Stress can come from many different sources. Understanding the origins of stress, in all its different forms, can be extremely helpful in developing approaches to cope with stress. Stressors are things that cause stress. They can be real or imagined, positive or negative, good or bad, welcomed or undesired, pleasurable or painful. A certain amount of stress is normal and unavoidable. Stress is only a problem if it becomes excessive -- more than you can cope with. Stress effects are cumulative. The more stressors you have, the greater the overall stress load.