This paper describes the symptoms and ways of coping with chronic stress and briefly discusses effects of job related stress on school principals. Although stress is a normal condition, the symptoms should be identified. Under long-term stress individuals may experience six types of reactions, such as feelings of fatique and difficulty sleeping. School principals, who spend many hours daily dealing with individuals' problems, are exposed to considerable stress. Five factors are integral to coping with stress: control, success, satisfaction, support, and variety. These factors and other coping mechanisms are given practical application in narrative discussion. (CJH)