Everyone feels stress sometimes. It becomes a health issue when it lingers, and knowing the difference between stress and anxiety can help you choose the right response.
Stress versus anxiety
Stress is the body or mind reacting to an outside cause, such as a big test, an illness or an argument. It can be short-term or repeated over a long period, and it is not always negative. A deadline can motivate you or cost you sleep. Anxiety is the body’s way of reacting to stress, even in the absence of a present danger. When it becomes a persistent feeling of dread that interferes with daily life, it may be a sign of an anxiety disorder.
What stress does to the body
Stress hormones raise heart rate, blood pressure and blood sugar to get you ready to act, often called the fight-or-flight response. That helps in a real emergency. When stress goes on for weeks or months, the constant strain can lead to headaches, stomach trouble, poor sleep, getting sick more often and, over time, serious problems such as depression, anxiety and heart disease.
Habits that help
It can take trial and error to find what works for you. The National Institute of Mental Health suggests these steps:
- Keep a journal to learn what triggers your stress.
- Try relaxation exercises such as deep breathing, visualization or mindfulness.
- Exercise and eat healthy, regular meals. Walking half an hour a day can lift how you feel.
- Keep a sleep routine and aim for enough sleep.
- Limit caffeine from coffee and soft drinks.
- Challenge negative, unhelpful thoughts.
- Lean on friends or relatives who support you in healthy ways.
When to get help
Reach out to a health professional if severe symptoms last two weeks or longer, such as trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, no longer enjoying your usual interests or not being able to do daily tasks. The two main treatments for anxiety are talk therapy and medication, and a mix of both helps many people. If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Filed under: Washington DC Health News
