Stress is an essential part of everyday life, but there are many indicators showing substantial increases in feelings of distress and anxiety in recent decades, along with a rise in health problems associated with excess stress -- indeed, a stress epidemic. The COVID-19 pandemic has of course made this far more severe over the past year and a half, leading perhaps to a stress pandemic.
In this seminar, we will explore the biology, the psychology, and the social factors responsible for this cycle, with a special focus on how to break that cycle at an individual and societal level, drawing on my recent general audience book, Born Anxious (provided free for seminar members), and a range of empirical sources.
Course Requirements:
Seminar members will participate in the weekly meetings, prepare and deliver a research presentation, and write a final research paper.