Stress isn’t just an annoyance—it’s a survival factor. When the world feels like it’s cracking at the seams, your ability to manage stress could be the difference between good decisions and bad ones. In this episode of the Survival Punk Podcast, I talk about stress, what’s fueling it right now, and how I deal with it in my own life.

I don’t think I’m alone in feeling like the stress level has gone up a few notches. The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a turning point—one of those “before and after” moments in history. Combine that with a shaky economy, rising tension, and a general sense that things are unraveling, and yeah, stress is everywhere.

Some say we’re already in a slow civil war. Maybe they’re right. If you look back at history, the lead-up to Civil War 1.0 was filled with tension and dividing lines before shots were ever fired. We may be living in that kind of moment now.

One of the best ways I know to combat stress is physical activity. For me, that means lifting weights, calisthenics, and getting into the gym—even if it’s tough with my weird schedule. You can’t go in stressed and come out stressed if you actually work hard.

I’m not talking about phoning it in on the “lazy bike” while flipping through a magazine. Push yourself. Lift heavy. Do sprints. Break a sweat. There’s science backing this up, but honestly, you’ll feel it immediately.

Another way I de-stress is getting outside with my family. Hiking surrounded by trees beats worrying about the economy or politics any day. There’s something about nature that resets you. My daughter’s been hiking basically her whole life, and it’s a tradition I’ll keep up.

On top of that, I’ve been spending more time in church lately. I wouldn’t call myself a religious guy in the past, but I’ve realized people need some kind of spiritual component. It helps with stress, happiness, and community. It doesn’t have to be church, but you need something that grounds you.

Isolation breeds stress. As preppers, it’s easy to slip into loner mode, but community matters. Even just talking to friends, checking in, or spending time with family can knock stress down a few levels. Don’t neglect it—you’ll need your people when things get worse.

Stress is unavoidable, but how you deal with it is up to you. Get physical, get outside, build community, and find a spiritual anchor if it helps. The stronger you are mentally, the stronger your preps will be when you need them most.

This has been James from SurvivalPunk.com. DIY to survive, youse guys.

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