There are the stereotypical symptoms like sweaty hands, heart racing and trouble breathing. However there are small underlying symptoms we may be experiencing that wouldn't flag anxiety as easily. Some of these are avoidance, lower social battery, feeling less passionate about things we enjoy, fatigue or lack of quality sleep, trouble remembering regular tasks, low motivation, a lack of excitement in our lives, etc. If you see less of yourself in the day to day, we could be dealing with stress, anxiety and/or depression.

Your anxiety and stress can be rooted in a lack of control, a lack of coping mechanisms, a trauma response, or life transitions we haven't processed thoroughly yet. Our valid and rational fears create responses in our brain that over time become irrational and affect our behaviors. For example, something you love quickly becomes something you actively avoid or dislike due to an embarrassing or traumatic incident overflowing positive thoughts toward said activity. Our brain floods the negative experience and ties emotions to our behaviors.