Since classes just started this week here at UC Davis, it’s a good time to take a look at how you’re feeling about the quarter. Are you stressed? Do you feel anxious? Do you think you have anxiety?
Most people use those terms interchangeably, but it’s important to know the difference.
Stress is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances,” according to Google’s definition.
Being anxious is “experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.”
Source: Giphy
Both of these are normal behaviors. People who are stressed may feel anxious about their demanding circumstance. People get stressed when there is a big midterm that is worth a lot of their grade. They feel anxious as they study because they aren’t sure if they’re going to do well or not.
However, it gets easy to get confused when people say, “Omg, that test is giving me so much anxiety.”
Anxiety is “a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness or apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior or panic attacks.”
Even though it seems similar enough to stress and feeling anxious, anxiety is a mental health issue that should be taken seriously.
Stress is caused by a stimulating factor. There is a specific event happening, or that’s about to happen, that is making you anxious. Things like tests, health issues, moving, changing jobs, and family crises are all perfectly normal things to get stressed and feel anxious about. Once the stressor is gone, most people relax and go back to their normal thinking processes.
Anxiety is a chronic condition that makes people feel like they have to worry and be anxious about everything, constantly. If you realize that you aren’t feeling any relief after the demanding circumstances – like major tests and papers – have passed, then you may be struggling with anxiety, which is a mental health issue that should be taken seriously.
Source: Giphy
It can look different in different people, but students are more prone to anxiety than ever before. It’s a serious problem among college students, so it’s especially important to be able to distinguish between stress and anxiety.
Basically, stress is when there’s a specific reason to feel anxious. Anxiety is when you feel like you never stop being anxious throughout the day, week, month, even year. It can be difficult for students to tell the difference, since school is just a bunch of stressful things one right after another. But it’s important to know that there is a difference. If you’re wondering about how you’re feeling, there are a few questions you can ask yourself to figure it out.
1. “Am I anxious because of an external circumstance?”
If you are, then your reaction to a stressful external circumstance is completely normal. However, if you’re worrying about general things, like the future or life as a whole, and not something specific happening in your life, take a moment to really look at how you’re doing.
2. “Am I no longer going to feel anxious after the stressful thing is over?”
If you know that your anxious feelings are temporary and will leave after the stressful event is over, then you’re just stressed. If you feel like your anxious feelings never go away, then start thinking about how long you’ve been feeling that way and how to get help.
3. “Am I worrying about something practical?”
Worrying about getting a good grade is a practical thought when a test is involved. Worrying about the teacher catching you cheating when you have no intention of trying to cheat or worrying about your lecture hall catching on fire in the middle of the test are a fairly needless worries. If you find yourself thinking a lot about extreme situations or focusing on future improbabilities, you need to think seriously about the way you manage anxious thoughts.
4. “Am I reacting in a normal way to anxious feelings?”
Normal reactions are feeling tense, getting irritable, and feeling rushed. Abnormal reactions are hyperventilating, uncontrollable crying, and general inability to get through the day normally. Panic attacks are a common symptom for people with anxiety, so if you feel like your anxiousness is being taken to an extreme level, take the time to be honest with yourself about your mental health and get some help.
Source: Buzzfeed
Take care of your mental health this quarter, collegiettes! Know the differences between stress and anxiety and take care of yourselves.