Stress is everywhere. There is no getting away from it, especially here in Los Angeles. So what is stress? Here are a couple of definitions culled from some of our reference sources:

stress
/stres/
noun

1. “The physiological or psychological response to internal or external stressors. Stress involves changes affecting nearly every system of the body, influencing how people feel and behave. For example, it may be manifested by palpitations, sweating, dry mouth, shortness of breath, fidgeting, accelerated speech, augmentation of negative emotions (if already being experienced), and longer duration of stress fatigue. By causing these mind-body changes, stress contributes directly to psychological and physical health, reducing quality of life.” — APA Dictionary of Psychology

2. “A prolonged state of psychological and physiological arousal leading to negative effects on mood, cognitive capacity, immune function, and physical health.” —The Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology

April is designated as Stress Awareness Month. According to the Stress Awareness Month Official Site, sponsored by The Health Resource Network (HRN),

“Stress Awareness Month is a national, cooperative effort to inform people about the dangers of stress, successful coping strategies, and harmful misconceptions about stress that are prevalent in our society.”

In accordance with that mission, the Social Science, Philosophy & Religion Department of the Central Library would like to highlight some of our resources available addressing the challenges of stress. The following books cover a wide variety of solutions to stress in everyday life: