The Stress Response

Book excerpt: Life is stressful, and that’s not always a bad thing. A certain amount of stress actually helps us work more productively and take action in a crisis. But recurrent and prolonged stress can paralyze us or lead us to feel exhausted, angry, or overwhelmed. The skills presented in The Stress Response can dramatically change the way you process stress. And they don’t take much time to learn. Drawn from a technique therapists use called dialectical behavior therapy, these powerful strategies can help you manage the slings and arrows of life more gracefully and effectively. After learning the skills in this book, you’ll: • Respond quickly to early signs of stress • Approach, not avoid, stressful tasks and events • Cope effectively with life events that contribute to stress • Change the catastrophic thoughts and biases that make stress worse • Practice soothing strategies for calming your body’s stress response