If we don’t pay close attention and tell the subtle differences, tension and fear feel the same.
These are the feelings of fear: afraid, anxious, apprehensive, dread, fearful, frightened, guarded, insecure, mistrustful, panicked, petrified, scared, terrified, trepidation, wary, worried.
And these are the feelings of tension: anxious, distressed, edgy, fidgety, frazzled, frustrated, nervous, overwhelmed, restless, stressful.
Tension is the state of being pulled by opposing forces and fear is the emotion caused by perceived or actual danger or threat.
When in a situation with two opposing solutions, we experience tension. But when a child runs across a street without watching out for the cars, it’s fear that the parents are feeling.
Our body can't tell the difference when we are triggered. Because they both feel unpleasant and trigger fight or flight reaction. But tension goes away once people figure out the situation and solution, while it may take much more work to make someone feel safe and secure.
