We all have stress in our lives, but how we handle stress can have a big effect on our health.
The Mayo Clinic defines stress as a physical, mental and emotional response to a challenging event.
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"The problem happens when we start to feel like the demands on us exceed our ability to cope with them," said psychologist Becky Beaton.
Experts warn chronic stress can lead to headaches, insomnia and overeating, not to mention raise the risk of serious health problems, including heart attacks.
Approaches to manage stress have evolved over time and range from deep breathing to talk therapy to medication. One of the most popular strategies right now is called "mindfullness." That's a technique that focuses on awareness, being present in the moment and doing so without judgment.
Mindfulness can include meditation or yoga, but exercise in general can help.
"If you exercised every day for 30 minutes at least, like the American Heart Association says you should, you would be able to handle your stress a little bit better," said St. John Macomb Hospital cardiologist Dr. Joan Crawford.
Crawford says getting more sleep can also ease stress and help you avoid negative coping behaviors.
"I think a lot of people eat when they're stressed or they drink when they're stressed," said Crawford. "I think if we manage our stress better, we would be better off and we would feel better."
Beaton often recommends patients monitor their heart rate and other stress signals using biofeedback devices.
"People don't realize how stressed they actually are," said Beaton. "The biofeedback equipment determines their heart rate, their skin galvanization, which is actually the amount of sweat on their body, as well as how coherent their heartbeats are."
While too much stress is bad, Beaton said some stress is actually a good thing.
"We need optimal stress, otherwise people get bored and they burn out," said Beaton. "So we don't want to cure stress. We want to find the optimal level."