Recap: Thus far, you’ve learned that anxiety is a feeling of fear because you feel threatened in some capacity. It becomes a disorder when it is pervasive (meaning it continues for a long time) and it feels incapacitating in some way (meaning it restricts you from fully enjoying your life).

Here you will read about the difference between stress and anxiety

Stress and anxiety are definitely related to each other. Stress is pressure on our minds and bodies caused by a specific event, called a stressor. It is a feeling of tension that makes you feel challenged, frustrated, or nervous: You have three tests on the same day and are stressed that you will not be able to prepare well enough. When the tests are over, the stress is over as well. Remove the stressor and you remove the stress.

Anxiety moves beyond just being stressed to having a deeper sense of worry. It is worry that has an impending (meaning about to happen) sense of doom about it. It often continues after the original worrisome event is over. For example, you are anxious that you are going to freeze on the test you have to take and keep thinking about what will happen if you freeze. You take the test but still worry during the test that you are going to freeze at any moment so it’s really hard to focus. Afterwards, you continue to worry that you have failed the test and feel doomed. Your mind thinks ahead to the next test you will have to take and how you will likely freeze on that test. Even though the stressor is over, anxiety continues.

In general, when you are stressed, you are able to deal – even though you may not feel 100% certain about it at the time. With anxiety, you feel a greater sense of unease and helplessness for a longer amount of time.

Curious as to how a person experiencing each of these might think? Read on for a quick example of the differences.