Our society is anxious and stressed. With busy schedules and increasingly high expectations of ourselves, people are experiencing a kind of collective breakdown in terms of their mental health as a whole. The problem becomes even worse when people are unable to recognize the symptoms of anxiety and stress .

So, let’s understand a little more about the subject and discover how this knowledge can help you have a more balanced and even peaceful life. To do this, we have outlined a series of important information and tips that will make your relationship with stress and anxiety easier.

Enjoy reading and don’t miss any details!

What is stress and what are its symptoms?

First, we need to understand that stress is a reaction created by our body in situations that it considers to be risky . Therefore, any potentially threatening circumstance can trigger a stress reaction. It sounds complicated, but it is quite simple to understand.

When we lived in nature, exposed to imminent dangers (such as becoming prey for a large predator or being caught unprepared by a violent storm), our bodies were forced to develop some defense mechanisms. And stress arose from this, as a way of putting our bodies on alert to defend itself from the dangers of the world.

This is because, from the moment that cortisol is released into our bloodstream we keep ourselves active, alert and alive with the help of it. We respond instinctively towards anything and then there’s an intense feeling of adrenaline that leaves us ready to react at any moment.

The problem is that we are no longer in the middle of the jungle. Today, some of the biggest “dangers” we have to face are traffic and bills that need to be paid on time. In fact, just talking about this makes your muscles tense up again?

Look, stress is a good thing (or at least it’s supposed to be). It makes us pay more attention to what we’re doing. However, we need to be careful not to be constantly under the effects of this “extra protection.” After all, under these conditions, it becomes harmful.

That’s right! A prolonged stressful situation can damage your body in many ways . The most common of these are perceived through physical symptoms. See if you have ever experienced any of these situations:

• acne breakouts during or after a deeply stressful situation;
• recurrence of headaches or neck pain , accompanied by tension in these areas;
• recurrence of pain that can be considered chronic ;
• appearance of allergies or other unexplained skin problems;
• weakening of your immune system (more susceptible to flu and colds);
• lack of energy and disposition;
• occurrence of insomnia and sleepless nights;
• reduced sexual appetite and even performance in bed;
• emergence of various digestive problems, from constipation to diarrhea.

Did you think that was a lot? Well, you should know that stress can cause many other signs, some of which are not usually associated with it. So keep an eye out if, in addition to the previous signs, you notice a change in your appetite, hair loss, a frequent feeling of accelerated heartbeat, muscle tension, sweating and bruxism .

What is anxiety and what are its symptoms?

In addition to stress, a very common situation that can affect your peace of mind and well-being is anxiety. It can arise at specific times, such as when you are about to do something that you consider very important. Another possible manifestation is in the form of anxiety attacks , which are more intense and uncomfortable.

Just like stress, anxiety is not always necessarily harmful . It can even be confused with the excitement that arises when things happen that you really want to happen. Or, even as a kind of apprehension when having to do something you don’t want to do, such as presenting a paper in public.

The big problem is anxiety disorder, which is more common and worrying, and is still classified as an illness. It can be caused by many situations, from prolonged stress to genetic causes and personal trauma.

As with any mental illness, it is very important to have close medical monitoring when it comes to anxiety . To do this, of course, you must be able to recognize the symptoms and ultimately seek help for yourself or someone close to you.

In this case, anxiety disorder ends up being easier to identify, precisely because it is accompanied by crises, spikes of anxiety, which can repeat themselves for days. In the long term, these reactions can become extremely uncomfortable and harmful to overall health.

Anxiety also manifests itself through very specific symptoms. Therefore, it is important to observe to see if you identify the incidence of behaviors and circumstances such as:

• constant fear, without there being a rational reason for this feeling;
• frequent difficulty disconnecting from thoughts and sleeping or even relaxing ;
• feeling sick, usually accompanied by tremors, diarrhea, palpitations, dizziness and vomiting;
• difficulty and fear of socializing whenever exposed to an unknown person;
• constant and excessive tiredness, even when the routine is not that busy;
• mental exhaustion and difficulty maintaining attention in the activities you start;
• possible need to bite your nails, which can even cause injuries in some cases;
• permanent feeling of stress, irritability and impatience;
• frequent muscle tension, which can cause pain in the back, neck, shoulders and head;
• excessive establishment of perfectionism in daily activities.

Just like stress, anxiety can also cause digestive problems, such as stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, ulcers, reflux , among others .

How to differentiate them and identify each one of them?

You may have noticed that many of the symptoms of stress and anxiety are similar, right? For this reason, these sensations are often confused, and it is important to pay attention to the differences between them in order to properly assess what you are feeling.

The first big difference is in the origin of these feelings, that is, in what triggers stress or anxiety. Want to see? In the case of stress, the causes of the problem come from outside the individual , such as stressful situations in traffic, tight deadlines at work, lack of money at home, etc. In the case of anxiety, the reason is internal .

People who suffer from anxiety often experience crises triggered by emotional issues, personal and deep feelings. This may be related to expectations created from a future situation or even a kind of flashback that brings back situations of trauma, fear or embarrassment, for example.

Another way to tell the difference between stress and anxiety is that stress is focused on current situations. When you are extremely stressed, you feel unable to deal with what is happening in the present.

Anxiety, in turn, is projected onto a future or past scenario. In this case, the fear that everything will go wrong in the future can trigger the feeling. In addition to this fear of what is to come, anxiety can use past sensations as a spark to light the fire of fear that they will happen again in the future.

Now it’s much easier to identify them, isn’t it? Just to remember, let’s summarize it in a simple way:

• anxiety is a fear of the future , usually without there being a real reason for this projection;
• Stress is exhaustion with a present situation , which incapacitates the person from acting appropriately.

When is specialist intervention necessary?

As we said, both stress and anxiety are a natural response of the body to get you out of potentially threatening situations. The big problem happens when these symptoms start to appear in circumstances that do not represent a real threat.

In the case of stress, for example, prolonged symptoms can sometimes lead to burnout . Given the severity of this condition, the World Health Organization (WHO) began classifying it as an occupational disease in January 2022.

It makes the person really freak out, letting out all their anger and their inability to properly manage their emotions. This is common in exhausting jobs, in athletes who train intensely for competitions, in people who work in reconciling delicate situations, etc.

Anxiety also has a serious impact on individuals, and can make them unable to perform basic activities, such as maintaining a professional routine. The person is unable to stay focused on their activities and, in some cases, sleeps and eats so poorly that they have no energy to cope with their daily routine.

In both cases, it is crucial that a specialist intervenes :

• first, so that an accurate diagnosis of the situation can be made;
• then, so that he can introduce some medication intervention that breaks the anxiety cycle;
• and, finally, to establish a treatment that is effective in resolving the causes.

Sometimes, taking time off work is essential. In most cases, psychological or psychiatric monitoring may also be necessary. Along with all this, new routines are incorporated that provide greater well-being to the patient, including:

• moments of rest and leisure;
• practice of physical activities;
• establishing a balanced diet ;
• development of some hobby .

It is also worth noting that, in most cases, medication is necessary to alleviate and reduce symptoms. However, this alternative requires appropriate medical advice, aimed at the specific problem of each individual.