Stress has always been a part of the human experience; the body's physiological response to stress is similar no matter the sources of the stress. Understanding stress, conceptualized as the gap between what we have and what we need or want, is the first step to managing it. Since many stressors can't be changed, effective coping often depends on our ability to manage our cognitive and emotional responses to the event or situation.

There will always be gaps between what we have and what we can imagine. The trick is to imagine ways to Mind that Gap effectively.