Stress is a common reaction to the demands of life. Stress has been shown to impact both emotional and physical health. Learning to manage our reactions to the stressors in our lives will improve our sense of well-being. Effective stress management focuses on distinguishing between those factors in our lives we can control and those that are beyond our control. We can change our diet, but not the price of food. We can change careers, but not the state of the economy. Stress management relies on making these distinctions then learning effective problem solving, assertiveness, relaxation and other skills.