Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have an innate ability to survive, no matter what they face?
You see it on the news all the time: People who've lived through mountain lion attacks, or sky diving attempts with a bum parachute or even plane crashes. Some people walk away from these accidents. Others don't.
Is it luck that allows these people to beat the odds? Is it skill? Perhaps it's a combination of both? In fact, it turns out there's a science to this, says Ben Sherwood, author of the new book "The Survivor's Club."
"There's a whole field of people who study what are called 'human factors of survival' -- why some people live while others do not make it. I am using this theory to help regular folks deal with the everyday stuff we all have to go through," he explains.
I know what you're thinking -- what does this have to do with my money? The "everyday stuff" Sherwood mentions could be anything from a car accident or a fire to layoffs and struggling to make the mortgage payments on time. Below are some strategies that will help you to survive any catastrophe, whether it's big or small.
-- Prepare for the worst. No one likes to think about the scary things in life. "People are not psychologically wired for what are considered to be low probability, high-consequence events. Our brains can't deal with the very, very small chance for a very, very high-impact situation," says Sherwood. That means when it comes to something like premature death or getting laid off, we want to push the preparations under the rug instead of dealing with them. We procrastinate on the will and we delay saving for an emergency fund. But, truth be told, people do die suddenly and they will, as this economy has so harshly shown, lose their jobs. If you find yourself in any of these situations, you'll feel calmer knowing you've taken measures to prepare for them.