Stress and Coping – Managing Life’s Challenges

Mind Matters: Exploring Human Psychology · Oct 31, 2025 · 5m

This episode delves into the psychology of stress—what it is, how it affects us, and how we can manage it effectively. Stress is described as the body’s natural response to demands or threats, activating the fight-or-flight system through hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. While this response once helped humans survive danger, chronic stress in modern life can damage physical and mental health.

The episode distinguishes between eustress, the positive kind that motivates and sharpens focus, and distress, the overwhelming kind that drains energy and health. Drawing on Lazarus and Folkman’s…