Have you ever felt your heart race just before a big speech, or felt butterflies fluttering in your stomach before meeting a stranger? Are these feelings making you anxious? Or is it anxiety? These feelings can make you wonder am I just nervous, or is it anxiety?

When people use these terms without realizing it, they think they mean the same thing, especially young children. In reality, both words are used to describe stress, sadness, and other psychological problems, but they can mean different things. Let’s understand this difference.

Anxiety and Nervousness

What does it mean to be nervous?

Nervousness is your body’s way of preparing itself for an important event or changing any of your previous habits. It is a temporary feeling. Here’s a scenario that explains it further. You realize that something excites you. You give a signal to your brain. Your body prepares to put out its best performance. You feel excited and nervous at the same time. You don’t feel the same after the event has passed.

Common situations that cause nervousness:

• Going on a date for the first time
• Taking a very important test
• Starting a new job
• Public speaking
• Meeting a very important person

Let’s consider a college student, Sarah, for example. She is nervous about a presentation. As she delivers the presentation, her hands are sweating, and she fears that she may forget what she has memorized or say the wrong thing in front of her classmates and lecturers. However, when she has completed the presentation, she no longer feels nervous. In a nutshell, feelings of nervousness are tied to a specific issue and usually go away once the issue is resolved.

What is anxiety, and how does it differ from nervousness?

Anxiety is stronger, more complex, and longer-lasting than stress or nervousness. Nervousness is a wave of anxiety, and anxiety is a storm that envelops the whole human body. Also, anxiety disorders are common in people with OCD or other mood disorders.

Let’s use Mark, an office worker, as an example of this. Unlike Sarah’s nervousness, Mark wakes up with a feeling of tightness in the chest every day. He doesn’t know the reason for his depression. He feels his heart racing, he can’t sleep well, and wakes up with a headache almost on a daily basis. He can’t even send emails because he feels anxious all the time. This anxiety disrupts his work, relationships, and general life.

The difference between nervous and anxious

There are three main differences between being nervous and anxious. The differences are based on duration, severity, and how often it disrupts your daily life.

• Duration: Nervousness has a moderate short duration, while anxiety may last longer, and at times, for no apparent reason at all.
• Severity: Nervousness is usually mild and manageable, whereas anxiety is very severe and intense and causes feelings of fear and confusion.
• Impact on daily life: Nervousness rarely holds you back from doing what you need to do because the symptoms aren’t that severe. Anxiety can render you completely unable to do the simplest of tasks.

How does your body react differently? Nervousness and anxiety both result in a physiological response. But in general, anxiety symptoms are stronger and last longer.

Nervousness symptoms are often:

• Stomach butterflies
• A little shaking
• Your mind wanders to thoughts of the event, thing, or situation that’s making you nervous

Common symptoms of anxiety are often:

• Ongoing sleep disturbances
• Ongoing headaches
• Feeling queasy
• Feeling like you can’t breathe right
• Feeling dizzy and faint

When is anxiety too much?

• No matter what you do, you can’t stop worrying
• You’re neglecting your school or work because of your anxiety
• You’ve stopped doing things you used to do
• Your family and friends have noticed a change in you
• You’re drinking or using other substances to try to calm down
• You have ongoing physical symptoms like a racing heart or shallow breathing, etc.

How to overcome nervousness and anxiety?

To overcome nervousness:

• Preparation: Sometimes, the thing that makes you nervous can be done with less anxiety if you prepare for it. Plan ahead and prepare for what you will need to do
• Positive self-talk: Use positive self-talk, such as “I will feel better once I get through this situation.”
• Simple breathing: Before you do something that makes you nervous, calm your brain and body down with slow, deep breaths

To overcome anxiety: 

Anxiety is a bit tougher to deal with because it affects both your brain and your body

• Healthy lifestyle: Exercise, nutrition, and rest will help your body better cope with anxiety. Even just a few minutes of walking outside will give you more energy
• Breathing technique: Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, breathe out for 4 counts, hold for 4 counts, repeat this a few times
• Emotional release: If you need to cry, dance, sing, or play a sport to express your feelings
• Professional help: If you have the right tools and information, you will be better equipped to cope with your anxiety. A mental health professional, such as a board-certified psychiatrist or neuropsychiatrist, will be able to help you with the right tools and information.

When do you need to seek professional help?

• Anxiety attacks keep happening for weeks and don’t seem to be getting better
• Unable to do your daily activities
• Stress is impacting other health issues, such as lack of sleep, poor quality of work, and strained relationships
• Spending all day thinking of catastrophe or mass destruction
• Avoiding places or people that make you feel extremely anxious

Mental health professionals have a deep understanding of how anxiety affects the mind and body. They can diagnose the underlying cause and provide a personalized treatment plan. They can help you learn techniques and tips for your anxiety disorder that can address many of those negative emotions. Several therapies, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and exposure therapy, have helped thousands of people overcome their worries.

Presently, technology allows you to talk to mental health professionals from the comfort of your own home. This can be used as a way to help someone hesitant to leave their home. A psychiatrist may prescribe medications that are only used when anxiety symptoms are severe. Medication is not a cure, but rather a way to teach the patient how to better manage symptoms (like taking painkillers to help with a broken arm). However, an online psychiatrist has the authority to prescribe medications if they are authorized in your state. For instance, if you live in New York, an online psychiatrist NYC can prescribe medication or send it electronically to your pharmacy for same-day pickup.

Don’t feel like you are a failure if you seek help. In fact, it is a very smart move to make for your overall well-being.