Stress & Anxiety: How to Tell the Difference & Tips for Coping

On Health with Houston Methodist

Stress and anxiety are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same — and understanding the difference matters. While stress actually can be helpful in short bursts, anxiety can take a serious toll on your mental and physical health. With 42 million Americans living with anxiety — and nearly half of Gen Z reporting the feeling — it’s time to unpack what’s normal, what’s not and how to cope. In this episode, we explore why anxiety is on the rise and practical strategies to help you feel more in control.

Expert: Dr. Olivia Tomasco, Primary Care Physician

Notable topics covered:

• How to tell the difference between stress and anxiety
• When stress can be beneficial — and when it becomes harmful
• Fight, flight … freeze? What happens when you retreat inward
• Digital overload and social media: The new anxiety triggers
• Are some people naturally more anxious?
• Coping tricks everyone should know, including the truth about the sleepy girl mocktail
• Self-care, therapy, medications: Options for managing anxiety disorders
• The role of your primary care provider in supporting mental health
• OCD and anxiety: How they’re connected
• How to know when it’s time to ask for help — and where to start
• Common myths about stress and anxiety that need to go away

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1. Stress & Anxiety: How to Tell the Difference & Tips for Coping (00:00:00)

2. How do you know when it’s normal stress and when it’s anxiety? (00:02:58)

3. Fight, flight…freeze? What happens when you retreat inwardly (00:05:13)

4. The power of setting boundaries with social media (00:07:48)

5. The biggest sources of stress for the current generations (00:08:29)

6. Are some people naturally more anxious? (00:10:00)

7. Scrolling before bed: Does it contribute to anxiety? (00:11:48)

8. Does the sleepy girl mocktail really work? (00:13:50)

9. Self-care, therapy, medication: Managing anxiety disorders (00:17:08)

10. OCD and anxiety: How they’re connected (00:21:09)

11. How to know when it’s time to ask for help — and where to start (00:22:51)