Events and/or situations in and of themselves are not stressful; instead it is a person’s perception of them that triggers the stress response. Stress comes about when a person believes they are facing a threatening or tension-filled situation such as a job interview or a heart to heart talk with a parent, spouse or child. Stress also derives from situations that are perceived as difficult to handle or meet the challenges of, such as a first date. Generally the higher expectations you have for the outcome of an event, the higher level of stress you will experience. Learning not to over think or overanalyze a situation is a step in the right direction to eliminating a certain degree of the stress involved. Also sometimes lowering expectations is the healthier way to go. The sayings “Aim high!” or “Shoot for the stars!” cannot realistically be applied to all situations, especially when the expectations cause needless amounts of negative stress. No one needs an extra burden of stress as most people have enough all ready.