Author: Arlene Matthews Uhl

ISBN: 1592575560

One of the most talked about health subjects today pertains to stress and how it affects us psychologically and physically.

Although it is still not clear exactly what stress is all about, we do know that how we perceive a stress-provoking event and how we react to it determines its impact on our health.

Arlene Matthews Uhl, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Beating Stress states in her introductory letter to her readers that “feeling stressed, and not knowing quite what to do about it, hardly makes you an idiot. On the contrary, it makes you a busy, productive, involved, and responsible human being caught up in the frenetic pace and multiple pressures of the twenty-first century.”

Employing a well-rounded picture to the subject matter of stress, Uhl tells us that it is not an impossible task to control stress as long as you understand how to manage your reaction to it.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide To Beating Stress divides itself into six parts: twenty-first-century stress: stress-free mind makeover: restoration through love and work: bodywork: anti-stress self-care: and stress-beating workbook.

Commencing with a general overview of stress, Uhl reminds us that stress can be among the most dangerous threats to our emotional and physical well-being.

She then goes on to explore how negative and positive impact of stress play a pivotal role in our everyday activities and how beating stress must involve both body and mind.

Uhl provides us with a description of the sources of stress as how we respond to disaster, stressful life transitions, stress toll of daily frustrations and dealing with reoccurring stress cycles. From here we learn about the downside of stress and how it affects our physical health as its impact on aging, our immune system, heart health, and our immunity system. However, we are reminded there is an upside to stress and Uhl examines the good kind of stress and how it can help us. We are also introduced to various stress styles and the Type A and Type B personalities.

Once we have an idea as to what stress is all about, Uhl provides us with a map as to how to cultivate a stress-beating attitude with optimism, laughter and altruism. We also have a peek at the effects of meditation, visualization, and personal spirituality.

Other parts of the book delve into the matter of how we can restore ourselves to a calmer lifestyle by recognizing and cultivating the most positive aspects of love and work. Included in this section are importance of family ties and friends, workplace stresses, benefits of physical exercise as well as yoga and t’ai chi, process of play, anti-stress foods, importance of sleep, and getaways.

The concluding chapters provide us with crafting a personal plan, as well as a five-week stress-beater and how to hold on to new habits.

There is no shortage of books offering advice as to how to cope with stress, but this one may prove to be one of the best.

Occupying each section is a wealth of information that is well-organized and informative. At the end of each chapter there is even a short resumé of the important principles we should retain. The book also includes resources for further reading, at-home retreat resources, anti-stress destinations, and a comprehensive glossary and index.

Uhl is a former psychotherapist who has written eleven books on a variety of popular self-help topics. She has appeared on national media, including Oprah and Good Morning. She also lectures on developmental psychology at the university level.

The above review was contributed by: NORM GOLDMAN:  Retired Title Attorney: Editor & Publisher of Bookpleasures. Here are  Norm Goldman's Reviews