Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsTriggersCopingCan Stress Turn Into Anxiety?
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Triggers
Coping
Can Stress Turn Into Anxiety?
Stress and anxiety are similar, but they have different underlying causes and possible triggers.Stress refers to your physical and psychological response to demands, difficulties, or challenges.Common symptoms ofstressinclude muscle tension, rapid heartbeat, excessive sweating, irritability, and difficulty breathing.
Anxiety involves feelings of fear, worry, and/or dread in anticipation of possible danger or a negative outcome.Like stress,anxietycan cause symptoms such as a racing heart, rapid breathing, and tension.
Anxiety can be a reaction to stress, but you may experience anxiety even in the absence of a potential stressor or long after a perceived threat has gone away.
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Symptoms of Stress vs. Anxiety
While stress and anxiety are not exactly the same, they have many key symptoms in common.
In response to a threat or misfortune—whether real or imagined, internal or external, and present or potential—your body releases hormones (chemical messengers), such ascortisolandadrenaline.The release of these hormones causes the physiological and psychological symptoms associated with stress, anxiety, or both.
These hormones prompt many of the most common anxiety symptoms, like an increased heart rate and rapid breathing.Over time, chronic stress can lead to persistent anxiety if it interferes with your ability to function normally on a day-to-day basis.
Stress Symptoms
Some telltale signs andsymptoms of stressinclude:
Everyone experiences stress as part of everyday life. In some cases, it may even prompt you to meet new challenges and rise to the occasion.
However, if left unchecked, chronic (long-term) stress can have a negative impact on your physical and emotional well-being. Chronic stress can increase your risk of serious medical consequences, such as:
Anxiety Symptoms
Typicalsymptoms of anxietyinclude:
Like day-to-day stress, occasional anxiety is normal. However, if your symptoms persist, you may have an anxiety disorder. Anxiety disorders, such asgeneralized anxiety disorder(GAD), involve ongoing feelings of concern and fear that disrupt your daily life.
Anxiety disorders are very common. Recent estimates suggest that about 31.1% of U.S. adults will meet the diagnostic criteria of an anxiety disorder at some point in their life.
Triggers of Stress vs. Anxiety
Stress Triggers
The external causes that trigger stress are known as stressors.Any situation, environment, or event that changes your life significantly (even if positive) can lead to stress.
Common life stressors include:
Everyone experiences stress at some point. In some cases, it can even be positive or lifesaving. Having a flight-or-fight response to a real threat, for example, can help you get out of a dangerous situation quickly.However, stress can negatively affect your life, happiness, and health if it persists for too long.
Anxiety Triggers
Anxiety symptoms persist even when there is no real threat or when anticipating a possible threat. The response typically is disproportionate to the situation. For example, someone with severe anxiety may experience symptoms in response to mild, day-to-day obligations at school or work.
If anxiety symptoms begin to impair your functioning in major areas of your life, you may have GAD or another anxiety disorder. Some people with anxiety developspecific phobias—intense,persistent fearsabout a particular situation or object, such as social events, public speaking, or germs.
While anyone can have anxiety, the following factors increase your risk of developing an anxiety disorder in response to stress:
Traumatic Stress
Coping With Stress vs. Anxiety
One way to cope with anxiety and stress is to prevent it from happening in the first place. It’s important to learn to identify your triggers in order to stop a cycle of anxious thinking in its tracks. Once you understand your typical stress responses, it’s much easier to prevent chronic worry.
It’s also important to develop a game plan forstress managementand anxiety reduction.
Coping With Stress
When you’re facing stress, it’s crucial to have a toolbox of healthy stress-reduction methods.Here are some positive ways you can cope with stress:
Coping With Anxiety
Coping with anxiety can be difficult, but it’s not impossible. The following coping methods can help you manage your anxiety symptoms, boost your confidence, and improve your overall well-being:
Over time, chronic stress can lead to persistent anxiety if it interferes with your ability to function normally on a day-to-day basis.You may be experiencing chronic stress if the obligations and pressures of daily life are causing you anxiety regularly.
