#Book #Review: Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Stress

I was given the great opportunity to become a part of the Chicken Soup for the Soul network. Whenever there is a new Chicken Soup book published I will have the chance to review it. I am sure that almost everyone has heard of Chicken Soup for the Soul books. But if it is new to you, Chicken Soup books are collections of short stories written by real people about their own lives or sometimes about the lives of close friends or relatives. Chicken Soup for the Soul books are National Bestsellers.

The eleventh Chicken Soup book review is for 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Stress 

Manage Your Problems, Big and Small, Every Day

This book is part of the new Chicken Soup collection known as Chicken Soup for the Soul HEALTH. The Health books are about one third of the size/length of the tradition Chicken Soup books and are filled with medical advice from doctors from the Harvard Medical School as well as inspirational stories from ordinary citizens.

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Stress is divided into 8 chapters under the following headings:

• Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy
• Triumph Over Tragedy
• Killer Jobs- Stress and the Workplace
• Home Is Where the Heat Is
• Preventing Monetary Meltdown
• Emotions and Thoughts
• Mind Your Stress
• De-Stress Your Lifestyle

{My Review}

I am really enjoying the new HEALTH series by Chicken Soup for the Soul. They provide excellent medical advice and also provide stories to show how real people implement their tips or find their own methods.

Each chapter starts with 2 to 3 stories by real people about their stress and how they overcame it. Then Dr. Brown of Harvard Medical School explains the specific type of stress and how to deal, referencing the previous stories.

Say Goodbye to Stress was very eye-opening. It is amazing how we do not realize when we are extremely stressed. The physical aliments that many people have are often caused by stress and by treating the stress the pain goes away as well.

The Holmes and Rahe Stress Inventory is included in the book. It rates life events on a scale from 0 to 100. You add all of the events that have happened to you in the last 12 months and you get the percent chance of illness or health change occurring. Death and divorce are high up on the scale but even happy things like pregnancy, marriage and a new job add up to stress.

One part that I found extremely interesting was in the Stop Being Your Own Worst Enemy section. Dr. Brown explains how much stress we place on ourselves by multitasking. Extreme multitasking has become so common especially with smart phones, ipads and social media. We are constantly jumping from one task to another just with our screens. Not to mention the multitasking that us moms do with children, household chores, work and the millions of other daily tasks that have to be completed every 24 hours.

"Scientists estimate that each time you switch from one task to another you more than double the time it takes to complete either task." That is amazing, no wonder there is never enough time in the day!

The main stress reliever mentioned throughout the book by the authors and the doctor is exercise. It seems to be the number one thing that WILL reduce stress. It is also usually the first thing to go when we are feeling overwhelmed so it is very important to make time to exercise. Just regular walking has been shown to do wonders for stress and overall health.

In the Emotions and Thoughts section panic attacks are described. I have seen panic attacks occur in members of my family so I have an idea how horrible they are. In one story a woman describes her panic disorder that she has had since high school. She has suffered with panic attacks all of her life but with therapy she has learned how to cope with it and they have less affect on her life now.

I was captivated by Say Goodbye to Stress, I read it all in 2 days. There are so many people who I know personally that would benefit from reading this book. A good friend of mine already has dibs on it now that I have finished reading it. It would help anyone realize their own personal causes of stress and explain how to deal with them.

If any of your friends or family have anxiety or are going through a stressful period I know they would appreciate this book.

{Buy It}

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Say Goodbye to Stress

Paperback ---- $9.95

eBook ---- $10.99


{Connect}

Chicken Soup for the Soul on Facebook

{Disclosure}

I received this paperback book free of charge to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own and 100% truthful. I will NOT be compensated for any sales of this or any other Chicken Soup book.