Did you know that the word “stress” was initially an engineering term? It was used to describe how the load applied to a structure could create stress and cause strain on the whole mechanism. If you went along with the engineering analogy, you could see stress as loads of heavy weight dumped on a building that cannot carry it. Depending on where and how much you put it, you could guess which part is going to collapse first.  That is if you see stress as something external and done to you.

It might be that you see it as something within you like a cold or headache and treat it as temporary nuisance which you endure for a period of time. Or you may see it something more detrimental, like a tumour or even poison.  It is usually either seen it as an external thing; something happening/done to me or as an internal thing; something happening within me. Your perception of your stress is one of the most important factors affecting your ways of coping. Is it something external that is wearing you down by the extra weight, or something/one you constantly need to battle with and guard against? Or perhaps it is internal, eating you up, suffocating or even poisoning you. So what does your stress look like?