Overwhelmed and on a deadline? How to tell if it's stress or anxiety — and what to do about it

You're staring at a long to-do list, the clock is ticking, and suddenly you can’t remember your email password. Is this stress? Or is it anxiety? Understanding the difference can help you respond — not just react.

According to recent research by MYOB, over 2 in 3 small business owners say work-related stress impacts their wellbeing — and nearly half report experiencing anxiety. And it’s not just work — Smiling Mind’s State of Mind research shows that for many parents, anxiety doesn’t stay at the office. Pressure is increasingly following us home, affecting overall wellbeing.

When everything feels overwhelming, it’s easy to lump stress and anxiety into one big mental mess. But there's a difference, and knowing what you’re dealing with is the first step to feeling more in control. Because once you can name it, you can start managing it.

Your Brain on Deadlines: The Science Behind the Spiral

You're not imagining it — whether it’s a regular stocktake or reconciling accounts, your mind and body can respond to stress like a threat, temporarily moving into what’s known as a “fight, flight or freeze” response.

Our bodies respond to stress by releasing different hormones, which help to sharpen our focus, and get us ready to act. This ancient survival mechanism may be great for running from a lion, but less useful when we’re just trying to figure out annual superannuation contributions.

So, how does it feel when your brain is under pressure?

Stress and anxiety can show up in similar ways — but understanding what’s behind them helps us respond more effectively.

You might notice:

• A racing heart
• Brain fog or forgetfulness
• Poor sleep
• A short fuse
• A lingering sense of dread or unease

But here’s the catch: even though stress and anxiety can feel similar, their causes aren’t the same, which means the way we handle them can be quite different too.

Stress usually ramps up in response to something specific — like a pending deadline — and settles once the pressure passes. Anxiety, however, tends to stick around, and is driven by perceived threats that often don’t have a clear resolution.

Knowing which one we’re feeling — stress or anxiety — can help us choose the right tool to respond: a quick reset for one, or a longer-term circuit breaker for the other.

Turns out, panic isn’t a productivity hack.

Stress or Anxiety? How to Spot the Difference

Before we can manage what we’re feeling, let’s break down the basics when it comes to stress and anxiety.

Understanding the difference between stress and anxiety matters, because how we manage stress isn’t always how we manage anxiety. While stress management calls for short-term strategies, addressing anxiety may call for longer-term approaches to build resilience and mental fitness.

Quick Ways to Reset Under Pressure

Science-backed strategies for when things feel overwhelming.

1. Name what you’re feeling
    Say it out loud “I’m feeling stressed.” “I’m feeling anxious.”
   When we name the feeling, we can create some distance from it — instead of being in the feeling, we’re observing it. This small shift helps activate the rational part of our brain, making it easier to respond calmly and dial down the reactivity.
   
   Get started with this mental fitness activity to expand your emotion vocabulary in the Smiling Mind App.
   
   
2. Try resetting with a breathing exercise
   Box breathing is a simple, powerful way to calm the nervous system. Try it by breathing in for 4 seconds, holding it for 4 seconds, exhaling for 4 seconds, and waiting for 4 seconds before taking in another breath. Try repeating for a few rounds, and you’ll start to feel your heart rate and your mind slow down, allowing your body to shift out of panic mode.
   
   Need some help resetting with breath? Try this SOS meditation in the Smiling Mind App
   
   
3. Ground yourself with your senses
   Bring your focus into the present by tuning into your surroundings. Notice: 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste. This exercise is great for managing anxiety spikes, helping to bring attention out of our mind and back into the body if feeling overwhelmed or panicky.
   
   
4. Take a micro-break
   Even 90 seconds away from your screen can reduce the production of  stress hormones. Stepping away — to stretch, stand, or even gaze out the window — helps lower cortisol levels (our body’s main stress hormone) and gives our brain a chance to reset. And if you can, even having a quick chat with someone unrelated to work can boost mood and reduce stress.
   
   
5. Shift from panic to perspective
   When stress hits, our brain can slip into black-and-white or worst-case thinking. Try asking yourself: “Is there another way to look at this?” or “What would I say to a friend in this situation?” Reframing challenges can help shift our mindset from panic to possibility — helping us build mental fitness skills to respond.
   

Longer-Term Tips to Build Mental Fitness

Quick resets can save the day, but building mental fitness over time is what keeps the spiral from taking hold in the first place. Feeling stressed or anxious doesn’t mean we’re failing — it means we’re human, and we’re carrying a lot.

Prioritising mental wellbeing doesn’t have to be another checkbox on an endless to-do list. With just a few simple, intentional habits, we can build the clarity, calm, and resilience we need to handle what life throws our way.

Try the free Smiling Mind App for simple, guided tools to help manage stress and build mental fitness  — anywhere, anytime.