Difference between anxiety and stress

6 min read

A person's overall health includes their mental health. It is a basic element that contributes to the maintenance of physical health and social interaction. It means the ability to balance desires, feelings, ambitions and ideals in one‘s daily life.

It means the capability to face and accept the different realities of life. Being mentally healthy doesn‘t just mean that people don‘t have a mental health problem. If one is in good mental health, one can make the most of his/her life, play a full part in family life, workplace, and community and among friends. Some people often says mental health as ‘emotional health‘or ‘wellbeing‘and it is important as good physical health.

Stress and anxiety are normal human reaction . Stress and anxiety have many similar emotional and physical symptoms.. They are natural part of the fight or flight response and the human reaction to the danger . Stress and anxiety are two different things. When any person feels under threat, their body releases stress hormones. Because stress hormones force the heart to beat quicker, more blood is pumped to the organs and limbs. 

In modern world, where stress has become a very common experience in daily life, it is one

of the most used and abused terms. A large number of symptoms in medical diagnoses are attributed to stress only. Stress has become a subject which is hard to avoid. The term is discussed not only in our day to day conversations but has become hot topic of a public issue, to attract widespread attention whether it be radio, television, newspapers or magazines or any social networking sites, the issue of stress figures everywhere. Different people have different views about it. Stress can be experienced from many sources. The popular meaning of stress in relation to human health is often described as an unpleasant mental or emotional feeling, as when people tell they are "stressed out” . It’s a  common thing to hear.

Stress symptoms mainly include a state of alarm and adrenaline release in short period,  resistance as a coping mechanism and tiredness, also it includes irritability, muscular tension, inability to focus & a variety of physiological reactions such as headache and elevated heart rate, increased tone, abnormal breaths, etc.

Anxiety is a mental response to a real or imagined threat. It is a emotional state characterized by a general fear or unease usually accompanied by tension. It is more related to apprehension and fear . It is frequently associated with failure, either real or anticipated. It is generally a fear before a event.  It often has to do with inter personal relations and social conditions. 

The main difference between stress and anxiety is stress is usually a response usually to an external threat in a situation whereas Anxiety is a feeling that is driven internally as a specific response to unrealistic worries. Anxiety more typically involves our thoughts and anticipation of certain bad things about to happen in future. People under stress may experience mental and physical symptoms, i.e. irritability, anger, fatigue, muscle pain, stomach troubles, and difficulty in sleeping. In contrast, anxiety is characterized by persistent, excessive worries that persist even when there is no external stressor. Anxiety is the body’s response to unrealistic worry.  Generally stress cause is external pressure, in which we are finding hard to cope with. On the other hand, anxiety is worries or fears that can threaten us ,  or over thinking about certain stimuli.

To overcome from stress and anxiety is very important. One must  Seek out relaxation training, meditation, social support. Social support are very helpful in anxiety and stress. Focus on underlying stress. Stress can also be managed when you focus on the things you can control and not to focus on what you cannot control. Breathing exercise do wonder in reducing anxiety. Physical exercise elevates our mood and improves our sleep. There are many researches which point out the importance of sound sleep. Also focusing on diet are very helpful in managing daily stress. Gratitude also help relieve stress and anxiety by focusing your thoughts on what’s positive in your life and by writing your thoughts also helps your mind to focus on positives things in life.

Overall in today’s world stress and anxiety is a common problem which is a result of our busy routine. We are so much occupied that not finding time for ourselves. So in the long run , we are going to hurt our mental health. So give time to yourself especially wen you are going through tough time. It helps regenerates our thoughts. Covid has already taught us many lessons. Things we are ignoring from decades are finally getting attention. It taught us the importance of family. To spend time with your loved ones  actually helps us to focus on our work with great attention. Laughter is a natural immune booster. Mindfulness practice helps us to live in present moment.

India has started focusing on mental health. With a country of second largest population, it has started giving attention to mental health related problems. It’s a long journey but to start is a half way done. 

TalktoAngel is an extraordinary spot to track down the best web-based emotional wellness experts. If you need assistance, use this search engine to look up "Psychologist near me" or "Online counseling."

 

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