Stress isn't some outside force. Stress comes from within us. 

Stress is all about perception.  

If you perceive a situation to be overwhelming or threatening, you're going to stress out😧 (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984).

If you worry about your ability to deal with the threat, you'll stress out even more! (Lyon, 2012)

Key points 

1. Your perceptions aren't always accurate - so you stress needlessly 
2. We're genetically wired to over react to threats 
3. Your perceptions can be influenced by those around you 
4. You manage stress by managing perceptions