Is It Just Stress, or Could It Be Anxiety? How to Tell — and What to Do About It

You’re lying awake at 2 a.m., your mind racing, going over everything you might have missed, everything that could go wrong tomorrow, and everything that’s been building up in your life. You try deep breathing, but it’s not helping. Maybe you even reach for your phone, thinking the distraction will calm you — but it doesn’t. The worry doesn’t stop.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions in the U.S., affecting millions of people every year. In fact, more than 40 million adults experience anxiety at some point, but many don’t realize it’s something they can work through with support.

Stress vs. Anxiety: Understanding the Difference

We all deal with stress from time to time — it’s a natural part of life. But what happens when stress begins to feel like it’s constantly weighing you down, or when it doesn’t let up even after the event causing it is over?

Stress is usually linked to specific triggers: work deadlines, family pressures, financial concerns. When the situation resolves, the stress often fades. Anxiety, however, can stick around, even when there’s no immediate threat. It might look like:

• Constant worry or feeling on edge, even about things that seem small
• Physical symptoms, like a racing heart, sweaty palms, or trouble breathing
• Difficulty sleeping or feeling tired all the time
• Avoiding certain places or situations out of fear

If this sounds familiar, you may be dealing with more than just stress. You might be experiencing an anxiety disorder, and that’s okay. Anxiety doesn’t make you weak or broken. It’s your body’s way of reacting to things that feel unsafe, even if those things aren’t immediately visible to others.

Why Does Anxiety Happen?

Anxiety is complex. It can be influenced by things like stress, genetics, trauma, or even ongoing pressure from life’s demands. Sometimes, it’s triggered by an event, or it can creep in after months or years of unaddressed stress. There’s no one-size-fits-all explanation, and that’s part of what makes it so hard to manage on your own.

One of our clients shared:
“I always thought I just needed to push through the stress. I had no idea it was turning into anxiety until one day, I found myself having a panic attack in the grocery store. That’s when I realized it wasn’t just ‘stress’ anymore — it was something deeper.”

You Don’t Have to Face This Alone

The good news is that anxiety is treatable. You don’t have to carry it on your own. Therapy is a powerful tool for understanding what triggers your anxiety and learning how to respond to it in healthier ways. With the right support, you can start to feel more in control of your emotions, more grounded in the present moment, and less overwhelmed by constant worry.

Therapists can help you:

• Identify and challenge negative thought patterns that feed your anxiety
• Build coping strategies that work for you, like grounding techniques or mindfulness exercises
• Create a plan to gradually face and manage the situations that make you anxious

And while therapy is incredibly effective, we also know that for some, medication or lifestyle changes (like exercise or sleep management) might be part of the solution. Everyone’s journey is unique, and finding the right balance takes time.

You Deserve to Feel Better

You deserve to feel at peace in your own body, free from the constant pull of worry. Whether you’ve been struggling with anxiety for years, or it’s something that’s only recently started affecting you, there is hope. It’s okay to ask for help, and you don’t have to navigate this by yourself.

Starting therapy might feel like a big step, but it’s a step toward reclaiming your peace of mind. If you’re ready to explore anxiety treatment, whether through therapy, lifestyle changes, or other support — know that the resources are there. You don’t have to wait until things feel unbearable to reach out.