Understanding your mental health

The difference between 'stress' and 'anxiety'

Stress is an external reaction to a situation. You might feel stressed when there’s an exam coming up, during an argument or while writing an important piece of coursework. However the feelings associated with being stressed usually disappear once these situations are resolved. Stress can lead to anxiety.

Anxiety is an internal reaction to stress. We all feel anxious at times, however it is important to recognise when it’s becoming a problem for you. For example, if you have a persistent feeling of worry or dread in situations that aren’t actually threatening or after a concern has passed.

Why do we feel anxious?

•Anxiety is a natural defence mechanism that developed millions of years ago, in order to keep us safe from danger.

•Nowadays we might worry about things that aren’t necessarily dangerous, but our bodies still react in the same way.

Anxiety is therefore a perfectly natural response. However, a simple worry can sometimes lead into a full blown panic attack so it is crucial that we know how to recognise and manage our anxiety.

There is an informative article about managing stress and anxiety in the 'Resources Library' of 'Unifrog' (you all now have access to this online platform).

Here is the direct link: Recognising and managing stress and anxiety