Stress is part of life—but how we experience and respond to it can have meaningful effects on our health.

In this course, drawing on content from Richard Straub, you’ll explore the psychology and physiology of stress, including common stressors and the ways stress can contribute to illness. You’ll examine examples such as toxic stress, childhood trauma, inherited trauma, and technology-related fatigue to better understand how stressful experiences can affect health over time. You’ll also investigate why people cope with stress differently, considering factors such as outlook, psychological control, social support, and coping style. From relaxation and reframing to optimism and positive psychology, you’ll explore strategies that can influence how people respond to challenges. Finally, you’ll connect these ideas to preventive health, examining how behavior shapes health risks and how primary prevention and behavior-change principles can support healthier choices and well-being. This course can be taken independently, or as part of a larger Specialization on the Foundations and Behavioral Aspects of Health Pyschology.