a. An applied force or system of forces that tends to strain or deform a body. b. The internal resistance of a body to such an applied force or system of forces. Physics has the definition down, but as Einstein said, "gravitation can not be held responsible for people falling in love." And physics can not be held responsible for a human under stress -- the hair we pull out, the pens we chew, the dogs we kick, the sleep we lose. So for any body that has ever felt strained or deformed, for any body that resists applied force, here is a guide to dealing with stress. What it is, how to know if you've got it, and what to do about it. And check out thirty great stress relief tips from Tripod members. Play in the bath, build a fort in your bedroom, have sex, eat ice cream, pretend to be jello, go for a run. Did you win a Happy Massager?

From Access To Health, by Rebecca J. Donatelle and Lorraine G. Davis, published by Allyn and Bacon. Copyright (c) 1996 by Prentice-Hall, Inc., a Simon & Schuster Company.