Sure, bad things happen to everyone, but when it comes to how we feel about that event, the question arises: is it a feeling of stress or a feeling of anxiety, and do we really know the difference between stress and anxiety? Even though the emotion behind this reaction is the same in both cases, the two are actually different.
In this article, we look at 5 situations in which stress is different from anxiety; Knowing the difference between stress and anxiety will help you deal with both.
We all have worries and it’s completely normal. However, what is considered an unhealthy state of mind is excessive worry. Chronic worry is a negative thought pattern that psychologists can help you overcome.
Those who suffer from chronic anxiety are at risk of various diseases due to a long-term stress response in their body. When we are stressed, our bodies release stress hormones, including cortisol and adrenaline.
These extreme stress hormones cause your blood pressure to rise, your heart rate to increase, and other psychological changes in your body that ultimately shorten your life expectancy. In a British study on stress and mortality, researchers found that stress can put people at a higher risk of dying by causing cardiovascular disease, cancer, heart attacks, and strokes.
The difference between stress and anxiety.
1. You overreact to the minor stresses in your life.
Researchers studying the differences between stress and anxiety call it “life stress” because this type of normal stress is a response to the minor ailments of everyday life. For example, leaving the house early in the morning and spilling coffee on the floor is a stressful life event.
When you react to minor stresses in life as if it were the end of the world, such as: For example, spilling coffee on the floor, you turn a small event into a major cause of stress that can ruin your entire day. This negative thought pattern belongs to those who have not yet learned how to properly manage stress.
A person with an anxiety disorder is afraid of spilling coffee on the floor before even spilling it, of being late for work, of being ridiculed by colleagues, etc. The most characteristic of people with an anxiety disorder is that they worry constantly and chronically.
2. Do you think you can do something to change the situation? Yes or no
Believing that you can do something in response to an event or that you can regain control of your behavior and life is one of the main differences between stress and anxiety. You certainly have the power to create positive change, no matter how stressful it may be; And if you think about it yourself, such events can only be a mildly stressful event in your life; it’s not that they scare you.
The feeling of losing control, the feeling that life is something you have no control over and that you can’t control with your thoughts and behavior, is another key difference between an anxious state of mind and normal stress.
Researchers who looked at these differences found that “those who feel they have little control over what happens in their environment are more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety in response to changes in their lives.”
3. Your worries are rarely resolved
If worry is a regular part of your life and lasts for months, you probably have an anxiety disorder. Chronic worry for 6 months or more is one of the diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder.
4. You constantly worry about your stress level.
Intense feelings that make you constantly anxious, physiological feelings that constantly cause stress in your body, or thoughts that you can't erase from your mind; If stress has become one of the preoccupations of your life, you probably have an anxiety disorder.
5. Your life has changed because of your worry.
Another difference between stress and anxiety is that your life changes because of stress. The form these changes take depends on the stressors in your life. However, if you avoid people, places, and events because of stress, you probably have an anxiety disorder.
If anxiety or fear of stress is the main reason you avoid or refuse to go out with friends and stop participating in certain activities you used to enjoy, or if you notice that your productivity at work has decreased, you are more likely to be in the stress stage. You have reached the fear stage.
The Anxiety and Depression Association of America states: “Everyone experiences stress and anxiety at some point in their lives. The difference between the two is that stress is a response to a threat in a particular situation; however, anxiety is a reaction to the stress itself.” “Anxiety is a chronic stressor while stress is a normal reaction to unpleasant things. Again, we can manage both, we just need to respond appropriately and have a positive attitude.
Post a Comment
0Comments