Worry vs anxiety: what is the difference?

The rows sum up the Henry Ford Health, NHS and NIMH pages quoted on this page. Real days are messier: one evening can hold all three.

The NHS describes anxiety as a feeling of fear or unease that everyone has at times, usually a natural response to pressure or to feeling afraid or threatened. It can show up in how you feel physically and mentally, and in how you behave.

NIMH notes that feeling anxious is a normal part of life, and that many people worry about things such as health, money, work or family. It sets that apart from anxiety that does not go away, is felt in many situations and can get worse over time.

A 2013 review on anxiety and sensitivity to threat calls worry a symptom of anxiety. It describes one account in which worry can move attention away from frightening images towards abstract thoughts about the situation, and notes that worry in itself leads to sustained emotional distress and prolonged physical arousal.

The NHS calls worrying part of life: we cannot get rid of it completely or control everything, but if your worries feel overwhelming, there are things you can try to manage them.

A practical way to read this: worry is the part you can catch in words. If you can write it down as a sentence, such as “what if I miss the deadline?”, you can also do something with that sentence.

The same review describes fear as a short-lived state of apprehension about a threat that is close at hand, and anxiety as a longer-lasting emotion set off by threats that are distant and diffuse.

A quick check when you cannot tell them apart: is the thing you dread happening in front of you right now, or is it somewhere ahead, in a “what if”? If it is the second, you are dealing with a worry about the future, and the steps below are for that.

NIMH describes stress as a physical or mental response to an outside cause, such as a big test or an argument with a friend, that generally goes away once the situation is resolved. Anxiety, in its words, is generally internal, your reaction to stress: a persistent feeling of apprehension or dread that can stay even when there is no immediate threat.

NIMH says stress and anxiety can both bring excessive worry, uneasiness, tension, headaches or body pain, and loss of sleep. If you are struggling to cope, or the symptoms won't go away, it suggests it may be time to talk to a professional.

• A specific worry you keep returning to: sort it with the worry tree. If there is something to do, give it a day and a time; if not, let it go for now.
• Worries that come all day long: park them for one short worry slot and deal with them there, not every time they come up.
• Thoughts that get louder in bed: empty them onto paper with the night brain dump.
• A sense of dread that will not settle, or a body that stays on alert: a worksheet is not the right first step. Look at “When to get help” below.