You may feel (or have felt) palpitations, sweating, difficulty breathing, but... is that anxiety or simply nerves, or is it that I am undergoing a period of stress?
Anxiety is more related to an unresolved fear, which hyperactivates the Autonomous Nervous System (ANS), which is responsible for the body's fight/flight response to a threat. Therefore, thoughts of imminent danger, muscle tension, hypervigilance or a state of continuous alertness, worry about the future and even avoidant behaviors are commonly present.
Fear is an emotion that provokes an adaptive response in the organism, making it hyperactive so that it survives in the face of danger, and is common to other animals. The problem is that other animals are afraid of specific, identifiable stimuli, and once the dangerous situation is resolved, their body regulates itself to return to a state of calm.
On one hand, humans are very complex animals, with more abstract fears (fear of disappointing, fear of not being enough, fear of failure)... how am I going to see such a type of fear coming? And how do I fight or flee? In our case, we must attend to variables related to our reality and our expectations about life and the future. The objective in therapy is to modify the perception of threat and strengthen your ability to cope with the situation.
On the other hand, experiencing a certain level of hyperarousal during periods of stress (work, family, etc.) makes sense, since it "activates" us to respond to an increase in demand from our environment. As long as this increase in performance does not exceed our resources (and does not last long), it will be adaptive.
If you have experienced anxiety symptoms, or live with them, I encourage you to evaluate your case in consultation. Exposing yourself to the feared stimulus or situation will reduce your discomfort and we will reinforce your coping strategies so that you continue to cope with it in the future.
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