Do you ever wonder if your racing heart, overwhelmed mind, or body tension is a sign of stress or something deeper like anxiety?

You’re not alone.

It’s a question I often hear from my patients at Shifa Health. And it’s one I explore in detail in my upcoming book, The Ultimate Toolkit to Rewire Your Anxious Brain because understanding the difference between stress and anxiety is the first step to choosing the right tools for healing.

Here’s a short excerpt from the book where Sarah, a young woman seeking clarity, asks a simple yet profound question:

“What’s the actual difference between stress and anxiety? I mean, they feel so similar: my heart races, I can’t think straight, and sometimes I have shortness of breath. Are they really the same thing?”

Her grandfather, a wise and warm figure, offers this answer:

Stress is your body’s reaction to something immediate and external like a deadline, a traffic jam, or a tough conversation. It has a clear trigger, and once the event passes, your system usually resets.

Anxiety, on the other hand, often lingers without a specific cause. It can show up even when everything seems fine. It’s the mind’s way of preparing for threats that might happen, making it more persistent and future-focused.

Both stress and anxiety activate your body’s alarm system: the fight-or-flight response. Both can cause physical symptoms like a racing heart, shallow breathing, and muscle tension. But here’s the key:

• Stress usually ends. 
• Anxiety often doesn’t. 

And over time, chronic anxiety can rewire your brain, change your thinking patterns, and lead to deeper issues like panic attacks, social anxiety, or even depression.

But here’s the good news: once you recognize what you’re dealing with, you can begin to heal.

In my book, I walk you through powerful, science-backed strategies to manage both stress and anxiety so you don’t just cope, you grow stronger.

You’ll learn to ask yourself the right questions:

“Is this reaction about something specific at the moment or is it something deeper?”

That one question can help you determine whether you need to take a break, seek reassurance, or explore deeper healing tools.

Want to Keep Learning?

If this excerpt resonated with you, I’d love for you to join my early reader group. You’ll get a free early copy of The Ultimate Toolkit to Rewire Your Anxious Brain, packed with answers to questions just like this and practical tools to calm your mind, regain control, and feel better.

👉 Click here to join and get your free copy

Let’s take that next step toward understanding and healing, together.