Anxiety and stress what are the differences

Anxiety and stress are two concepts that tend to be confused. In fact, they share some aspects, but they are two phenomena that must be addressed separately. While stress refers to punctual activation, anxiety is related to an activation that may last even years. Thus, It is important to learn to distinguish them and know what we can do in each case so that they do not become two dysfunctional phenomena. Let's deepen!

Content

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Anxiety and stress: circumstances and mind
• How to know if we suffer anxiety
• Leave it alone
  • Bibliography

Stress

Imagine that in two days we have to present a project in front of an auditorium with more than one hundred people. We may feel somewhat agitated, restless and with an extra energy that can sometimes get more nervous than usual. However, once our exhibition ends, the next day we return to normal, that is, a state of calm. In this case, what has happened is that we have felt stress. Stress is an activation reaction to an external event and is limited to a certain time.

As María Luisa Naranjo (2009) defines, stress is "a set of physiological and psychological reactions experienced by the body when it is subjected to strong demands". Stress can also feel it in other situations such as discussion, when we practice a risk sport, when we drive, etc. The sympathetic nervous system is activated to adapt to external demand. In this way, both physical and mentally, the organism prepares to face the stressful factor. But what happens when the stressful stress disappears but we are still activated?

Anxiety

Anxiety - or chronic stress - appears When we have overcome the situation that supposed a stressful factor but we are still activated. Our parasympathetic nervous system has not yet "disconnected" the sympathetic. Remember that the parasympathetic nervous system comes into play in metabolic regulation when "danger" has passed and reduces activation levels, for example, slowing heart rate.

Anxiety and stress: circumstances and mind

In the case of stress You could say that the activating stimulus are circumstances. That is, if we see a shadow while we walk alone at night it is difficult not to start. At first, our reaction to certain situations is to activate. While it is true that this stress helps us better adapt to certain situations, it is also true that If we don't know how to develop well, stress can end up overcoming us. For example, being so stressed at exams that we are not able to concentrate to study, or stress both behind the wheel that we are a public danger.

Although the interpretation of the facts and control that we have about our mind can be important in stressful situations, it will be crucial in the management of anxiety. Once we leave behind a stressful situation we should return to the state of calm, but for some reason, many people do not get it. At this point it is when anxiety processes begin and the fundamental factor is the mind. How do we interpret the environment? How do we relate to what surrounds us? How do we relate to ourselves? Little by little, we observe that anxiety and stress resemble, but to some extent.

How to know if we suffer anxiety

It is possible that due to the rapid rhythm we carry, we do not even know what we suffer from anxiety. It is very common for many people to be unable to be sitting for more than a few minutes because they have the perception that they are wasting their time. We can also feel impatience without having anything to do or eat running at noon having the whole afternoon free. We live accelerated, so it is not surprising that Our mind and our body are constant. Apart from the aforementioned behaviors, what other symptoms can be a sign that we suffer from anxiety?

• Memory problems.
• Headaches.
• Rigidity in the neck and/or jaw.
• Lack of energy
• Problems of attention and concentration.
• Insomnia or hypersomnia.
• Loss or weight gain.
• Alcohol abuse to relax.
• Diarrhea or constipation.
• Fatigue.
• Tremors.
• Tachycardia.
• Etc.

Many of the above problems have normalized in such a way that we do not even consider that they are a matter of chronic stress. Thus, It is important to stop from time to time and self-observe. In this way, we will realize what our current state is and we can regulate our activation status. Stress and anxiety are two concepts that can share some symptoms, but stress has a certain duration while anxiety lengthens over time. Let's see how to leave it alone in adaptive stress.

Leave it alone

If we are able to leave activation for specific moments of stress, our behavior will be much more adaptive. A necessary stress, stress that makes us react on an occasion of danger or that increases a behavior before a close event, is positive. So that, It is important to learn to disconnect from activating events once they have occurred. Thus, once the stressful event passes it will be very important. Thoughts like "I could have done it differently," "I didn't say everything I wanted to say", "what a fright I spent, and if I had been a thief?"..

What we must extract from experience is an learning, but to put aside those negative thoughts that come to us again and again and focus on what we are doing. Through this simple exercise, we learn to leave behind what can no longer be changed. Thus, We will be putting acceptance and learning: accept the situation and learn. It is important to emphasize that anxiety comes from our relationship with external events and our management with them. That is why it is essential to learn to control the mind so that it does not wander between already immovable aspects.

Bibliography

Naranjo, m.L. (2009). A theoretical review of stress and some relevant aspects of this in the educational field. Education Magazine, 33 (2), 171-190.