Survival is not just a product of luck. According to Time we can do far more than we think to improve our odds of preventing and surviving even the most horrendous of catastrophes.

Humans are programmed with basic survival skills and according to research when frightened, we get a shot of performance-enhancing hormones, and the blood pumps to our limbs to help us outrun whatever enemy we face. But in modern times, we’re hardly aware of such natural skills, and most of us do little to understand or develop them.

Apparently the two most crucial factors that will help you survive situations are preparation and not freezing at the moment.

Passengers who read safety cards in aircrafts for example have survived crashes more than those who considered them a waste of time. And then those who realized the situation they were in and worked instantly to make it out actually did make it. Apparently most people in disaster situations do not panic or act – they just shutdown and therefore never make it out alive.

Read the full story in Time