Coping with Stress Stress is a fact of life, but it need not be a way of life. There are many things in life that you can't control, but very few that you can't learn to manage, including the negative aspects of stress. The positive aspect of stress is that it can help you concentrate, focus, and reach peak performance.
Many people do their best work when under moderate pressure.
Then, when the challenge has been met, they take time to relax and enjoy their achievement. This relaxation response enables them to build up the physical and emotional reserves to meet the next challenge. Too much stress can leave you tired, irritable, angry, tense, anxious, frustrated and depressed. Chronic, ongoing stress can lead to emotional problems and physical illness. The first step to managing stress is to become aware of the things that cause your stress.