Even in this secular country, the threat posed by religious fundamentalists is never very far away. Every major religious text exhorts the same principles - that of unyielding obedience to a supernatural being, and renunciation of the intellect and personal aspirations.

The less you think counterfactually, the less you experience stress. Stress, in this light, isn't a bad thing. It's simply a warning system telling you that your mind has lost touch with what's real.

Stress is the negative whirlwind of emotions that gets imposed on top of our stimulation and engagement.

You can't tell yourself that your stress is produced in your head and feel better. You still need to learn how to create a change.

Stress is never a given. There are people who get divorced amicably. There are people who pack up and move with no emotional toll. There is no stressor 'out there' in the world. We experience stress - or we don't - depending on what we believe.

Negative thoughts stick around because we believe them, not because we want them or choose them.

Stress is not the spice of life any more than arsenic is. And without it, you won't feel bored.