People under chronic stress often find it difficult to fall and stay asleep, have trouble concentrating, and feel consumed with worry and uneasiness. You may also experience physical symptoms like unexplained aches and pains, chronic fatigue, tension, or migraines.
Seek HelpIf you or a loved one is struggling with anxiety, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
Seek Help
If you or a loved one is struggling with anxiety, contact theSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helplineat800-662-4357for information on support and treatment facilities in your area.
Summary
Stress is the physical and psychological reaction to external stressors, such as work pressures, relationship problems, health issues, financial concerns, major life changes, grief, andtrauma. Anxiety also refers to the body’s response to stress. However, anxiety symptoms may occur in anticipation of a potential danger or persist after a threat has long since gone away. They may continue or get worse even when there is no external source of stress.
Both anxiety and stress cause symptoms like a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, headaches,insomnia, muscle tension, irritability, restlessness, and problems with concentration. Coping methods include identifying and preventing triggers, using mindfulness techniques, and practicing self-care. Talk therapy and medication may help to treat anxiety disorders and other related mental health conditions.
30 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.What’s the difference between stress and anxiety?.MedlinePlus.Stress.American Psychological Association.Stress.MedlinePlus.Anxiety.American Psychological Association.Anxiety.Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480National Institute of Mental Health.I’m so stressed out! Fact sheet.NHS.Get help with stress.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Anxiety disorders.AnxietyCentre.com.Confusion and Anxiety.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.National Institute of Mental Health.Any anxiety disorder.American Psychological Association.Stressor.Roos LG, Levens SM, Bennett JM.Stressful life events, relationship stressors, and cortisol reactivity: The moderating role of suppression.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018;89:69-77. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.026Cohen S, Murphy MLM, Prather AA.Ten surprising facts about stressful life events and disease risk.Annu Rev Psychol. 2019;70:577-597. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102857Grupe DW, Nitschke JB.Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective.Nat Rev Neurosci. 2013;14(7):488-501. doi:10.1038/nrn3524Lebowitz ER, Leckman JF, Silverman WK, Feldman R.Cross-generational influences on childhood anxiety disorders: pathways and mechanisms.J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2016;123(9):1053-1067. doi:10.1007/s00702-016-1565-yGustavson DE, du Pont A, Whisman MA, Miyake A.Evidence for transdiagnostic repetitive negative thinking and its association with rumination, worry, and depression and anxiety symptoms: a commonality analysis.Collabra Psychol. 2018;4(1):13. doi:10.1525/collabra.128Prince EJ, Siegel DJ, Carroll CP, Sher KJ, Bienvenu OJ.A longitudinal study of personality traits, anxiety, and depressive disorders in young adults.Anxiety Stress Coping. 2021;34(3):299-307. doi:10.1080/10615806.2020.1845431American Psychiatric Association.What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?.Nemours TeensHealth.5 ways to cope with anxiety.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stress management: important at any age.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Support for employees.NHS.Get help with anxiety, fear or panic.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How to relieve stress: a 6-step plan to feeling good.Santos VA, Hoirisch-Clapauch S, Nardi AE, Freire RC.Panic disorder and chronic caffeine use: a case-control study.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2019;15:120-125. doi:10.2174/1745017901915010120Can YS, Iles-Smith H, Chalabianloo N, et al.How to relax in stressful situations: a smart stress reduction system.Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(2):100. doi:10.3390/healthcare8020100Meridian University.Grounding techniques for anxiety.Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: a preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93-107. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow
30 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.What’s the difference between stress and anxiety?.MedlinePlus.Stress.American Psychological Association.Stress.MedlinePlus.Anxiety.American Psychological Association.Anxiety.Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480National Institute of Mental Health.I’m so stressed out! Fact sheet.NHS.Get help with stress.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Anxiety disorders.AnxietyCentre.com.Confusion and Anxiety.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.National Institute of Mental Health.Any anxiety disorder.American Psychological Association.Stressor.Roos LG, Levens SM, Bennett JM.Stressful life events, relationship stressors, and cortisol reactivity: The moderating role of suppression.