Feeling nervous is a natural – though certainly unpleasant – human emotion that we all experience from time to time. Although some people are more prone to nervousness than others, everyone has dealt with that pit in their stomach before a job interview, a first date, or an important test. But while the words “nervous” and “anxious” are often used interchangeably, there’s a big difference between feeling nervous and having an anxiety disorder.

“Feeling nervous is different than feeling anxious in terms of intensity, frequency, and focus,” Sharon Saline, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and author, told POPSUGAR. She explained that nervousness is similar to anxiety in the sense that it’s experienced both cognitively and physically, but that’s about where the similarities end.

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