16/10/2026
Q: What is the difference between Stress and Anxiety?
A: A stressor is something which is actually present.
You can be anxious even when stressors are minimal.
Anxiety can make stressors harder to cope with.
Examples of stressors, which may trigger anxiety:
• excessive work load and/or mental load
• illness - yours or others
• relationship issues
• family tension
• work conflict
• moving house
• excess time commitments
• sleep disruption
• death or grief
• financial debt
• isolation
• extreme weather events
• unfair expectations – yours or others
• world events
Examples of how anxiety feels:
• An overactive mind which is hard to switch off
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Bad dreams
• Highly organised, leaning towards controlling
• Not being able to relax on holidays
• Uncomfortable with resting or being unproductive during the day
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Difficulty making decisions
• Fear of unlikely things
• Using alcohol to relax
• Difficulty with self-esteem
• Avoiding personal interactions
• Needing lots of reassurance
• Feeling like you are an inconvenience to others
NEXT WEEK: The Purpose of Anxiety & Managing Anxiety