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018;89:69-77. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.026Cohen S, Murphy MLM, Prather AA.Ten surprising facts about stressful life events and disease risk.Annu Rev Psychol. 2019;70:577-597. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102857Grupe DW, Nitschke JB.Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective.Nat Rev Neurosci. 2013;14(7):488-501. doi:10.1038/nrn3524Lebowitz ER, Leckman JF, Silverman WK, Feldman R.Cross-generational influences on childhood anxiety disorders: pathways and mechanisms.J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2016;123(9):1053-1067. doi:10.1007/s00702-016-1565-yGustavson DE, du Pont A, Whisman MA, Miyake A.Evidence for transdiagnostic repetitive negative thinking and its association with rumination, worry, and depression and anxiety symptoms: a commonality analysis.Collabra Psychol. 2018;4(1):13. doi:10.1525/collabra.128Prince EJ, Siegel DJ, Carroll CP, Sher KJ, Bienvenu OJ.A longitudinal study of personality traits, anxiety, and depressive disorders in young adults.Anxiety Stress Coping. 2021;34(3):299-307. doi:10.1080/10615806.2020.1845431American Psychiatric Association.What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?.Nemours TeensHealth.5 ways to cope with anxiety.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stress management: important at any age.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Support for employees.NHS.Get help with anxiety, fear or panic.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How to relieve stress: a 6-step plan to feeling good.Santos VA, Hoirisch-Clapauch S, Nardi AE, Freire RC.Panic disorder and chronic caffeine use: a case-control study.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2019;15:120-125. doi:10.2174/1745017901915010120Can YS, Iles-Smith H, Chalabianloo N, et al.How to relax in stressful situations: a smart stress reduction system.Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(2):100. doi:10.3390/healthcare8020100Meridian University.Grounding techniques for anxiety.Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: a preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93-107. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Psychological Association.What’s the difference between stress and anxiety?.MedlinePlus.Stress.American Psychological Association.Stress.MedlinePlus.Anxiety.American Psychological Association.Anxiety.Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480National Institute of Mental Health.I’m so stressed out! Fact sheet.NHS.Get help with stress.Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Anxiety disorders.AnxietyCentre.com.Confusion and Anxiety.National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.National Institute of Mental Health.Any anxiety disorder.American Psychological Association.Stressor.Roos LG, Levens SM, Bennett JM.Stressful life events, relationship stressors, and cortisol reactivity: The moderating role of suppression.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018;89:69-77. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.026Cohen S, Murphy MLM, Prather AA.Ten surprising facts about stressful life events and disease risk.Annu Rev Psychol. 2019;70:577-597. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102857Grupe DW, Nitschke JB.Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective.Nat Rev Neurosci. 2013;14(7):488-501. doi:10.1038/nrn3524Lebowitz ER, Leckman JF, Silverman WK, Feldman R.Cross-generational influences on childhood anxiety disorders: pathways and mechanisms.J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2016;123(9):1053-1067. doi:10.1007/s00702-016-1565-yGustavson DE, du Pont A, Whisman MA, Miyake A.Evidence for transdiagnostic repetitive negative thinking and its association with rumination, worry, and depression and anxiety symptoms: a commonality analysis.Collabra Psychol. 2018;4(1):13. doi:10.1525/collabra.128Prince EJ, Siegel DJ, Carroll CP, Sher KJ, Bienvenu OJ.A longitudinal study of personality traits, anxiety, and depressive disorders in young adults.Anxiety Stress Coping. 2021;34(3):299-307. doi:10.1080/10615806.2020.1845431American Psychiatric Association.What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?.Nemours TeensHealth.5 ways to cope with anxiety.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stress management: important at any age.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Support for employees.NHS.Get help with anxiety, fear or panic.Johns Hopkins Medicine.How to relieve stress: a 6-step plan to feeling good.Santos VA, Hoirisch-Clapauch S, Nardi AE, Freire RC.Panic disorder and chronic caffeine use: a case-control study.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2019;15:120-125. doi:10.2174/1745017901915010120Can YS, Iles-Smith H, Chalabianloo N, et al.How to relax in stressful situations: a smart stress reduction system.Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(2):100. doi:10.3390/healthcare8020100Meridian University.Grounding techniques for anxiety.Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: a preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93-107. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow
American Psychological Association.What’s the difference between stress and anxiety?.
