Coping Strategies Needed in Modern SocietyCoping Strategies Needed in Modern SocietyHave you ever heard someone say, "I just don't know how am I going to get out of this? What is coping and how to achieve it? To begin, we must first understand stress. What is this ; What are its effects on the body and finally, what strategies can we use to combat stress? StressAs the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it, “Stress is a physical, chemical or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension and may be a causative factor in the disease. Another definition considers stress to be a change in an existing balance, as in the case of work-related stress. So why are we more stressed as a society today than we were fifty years ago? Our lives are moving at a much faster pace with less quality downtime. A recent American Psychological Association survey, Dealing With Stress (2007), indicates that "63 percent of respondents said money problems were their biggest source of stress, while 44 percent said security national security was their stressor and 31% said job security was their biggest source of stress. The ability to provide for and protect our families is at the forefront of most of our adults' minds. Many feel, for the first time since the Second World War, that the ability to financially support themselves is not assured. Adult children move back in with their parents, aging parents move in with their adult children, and everyone is afraid of being able to feed, house, and care for each other. What other “stressors” do humans face? When it comes to health care, we have more issues to deal with than previous generations. Thanks to higher levels of health, we now live longer. According to the W...... middle of article......http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/bloggers/carlin-floraFriedman, M & Rosenman, RH Type A Behavior and your heart. New York: KnopfMayo Clinic Staff (2008), Merriam-Webster Dictionary, (www.Merriam-Webster.com) copyright © 2010 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. President's Council on Fitness and Sports. Surgeon General's Report on Physical Activity and Health, PCPFS Research Digest, (1996), Series 2, 6, 7.RachBeisel, MD, J (2009). Stress-The Body's Response, retrieved from http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_biological_effects_of_acute_stress_000031_2.htmSarullo, C. (2009), Dealing with Stress, Mind/Body Fitness Magazine, retrieved from http: http:// mindbodyfitness.suite101.com/article.cfm/dealing_with_stress#ixzz0pcwe2H9o.World Bank Group, (2010), World Development Indicators. Retrieved from http://data.worldbank.org/indicator.