Stress vs. Anxiety: Key Differences and How to Cope Effectively

Life presents us with many reasons for stress and anxiety, including family tensions, financial difficulties, relationships, career, health concerns, and even daily tasks.

Every person responds differently to stress, and both genetic and environmental factors play a significant role. In some cases, we can manage the flow of stress and move through better and worse periods. In other cases, however, we may develop stress and anxiety responses.

Stress and anxiety become harmful when they turn into barriers in our lives and prevent us from doing the things we want or need to do. The key issue is to what degree these feelings affect our ability to function in daily life.

While stress and anxiety are similar in many ways, there are some differences.

Stress refers to our automatic response to a perceived danger. It triggers heightened alertness in the body through the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol, which increase heart rate and blood pressure, directing us to focus on the source of danger and preparing the body for action.

Anxiety is a combination of psychological and physiological responses, including fear, worry, increased sweating, rapid heartbeat, weakness, and more.

Unlike stress, anxiety can be triggered even when no real stressful event has occurred, and is often connected to fear of a danger that hasn’t yet taken place. That said, anxiety can also be linked to something that did occur, but the reaction is greatly exaggerated relative to the actual event. Even thinking about a frightening or threatening possibility can have a strong negative impact.

Stress is often tied to current, changing situations, and reducing the burden on a person will likely reduce their stress. For example, if your boss assigns you a task due tomorrow, your child is waiting to be picked up from school, and a client expects a delivery, this pressure can cause stress. Getting help (like a babysitter to pick up your child) can bring relief. We experience stress when life’s demands exceed our abilities and leave us with little breathing room.

Anxiety, which is future-focused (on what might happen), is not usually reduced by removing immediate sources of stress. It stems from persistent, long-term fears. For example:

• Avoiding elevators due to fear of getting stuck

• Avoiding driving out of fear of a car accident

• Skipping crowded places for fear that something might happen

• Constantly checking your body for signs of illness

• Avoiding expressing yourself or eating in public due to fear of judgment

In a state of anxiety, people either avoid the source of fear or adopt coping mechanisms that provide temporary relief but ultimately reinforce the anxiety rather than resolve it.

If the anxiety response worsens over time, it’s important to seek help from a professional who can assist in managing it and improving daily functioning.

Orly Samira is a CBT therapist.