Feeling stressed? Too busy, spread to thin? Isn't everybody? Or do you suffer from anxiety. Always worrying, having difficulty concentrating, sleeping, relaxing.
As a psychotherapist I find the most common presenting issue my clients have is anxiety. Occasionally it's stress from some life circumstances. Stress and anxiety are not the same thing, but I will get to that later.
If you are looking for tips on managing stress and/or anxiety, than this little book may be helpful. The Little Book of Game Changers, written by Jessica Cording, is a straightforward guide to making small changes to your thinking and lifestyle that can assist with stress management and reducing anxiety.
Cording, a registered dietitian and health coach, has sections on mind, body and spirit. Chapters include topics ranging from self-reflection, to money management, to morning routines, to nutrition, to loneliness and food guilt.
Stress is a response to a 'threat' and anxiety is a reaction to stress.
The information is sound and Cording sights peer-reviewed research studies in her end notes. I particularly appreciate her mention of our tendency to use food and other external rewards far too often. We have moved from having cake once a year on our birthdays to every evening as a reward for just getting through the day (or wine, or chocolate, or whatever). Cording provides a number of other ways to truly reward ourselves in ways that nourish the mind, body and/or soul without having a negative impact on our health.
Cording's chapter on motivation has some interesting and creative ideas for how to boost it. I was very surprised and pleased that she includes a whole chapter on sunscreen! I'm obsessive about sun safety but most neglect it terribly. It's very important folks! I have had several friends who have had skin cancers already.
So do I recommend this book? I absolutely recommend it for someone who simply feels overwhelmed by their life. If, however, you are dealing with an anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety, panic, OCD, etc.) than this book may be useful for you, but it will not be the total solution to your problem. Those conditions can be quite serious and debilitating and usually requires intense therapy and/or medication.
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