Stany Austinson

When we think of life, we think of organisms; we think of life as something characteristic of living things that distinguishes them from inanimate or dead things. Now, that is life seen as a noun. Life, when approached as a verb, is the participation of an individual living thing in a plethora of processes that make more individuals of its kind and others possible. But when we look at life in terms of lived experience, in terms of perception and choice, life can be understood as the flow of consciousness.

We are all subject to stress and, at times, too much of it in our lives. Stress, and most importantly, unhealthy amounts of it, can negatively impact our physical and emotional well-being, preventing us from living healthy, productive lives. Whether we manage to fight off stress or succumb to it depends a lot on our coping strategies. Our perceptions and insights on our stressors, which are perceived threats to our well-being, play a huge part in shaping our body’s response to stress and, in turn, determine how successful we are at dealing with stress.