Title: Stress Is Good
Author: Stanley Abbott
Publisher: XlibrisUS
ISBN: 978-1-5245-4016-6
Pages: 72
Genre: Self-Help
Reviewed by: Cindy Smith
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Pacific Book Review Star
Awarded to Books of Excellent Merit
When a newborn baby cries, for example, its body is undergoing stress, perhaps being hungry, wanting to be fed. There is nothing wrong with stress, as it is a common and healthy part of our lives; causing us to “get out of bed” in the morning to go to work, do things – live. It is distress which is bad. Interesting – two different types of stress. This is all brought out in clarity and explained in Stanley Abbott’s book Stress Is Good. Abbott has authored other books on the topic, so in Stress Is Good he focuses on Be Creative! Make Stress Good For You, as his subtitle implies.
Written in a factual dissertation format, as if he was conducting a seminar or presentation, Stanley Abbott professes much about the causes and effects of stress; such a common part of the human condition. He uses the acronym “DEAR,” for Diet, Exercise, Attitude and Relaxation, to control stress. What I found most interesting is the “A” for Attitude; we can control our own stress by simply not having it affect us negatively. Diet and exercise are mostly self-evident, with the exception of his recommendation to eat a banana to control stress. Regarding relaxation he suggests the benefits of a “power nap” prior to a meeting could be a technique if done appropriately, can be used to reduce stress. For those wishing to use this as a textbook for a study course, there is even an index at the back for referencing topics within the galley.
Impeccably written, rehashing a topic which is rooted in each of us, Stress Is Good is a game changer to allow people methodologies to overcome anxieties and insecurities so as to embody a grounded and secure foundation in mental health. Abbott cites many specific examples of people and circumstances we all know of and go through, providing the reader with a game plan for negotiating and avoiding conflict. How to adapt to a controlling boss; avoiding the egotistical colleagues that always insult people around them; seeing the people you know for whom they really are – all are brought out by example and outlined in this book.
Stress Is Good can be a gift to those you may feel could benefit from it, or a book for yourself. As it is commonly known that good advice, well taken, is the sign of intelligence, gaining the distilled wisdom on this topic is a wonderful way to overcome challenging circumstances. A frank, to-the-point, and offering a clear understanding on stress, I believe you will feel an aura of relaxation come over you after reading this; knowing you are better equipped to understand and handle the interaction of certain people and events by controlling your own attitude avoiding distress, allowing for the good parts of stress to emanate from within.
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