The word “worry” comes from a root word meaning “turn or bend.” One of the original meanings of the verb is “to lacerate by biting.” For example, the dog worried his bone.
Anxiety comes from a root word that means an apprehension caused by danger, misfortune, or error. The root word means to feel greatly troubled or uneasy in the presence of some uncertainty, to have a sense of restless dread of some evil.
The root meanings of these two words can give you some clues about the difference between worry and anxiety. The mental distress of worry can turn or bend you. It can feel biting. That feels very different than the troubled feelings of anxiety; you are in the presence of some uncertainty that creates a restless dread.
We often use these words interchangeably but worry and anxiety can describe two different emotional states. Knowing the differences can be helpful.
Worry is feeling uneasy or concerned about a situation. You can worry about being late for an important meeting or getting lost in a new setting. Many of us had lots of situations to worry about during the pandemic. Anxiety is when a situation is perceived as threatening or stressful. You can get be so anxious about being late for a meeting that you don’t get any sleep the night before. You can be so anxious about Covid that you alter your behavior significantly.
Worry and anxiety are a normal part of life. They have some similarities, but they are different emotional states. You can think of worry and anxiety as opposite ends of a spectrum.
How do you know when your worry has become anxiety?
Worry involves your thoughts. Anxiety involves your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations.
Everyday worries take place in your mind. Because of that, worry can actually help improve your attention and motivation. It can lead you to define clearly and solve the source of your worry. If you are going to an important meeting at a new place and worry about getting lost, you can look at the route options on a GPS and pick which one is the best.
Anxiety gets your emotional state and your body involved; it is more diffuse. Because of that, anxiety is more stressful and debilitating. You feel tension in your body, and you start to wonder what is wrong with you. You are unable to clearly define the source of your anxiety, so it makes problem solving more difficult. Even after you have looked at the GPS, you create scenarios of what could happen. What if there is construction or an accident and it makes me late? All of these thoughts only add to your anxiety.
Worry is controllable and temporary; anxiety is hard to control and seems to linger.
When you are worried, you may feel concerned, even fretful. But at some point, you take a deep breath and focus on the situation that is the source of your worry. You analyze and problem-solve. You figure out exactly what steps you can take that are or are not helpful. While some of the worry may linger until you implement your plan, you move on from there.
It is much harder to talk yourself through and problem-solve your anxiety. In fact, trying to control or figure out your anxiety can actually make you more anxious. Instead of problem solving and specific planning, you mind creates so many different scenarios of what could happen that you feel overwhelmed. Anxiety will bounce around from one problem to another.
Worry is about the situation; anxiety is about how we perceive the situation.
This is one of the most significant differences between worry and anxiety. The specific situation gives shape and direction to your worry. Anxiety gives shape and direction to how you experience the situation. There is a logical component to worry. You look at your situation. You may have some uncomfortable feelings, but you acknowledge those feelings and turn your attention to the facts of the situation.
With anxiety, instead of looking at your thoughts and feelings, you look through your thoughts and feelings. You never reach a place of problem-solving because the way the anxiety is getting you to look at the situation is overwhelming and debilitating. And even if the situation seems to be resolved, the anxiety lingers. It makes you question if the situation is really solved; it makes you worry about how it will show up again in the future.
My anxiety treatment page will give you more information about how I can help you understand and develop a new relationship with your worry and anxiety.