4 Signs That Your Stress is Related to Anxiety

If you are struggling with stress and anxiety, they might not be mutually exclusive. It is possible that they are linked, either with stress occurring first or anxiety occurring first. Here are some signs that your current stress is related to your anxiety.

You Have the Fight or Flight Response

A really common sign that the stress you are experiencing is also related to anxiety is when you have the fight or flight response. This is something that happens frequently with people who have anxiety or panic attack disorders. You begin to get fearful or are in the middle of a panic attack, which leads you to want to escape wherever you are. If you can’t escape, such as if you are driving on the highway, it can start causing a lot of panic. This same response also occurs with people who are under a lot of stress, wanting to avoid people or situations. It can definitely be a sign that your stress is from your anxiety.

Your Body is Reacting With Pain or Discomfort

Another thing that both stress and anxiety can cause is changes in how your body feels, often resulting in various types of pain and discomfort. You might find that you are suddenly getting a lot of headaches or your migraines are happening more often, you have nausea or are vomiting, or you are suddenly having a lot of joint pain. These types of pains might not be physical, but from your emotional turmoil from both stress and anxiety.

You Have Difficulty Focusing

Do you find that when you are stressed about something, just focusing on any one thing is hard to do? This is not only a sign of being under a lot of stress, but can also show a link between stress and anxiety. People who are anxious or have a mental health disorder find that focusing on something like work or schoolwork is difficult because those anxious feelings overwhelm their minds. This is actually a good sign that you might want to get extra help for your stress and anxiety.

You Are Having Trouble Sleeping or Eating

Yes, your stress and anxiety can both cause issues with sleeping and eating habits. These can happen exclusively as well, but if you have stress and a history of anxiety, then having insomnia and lack of appetite could be a sign that the two things are linked.
