Differences between anxiety and sadness

Although sometimes they can be hardly distinguishable, Anxiety and sadness are not the same. They resemble, among other things, in which both emotions are frequent and unpleasant, but while sadness is an "adaptive" emotion (that is, healthy), anxiety can become a really limiting problem in the life of the people.

When we feel anxiety, our body reacts by guarding before a possible future danger.

In this case, Most hazards are usually imaginations that are actually very likely to happen, although many times we live them as real. Being in a job with fear of being fired, driving and thinking that you will have a serious accident or always be worried about what may happen, are some of the examples that can highlight your problem with anxiety.

However, Sadness usually has to do with experiencing the loss of something or someone important for us And it usually has to do with the feeling that the past times were better than what they are now. If you have suffered a sentimental break, you have lost a loved one or your pet has become ill, it is more than likely and normal that you feel this emotion for some time. As a consequence, and unlike anxiety, your body will react "lowering your guard" and in many cases, needing the help of other people to achieve recovery gradually.

How sadness and body anxiety manifest

In both cases, there will be more or less visible physical manifestations. One of the most frequent forms in which sadness manifests is through crying or a feeling of chest oppression, Although these are not the only symptoms. The deceleration of the heart rate or the sensation of immense loneliness or emptiness are also usually present.

Unlike sadness, when we feel anxiety, heart rate (tachycardias) accelerates, our mouth dries or we started sweating more than normal.

We can also feel tremors or tingling sensation especially in the extremities, among other symptoms.

In both cases, when we feel these sensations that can become so unpleasant, we can have the need to isolate ourselves (especially when we are sad) or, to be continuously accompanied by our most beloved beings when we feel anxiety or give it too many Return to the head.

The way of feeding us also greatly influences mood, although in the case of anxiety and sadness, it usually does very different ways: When we are sad, we usually "close" the stomach And we barely feel like eating. If what we have is anxiety, it is more likely to give us to devour everything we catch to our path.

In both cases, we can have problems getting a repairing dream. Either because it is difficult for us.

What are emotions? Behavioral concept, types and components

Can we feel anxiety and sadness at the same time?

Although anxiety is a problem associated with possible future fears and sadness has more to do with the past, or rather, with the loss of what we had and no longer we have, both can coexist.

That anxiety is maintained over time can lead us to feel sad, In addition to other emotions such as guilt or shame. In the case of sadness, it may have to do with the feeling that since we have anxiety we are no longer what we were, that our life has been more limited than before or that we feel a bit hopeless with respect to the future.

How to overcome them

The first thing you will need to do with your unpleasant emotions is to assume that they will accompany you for a while. Identify that you are feeling it will allow you to name them And once you have done it, it will be easier for you to do something (or not do anything) with them. Keep in mind that many times it will not be easy to detect what you feel exactly, since it may be many emotions that accumulate.

The next step is to try to identify which one are the reasons that lead you to feel them. To do this, it is necessary that you give you a limited time to reflect on it. As an example, if every time you start studying you have physical symptoms similar to those of anxiety, maybe it is because a part of you thinks that you are going to suspend that exam. In this case, try Identify whether it is a real fear or if it is irrational. In the case of being real, you can start checking how your study method is and making the adjustments you think is convenient to avoid possible failures. If on the contrary you know that it does not fit reality, try to give you a parenthesis in your routine and do something that helps you relax.

Once you have been able to identify and reflect on what happened, The next step is to accept it, "allow it to be". That is, give yourself moments to feel it and express it: speak, cry, write, draw ... in short, as you do with the most pleasant emotions, it allows the unpleasant to also "get out" of your body in a way the most "controlled " possible. Try to combine those moments of "connection" with those unpleasant sensations with others that are more pleasant: practice your favorite hobbies, stay with positive people or do some outdoor exercise.

In both cases I will tell you that It is not convenient for you to make important decisions when you are feeling some of these emotions intensely. If you notice that you are worried in excess or that you do not feel like anything, try to do activities that distract your attention, take care of someone of trusted or consultation to a specialized professional. In any case, wait to be more relaxed to make the decisions you think is because it is in these moments of calm when we can think more clearly.

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