The word "stress" is used to describe both external events that make demand on us and the internal responses they trigger. Stress is a normal physical reaction that occurs when you feel threatened or overwhelmed. The perception of a threat is as stressful as a real threat. You perceive a situation as threatening or feel overwhelmed because you are dealing with an unusually large number of everyday responsibilities. With increasing demands of home and work life, many people are under enormous stress. Stress in one setting can affect stress levels in the other. Stress is an inevitable part of life. But if stress gets out of control, it may harm your health, your relationships, and your enjoyment of life. When our body is subjected to stress over a long period of time, it remains in a prolonged state of preparedness for flight or fight  - our body's primitive, automatic, inborn response that prepares the body to "fight" or "flee" from perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival. Unmanaged stress can  affect every aspect of your life.