The Difference Between Stress and Anxiety (and Why It Matters)
We often use the words stress and anxiety as if they mean the same thing, but they’re not quite the same. Knowing which one you’re experiencing can make a real difference in how you look after yourself.
What is Stress?
Stress usually shows up when there’s pressure on you, such as a deadline at work, money worries, family responsibilities, or other demands. It’s the body’s way of gearing up to meet a challenge.
You might notice tension in your shoulders, headaches, trouble sleeping or feeling snappy and overwhelmed. The thing with stress is that once the pressure eases, it often settles down again. Sometimes a little stress even helps us get things done. It’s when stress becomes constant, without time to recover, that it takes its toll.
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety is different. It doesn’t always have a clear cause. It can feel like your mind is stuck in overdrive, jumping from one worry to another, even when things look fine from the outside.
Signs of anxiety can include racing thoughts, a pounding heart, restlessness or a sense of dread you can’t shake. Unlike stress, anxiety often hangs around and can start to affect daily life.
What’s Happening in the Body
Part of the reason stress and anxiety feel so intense comes down to biology. Both trigger the body’s fight or flight response, our natural alarm system. Back in the day, this reaction kept us safe from real danger, like running from predators or other threats. Today, most of our “threats” are deadlines, bills or traffic jams, but our bodies respond in exactly the same way. Heart races, muscles tense, senses sharpen. All things designed for survival. The challenge is that we can’t just switch off millions of years of evolution, which is why stress and anxiety can still feel overwhelming even when there’s no real danger.
Why the Difference Matters
If you know whether you’re facing stress or anxiety, you can give yourself what you really need.
Stress often calls for practical steps like setting boundaries, rest or time to recharge.
Anxiety usually needs a gentler, more internal approach, like calming the body, exploring thought patterns and finding safety within yourself.
When to Seek Support
Both stress and anxiety are part of being human, but if they’re starting to impact your sleep, relationships, or sense of ease in life, it may be time to reach out. Counselling can give you space to untangle what’s going on and find ways to feel more grounded.
I offer counselling online in Henley-on-Thames for people living with stress and anxiety. If you’d like to talk, I’d be glad to hear from you.
With warmth,
Sian 🙏🏼
Inner Space Counselling