The link between stress and anxiety

Here at Holland & Barrett, we believe that understanding the link between stress and anxiety is crucial to developing ways to manage these feelings. So, whether you’re waking up in the night with your heart beating at a million miles an hour, or have found yourself more irritable and restless recently, we’ll guide you through understanding your symptoms and how to manage stress and anxiety.

Whilst they may feel really similar, anxiety and stress are closely related and occasionally coexist but, they’re not the same thing.¹

Stress is our body’s response to challenging or threatening situations, and it can manifest in a range of physical and emotional symptoms.²  When stress becomes chronic or overwhelming, it can contribute to the development or exacerbation of anxiety.³

Anxiety is defined by feeling persistently and excessively worried. You might feel tense and apprehensive or feel like you’re always anticipating possible danger and future trouble.⁴ Your body can react by tensing muscles, breathing faster, and making your heart beat faster.⁵

Learning to manage stress through healthy coping mechanisms, such as exercise, relaxation techniques, and social support, can be important in learning to prevent or alleviate anxiety symptoms too.⁶

A bit of anxiety and stress is completely normal, but if you find that it starts to interfere with your day-to-day activities, you should speak to your GP – they’ll be able to offer you tailored advice and support to help with your symptoms.

Stress and anxiety share many similar symptoms, meaning that it can sometimes be tricky to differentiate between the two and start to manage these feelings.

Both conditions can manifest in various ways, each affecting everyone differently. That said, here are seven common symptoms of both stress and anxiety:⁷

In addition, there are symptoms related specifically to stress and others which relate specifically to anxiety. Stress symptoms can also include dizziness, digestive issues, irritability, increased sweating, restlessness, and changes in your appetite.² Anxiety can also cause tingling or numbness, brain fog, and a feeling of impending doom.¹⁰

There are many situations which can make us feel anxious or stressed out.

Stress is generally a response to an external cause or situation. The NHS states that the four most common causes of stress include work, financial problems, relationships, and health worries, and that once resolved, those feelings of stress usually go away.²

Anxiety, on the other hand, is more difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. It’s thought that anxiety could occur due to a combination of factors like:

In some cases, frequent and overwhelming feelings of stress and anxiety could be a sign of an underlying condition like generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder, or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).¹⁷

It’s so important to speak to your GP or a mental health professional if your feelings of stress and anxiety begin to affect your day-to-day life.

In some cases, stress can cause anxiety. This is particularly true if you experience a lot of stress over a long period of time or experience a stressful and traumatic event when you’re young.¹⁷

Learning how to manage stress and anxiety is so important. Everyone is different, so it might take some trial and error to figure out what works for you when it comes to anxiety and stress relief.

Here are some things you can try when you feel overwhelmed:^18,19

Perhaps most important, you need to be kind to yourself and listen to your body. Everyone has difficult days, and there’s nothing wrong with sitting on the sofa, eating snacks, and watching a good film to make you feel better.

If you're struggling to manage stress and anxiety on your own, speak to a medical professional. A therapist or GP can teach you additional coping techniques and can even help you develop a plan to manage your anxiety and stress.

Anxiety and stress are closely linked but are actually two very different things. As such, it can be hard to tell the difference between the two, but learning the signs and symptoms of both is a great first step to tackling how you feel.

There are lots of stress management techniques that can help you cope with your feelings, from meditation to exercise and more. But it’s always important to remember to speak to a medical professional if your stress or anxiety begins to affect your everyday life.