Threats of survival are usually physical such as being robbed with a gun or knife but they can also be emotional such as when a spouse threatens a divorce or to sue for custody of minor children.  Sometimes when we take certain medications like anti-histamines our thought processes can become foggy as we react in drowsiness to the medication. Sometimes our emotions can do the same to our thought processes when we are in a stressful situation.

Events or situations that in days past may not have even phased us may be perceived as a threat simply because we are not able to focus and process the information in a manner that would allow us to come up with solutions or to evaluate resources available to us. When our judgments are impaired, our ability to think and react appropriately is impaired as well.  New information about the incident or event as well as new resources that become available can help us to alter our way of thinking about the stress and can allow us to cope better with it.

Stress has to be defined and understood before you can manage the stress that occurs in your life. There are fundamental mechanisms associated with the presence of stress that when understood can be more easily managed. Stress has an impact on all of us.

We handle stress differently and can also handle stress in different ways depending on the stage of life it hits us as well as what is going on in our life at the time. Individuals can handle stress by taking action, by emotional or attitudinal responses or by going into a survival mode in response to the stress.  Research has clearly shown that stress can have an impact on our lives in ways that are measurable such as in how we perform at work or in school, how stress impacts our health and in the ways stress affects our relationships.

There are also hidden ways that stress affects all of the above when the individuals involved are unaware of the impact stress is having on our lives. Individuals once they are aware of stress and how the presence of stress can impact our lives can then learn tools and take advantage of resources in order to manage stress in effective ways so as to improve their lives.