 Introduction to stress. Stress is continuous feelings of worry or anxiety about work, school, or personal life that prevent you from relaxing. Different things cause stress. Work is stressful, school is stressful, taking care of your family causes stress, money and health problems cause stress, culture shock when you move to a new country is stressful. Stress has different effects. Some people have insomnia, they cannot sleep, other people sleep a lot, some people feel angry, other people cry, people feel anxious or scared, some people have physical problems like headaches or stomach aches. It's important to learn how to cope with stress. Coping with stress means learning what to do when you feel stress. Common ways to cope with stress are exercise and eating healthy food. Talking to someone helps. Prayer and meditation help many people. It is important not to use too much alcohol or tobacco. The same activities that help people cope with stress also prevent stress. It's a good idea to exercise and eat healthy food every day. Talking, praying and meditating also help.