In this course you will learn that stress is a natural process that can be managed through awareness and top-down control. You will be introduced to defences, natural and learned, and that while they are intended to be adaptive and protect us against injury and harm, maladaptive defences can lead to illness and suffering. You will discover the magic of neuroplasticity, and that all individuals have the ability, through consistency of practice, to establish new neural pathways in favour of making better decisions when encountering stress. In this paradigm shift, mental illness is not a character flaw; managing our mental well-being takes skills, building resilience fortifies us with those skills! Finally, you will be introduced to a practical tool to locate and assess one's present relationship to stress, manage defences, and mitigate poor mental health outcomes.