MedlinePlus.Stress.
American Psychological Association.Stress.
MedlinePlus.Anxiety.
American Psychological Association.Anxiety.
Yaribeygi H, Panahi Y, Sahraei H, Johnston TP, Sahebkar A.The impact of stress on body function: A review.EXCLI J. 2017;16:1057-1072. doi:10.17179/excli2017-480
National Institute of Mental Health.I’m so stressed out! Fact sheet.
NHS.Get help with stress.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.Anxiety disorders.
AnxietyCentre.com.Confusion and Anxiety.
National Institute of Mental Health.Anxiety disorders.
National Institute of Mental Health.Any anxiety disorder.
American Psychological Association.Stressor.
Roos LG, Levens SM, Bennett JM.Stressful life events, relationship stressors, and cortisol reactivity: The moderating role of suppression.Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2018;89:69-77. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.026
Cohen S, Murphy MLM, Prather AA.Ten surprising facts about stressful life events and disease risk.Annu Rev Psychol. 2019;70:577-597. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010418-102857
Grupe DW, Nitschke JB.Uncertainty and anticipation in anxiety: an integrated neurobiological and psychological perspective.Nat Rev Neurosci. 2013;14(7):488-501. doi:10.1038/nrn3524
Lebowitz ER, Leckman JF, Silverman WK, Feldman R.Cross-generational influences on childhood anxiety disorders: pathways and mechanisms.J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2016;123(9):1053-1067. doi:10.1007/s00702-016-1565-y
Gustavson DE, du Pont A, Whisman MA, Miyake A.Evidence for transdiagnostic repetitive negative thinking and its association with rumination, worry, and depression and anxiety symptoms: a commonality analysis.Collabra Psychol. 2018;4(1):13. doi:10.1525/collabra.128
Prince EJ, Siegel DJ, Carroll CP, Sher KJ, Bienvenu OJ.A longitudinal study of personality traits, anxiety, and depressive disorders in young adults.Anxiety Stress Coping. 2021;34(3):299-307. doi:10.1080/10615806.2020.1845431
American Psychiatric Association.What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?.
Nemours TeensHealth.5 ways to cope with anxiety.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Stress management: important at any age.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Support for employees.
NHS.Get help with anxiety, fear or panic.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.How to relieve stress: a 6-step plan to feeling good.
Santos VA, Hoirisch-Clapauch S, Nardi AE, Freire RC.Panic disorder and chronic caffeine use: a case-control study.Clin Pract Epidemiol Ment Health. 2019;15:120-125. doi:10.2174/1745017901915010120
Can YS, Iles-Smith H, Chalabianloo N, et al.How to relax in stressful situations: a smart stress reduction system.Healthcare (Basel). 2020;8(2):100. doi:10.3390/healthcare8020100
Meridian University.Grounding techniques for anxiety.
Smyth JM, Johnson JA, Auer BJ, Lehman E, Talamo G, Sciamanna CN.Online positive affect journaling in the improvement of mental distress and well-being in general medical patients with elevated anxiety symptoms: a preliminary randomized controlled trial.JMIR Ment Health. 2018;5(4):e11290. doi:10.2196/11290
Bandelow B, Michaelis S, Wedekind D.Treatment of anxiety disorders.Dialogues Clin Neurosci. 2017;19(2):93-107. doi:10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow
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