Anxiety vs. Stress: How to Tell the Difference
Most of us use the words stress and anxiety interchangeably. Both can feel overwhelming, cause racing thoughts, and keep us up at night. But from a Polyvagal Theory perspective, stress and anxiety come from different states of the nervous system. Understanding the difference can help you make sense of your experiences—and know when it might be time to seek therapy.
What Is Stress?
Stress is a natural biological response to a challenge, demand, or threat. When your nervous system detects pressure, it activates the sympathetic branch—the fight-or-flight system.
A little stress can be helpful, even motivating. But chronic stress keeps the body in a prolonged state of activation, leading to:
Trouble concentrating
Irritability
Muscle tension and headaches
Sleep disruption
Increased risk of burnout and health issues
In Polyvagal terms, stress is usually tied to the mobilization response—your system is revved up to deal with what’s in front of you.
What Is Anxiety?
Anxiety may look similar to stress, but it’s different. Anxiety isn’t always tied to an immediate external challenge. Instead, it’s more of an internal state where the nervous system becomes stuck in overdrive.
From a Polyvagal Theory lens, anxiety reflects a nervous system that has difficulty returning to its ventral vagal state—the calm, connected mode where we feel safe and regulated. Anxiety often means the system is stuck in a loop of hyperarousal (fight-or-flight) or sometimes dropping into hypoarousal (shutdown or freeze).
Symptoms of anxiety may include:
Persistent worry or racing thoughts
A sense of dread or impending doom
Panic attacks
Difficulty relaxing, even when there’s no clear stressor
Physical symptoms like chest tightness, stomach upset, or rapid heartbeat
Stress vs. Anxiety: Key Differences
Stress is usually linked to a specific situation (work deadlines, family conflict, finances).
Anxiety often persists even without an identifiable cause.
Stress typically resolves when the challenge passes; anxiety lingers and may intensify over time.
Stress mobilizes your body to act; anxiety can make you feel trapped in overactivation—or frozen in place.
When Stress Turns Into Anxiety
Sometimes ongoing stress can shift into anxiety. If your nervous system rarely gets the chance to return to its safe, grounded state, it may become locked in survival mode. This is why many people experiencing chronic stress eventually notice symptoms of anxiety, depression, or burnout.
How Therapy Helps With Stress and Anxiety
Therapies informed by Polyvagal Theory—such as EMDR, somatic therapy, and mindfulness-based approaches—can help retrain the nervous system. By working directly with body sensations and emotional patterns, therapy helps you:
Recognize when you’re in fight, flight, or freeze
Use grounding and breathwork techniques to return to balance
Strengthen your capacity to stay in ventral vagal “safe and social” states
Reduce anxiety symptoms over time
Build resilience to handle stress more effectively
Anxiety and Stress Therapy in Casper, WY
If you’ve been wondering “Do I have anxiety or just stress?”—know that you don’t have to figure it out alone. At Open Road Therapy in Casper, WY, we use evidence-based, body-focused approaches to help clients manage stress, calm anxiety, and restore balance to the nervous system.
Whether you’re dealing with everyday stress, persistent anxiety, or both, therapy can help you feel grounded, connected, and more like yourself again.