Stress is a normal and inevitable part of life. Yet we often allow it to unduly weigh on us mentally, emotionally, and physically. Chronic stress, in particular, can have severe effects on our overall health and well-being. It is, of course, not possible to remove all stress from our lives. (Studies have actually found that trying to do so actually makes us more stressed!) But we absolutely can learn to understand stress, work to lessen the negative effects we experience from it, and even harness stress in positive ways.