If trying to cope with stress is the worst possible attitude to have, trying to beat stress is the second worst. Trying to overpower the state of stress with more stress is futile.
Stress is not the enemy, and neither are the pressures that affect us. Treating the stressful situation as a game that can be beaten might help with analyzing and understanding that situation intellectually, but generally stress also has a greater emotional component which should be addressed by a combination of relaxation and self-discipline.
The desire to beat the game, even if the sense of competition is artificial, conflicts with the self-discipline part. In other words, you can beat stress only by learning to accept loss.
The attitudes of trying to cope with stress and trying to beat stress are the two extremes, passive and active respectively. Emotional clarity as well as mental readiness are required to develop a balanced attitude towards stress management.
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