with persistent feelings of worry or uneasiness across many aspects of a person’s life – i.e. generalised anxiety.

In contrast, stress is triggered by an actual situation or external challenge, focusing on “What is” happening. When you feel capable of meeting the demands, you experience “good stress,” also known as eustress. However, when the demands overwhelm you, it leads to “bad stress” or distress.

Short-term stress can arise from situations like being late for a meeting, facing an urgent deadline, dealing with an unexpected expense, needing to adapt to change, or using a new app.

Long-term stress, on the other hand, can stem from dealing with complex issues like a chronic illness, caring for a needy child, experiencing abuse, or experiencing discrimination.

Although anxiety and stress are different, they share similar symptoms:

  • Mentally, both can cause irritability, anger, a depressed mood, sleep challenges, or cause you to withdraw from socialising.
  • Physically, they can lead to tiredness, muscle pain, headaches, digestive issues, high blood pressure, a weakened immune system, and lower libido.
  • In the workplace or classroom, stress or anxiety often manifests through procrastination, avoidance, forgetfulness, an inability to focus, mistakes, conflict, and performance management issues. These responses can hinder productivity and overall wellbeing which can feed into even more stress and anxiety.

Unhealthy coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety include substance abuse, unhealthy eating choices, and risky behaviour.

Healthy ways to build capacity to meet demands involve engaging in physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet with plenty of water, expanding your support network, ensuring good sleep hygiene, and achieving a work-life balance. Mindfulness practices such as breathwork, relaxation techniques, and meditation can also be beneficial.

It is important to seek professional help if stress or anxiety starts to affect your day-to-day functioning, mood, health, relationships, or work-life.

Remember, managing stress and anxiety is not just about coping with the present but also about building resilience for the future. Taking proactive steps can lead to a healthier, more balanced life.

You are not alone.

Stress and anxiety are the most common reasons for seeking help through the Employee Wellbeing Programme. In this fast-paced world it is inevitable that you will face many stressful challenges and demands.

Reach out to LifeAssist for professional counselling or coaching to build stress mastery skills and learn how to recognise and overcome anxiety.