By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Stress is a part of everyday life but how we deal with these everyday stressors has a great deal to do with how happy we will be.

According to several new studies, personal happiness is often dependent on our ability to handle outside pressures. This sounds simple but few of us are born with an innate skill to do this. The way most of us learn to cope is by watching what others do and learning from them. The other thing is to learn how to communicate effectively about ups and downs and outside pressures.

Another vital tool is exercise and the ability to develop interests and hobbies which can be a great way to cope. However, there are certain individuals who can have issues dealing with stress at certain times in their lives and medication may be necessary.

The most important point is that you don’t have to live with stress.