When you experience stress, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. So what exactly does the “stress hormone” do? Why is there an instinct to freeze in stressful situations, and what lifestyle changes could improve our ability to handle stress? Here, Medcan CEO Shaun Francis talks to the director of the UHN Krembil Research Institute, Dr. Jaideep Bains, (pictured above) an expert on stress, about how exactly stress affects our wellness—and why it’s so important to have healthy coping mechanisms when dealing with difficult situations. He also shares what he does to get through stressful times.

When you fixate too much on productivity and goal-chasing, focus can fizzle, and burnout results. In productivity expert Chris Bailey’s new book, How to Calm Your Mind, he writes that “in an anxious world, the path to productivity runs through calm.” Here, Medcan consulting psychologist Amanda Beaman talks to Bailey (pictured above) about his own journey to calm, and how the rest of us can become more engaged, more present, and more productive.