Stress does not happen only in the mind. When it continues over time, it can have physical consequences throughout the body. In this module, you will explore how chronic stress can affect the body and how our perception of a stressful situation can influence our response. You will also discover why measuring stress is more complicated than simply asking whether someone feels stressed or looking at a single biological measure. By considering different ways of measuring stress and looking at experiences over time, you will develop a more complete understanding of why stress can look and feel different from one person to another.

What does chronic stress have to do with cancer? In this module, you will take a closer look at this complex relationship by exploring what can happen in the environment surrounding a tumor. You will learn how chronic stress can influence processes that may create conditions that support tumor growth and progression. As you explore these connections, you will also consider an important distinction: understanding how chronic stress may influence cancer progression is not the same as saying that stress directly causes cancer. This module will help you approach the relationship between stress and cancer with greater clarity and a better understanding of its complexity.

Imagine the wear and tear created by a storm that returns again and again. The concept of weathering offers a way to think about how ongoing stress can affect the body over time. In this module, you will explore how repeated or persistent stress can contribute to physical wear and tear and why, for some people, stressful conditions may be part of everyday life. You will also look beyond the individual to consider how the places where people live, work, learn, and spend their lives can shape health through access to resources, opportunities, safety, housing, social connections, and other conditions. This module invites you to consider stress not only as an individual experience, but also as something shaped by the environments and communities around us.

Stress may be part of life, but the sources of stress and the ways we respond to them do not always stay the same. In this final module, you will explore the dual nature of stress, including how some stress can help us rise to a challenge while ongoing stress can take a toll over time. You will consider how stressors can change throughout different stages of life and why our responses may need to change with them. You will also explore the role of supportive relationships, as well as a range of activities and practices people may use to respond to stress. Rather than looking for a single approach that works for everyone, this module invites you to consider flexibility, consistency, and the different ways people respond as life's circumstances change.