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.

-- Don't ignore the elephant in the room. Turning a blind eye to your finances is always the wrong response. When you let the credit card bills stay in their envelopes on the kitchen table, and when you ignore the letters from your mortgage company telling you that you're behind, you're only making things worse. When you finally have to deal with the problem -- and believe me, eventually you will have to deal with the problem -- it will be drastically exaggerated because you didn't take action. Not only that, but the shock stemming from the fiasco will make you feel infinitely worse, says Sherwood. Face your troubles head on. Open your bills, pick up the phone, call the lender. Tell them that you're struggling and explain exactly why (be ready to back it up -- in other words, if you lost your job or took a pay cut, you should be able to prove it). In the current climate, lenders are used to these kinds of conversations and they're more willing to help.

The same, by the way, goes for your job: If there have been layoffs at your company and you have even the slightest inclination that you might be next, you ought to be brushing up your resume and networking. In fact, given this economy, you ought to be doing that even if you feel safe and sound.

-- Embrace the present. When you're faced with a scary situation, like the lack of a job, a pile of debt or a shaky retirement plan, it's natural to let fear take over. You start to predict the worst -- I lost my job, now I'm going to lose my house, or I'll never pay off this debt, so I might as well keep spending -- and it all soon becomes the reality. Don't let that happen, says Alissa Lukara, founder of http://lifechallenges.org, a non-profit designed to support people facing adversity. "Rather than acting from a place of fear, bring yourself back to the present moment. All of the things that you've been projecting out about what might happen aren't happening yet, and it's important to remember that." So instead of assuming that a lost job automatically means you'll fall behind on your mortgage, start brainstorming ways to replace that income until you find a new position; whether that means selling things on eBay, scrimping in certain areas of your budget or doing odd jobs around your neighborhood. Instead of assuming that your retirement is out of reach, think of ways you can save more to make up the loss. You are in charge of your destiny.

-- Learn to be flexible. The truth is, this economy has thrown us all for a loop, and things are not going to go exactly as you'd planned -- at least for the near future. "It's OK to grieve for a moment about what you thought life was going to be like. It's OK to say you're sad that it's not going to happen that way right now. But recognize that since what you planned isn't playing out, something else amazing might," says Lukara. Perhaps retirement will open up the door to a new hobby or a layoff will give you the chance to think about what you really want to do.