The Little Book of Stress Relief

Book excerpt: This interesting, easy to read, and useful book can make a great gift to a friend or colleague who leads a hectic and demanding life and who wants to 'get control.' -- Journal of Family and Community Health (on the first edition) Intense stress is an integral part of modern life and it seems to be getting worse. In controlled doses, stress helps individuals to think faster and perform better but left unchecked and unbalanced it leads to fatigue, helplessness and a variety of unfortunate health complications. With people working harder, anxious about job loss and the faster pace of life, stress is increasing. The Little Book of Stress Relief is a practical book that changes the fundamental thinking and habitual lifestyle choices that contribute to heightened stress levels. There are helpful tips for making informed choices, adjusting how we think and taking the necessary steps to regain control. Organized into 52 short chapters -- one for each week of the year -- of 2 to 3 pages in length, the book uses stories and analogies to describe specific causes of stress, and provides simple concrete things to overcome them. Easy-to-follow activities and exercises lead to the right amount of sleep, deal with procrastination and perfect the art of setting priorities. The book's layout allows readers to follow the tips in any order. Here is a sampling of the topics in The Little Book of Stress Relief: Do You Know Your Signs of Stress? Unrealistic Expectations Peer Pressure and Corporate Culture How to Leave Work at Work Burnout Dealing with Information Overload and Technostress Dealing with Clutter Money and Stress Reframing Other People's Problems Dealing with Anger New Year's Resolutions The Little Book of Stress Relief is a helpful, inspiring and practical guide to alleviating a big problem.