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• About the Author
• Contents at a Glance
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• About This Book
• Conventions Used in This Book
• What You’re Not to Read
• Foolish Assumptions
• How This Book Is Organized
• Icons Used in This Book
• Where to Go from Here
• Part I: Getting Started with Stress Management
• Chapter 1: Stressed Out? Welcome to the Club!
• Experiencing a Stress Epidemic?
• Understanding Where All This Stress Is Coming From
• Looking at the Signs and Symptoms of Stress
• Understanding How Stress Can Make You Sick
• Stressing Out Your Family
• Stress Can Be Good?
• Chapter 2: Stress Explained (In Surprisingly Few Pages)
• So What Is Stress Anyhow?
• How This Whole Stress Thing Got Started
• Understanding the Signs of Stress
• Understanding Stress Is as Simple as ABC
• Managing Stress: A Three-Pronged Approach
• Tuning Your Strings: Finding the Right Balance
• Chapter 3: Getting Started: Gathering Your Tools
• How Stressed Are You? Finding Ways to Measure Your Stress Level
• Monitoring Your Stress with a Stress Journal
• Facing Roadblocks
• Part II: Mastering the Basics
• Chapter 4: Relaxing Your Body
• Stress Can Be a Pain in the Neck (And That’s Just for Starters)
• Breathing Away Your Tension
• Tensing Your Way to Relaxation
• Mind over Body: Using the Power of Suggestion
• Stretching Away Your Stress
• Massage? Ah, There’s the Rub!
• Taking a Three-Minute Energy Burst
• More Ways to Relax
• Chapter 5: Quieting Your Mind
• Where Do All These Thoughts Come From!?
• Turning Off Your Mind
• Distracting Yourself
• Using Your Imagination
• Making Things Move
• What, Me Worry?
• Do Nothing: Meditation Is Good for You
• Hypnotize Yourself
• Want Some Feedback? Go the High-Tech Route
• Chapter 6: Cultivating Mindfulness
• Understanding Mindfulness
• Recognizing Mindlessness
• Understanding How Mindfulness Can Help Reduce Your Stress
• Developing the Skills of Mindfulness
• Cultivating Mindful Acceptance
• Chapter 7: Stress-Reducing Organizational Skills
• Figuring Out Why Your Life Is So Disorganized
• Clearing Away the Clutter
• Organizing Your Space
• Organizing Information
• Keeping Your Life Organized
• Chapter 8: Finding More Time
• Determining Whether You Struggle with Time Management
• Being Mindful of Your Time
• Becoming a List Maker
• Minimizing your Distractions and Interruptions
• Getting around Psychological Roadblocks to Time Management
• Letting Go: Discovering the Joys of Delegating
• Buying Time
• Chapter 9: Eating, Exercising, and Getting Your Zzzs
• Stress-Effective Eating
• Stress-Reducing Exercise and Activity
• Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
• Part III: The Secrets of Stress-Effective Thinking
• Chapter 10: Understanding How Your Thinking Stresses You Out
• Believe It or Not, Most of Your Stress Is Self-Created
• Remembering Your ABCs
• Separating Thoughts from Feelings
• Understanding Your Stress-Producing Thinking
• Your Thinking Errors
• Using Your Coping Self-talk
• Chapter 11: Stress-Resilient Values, Goals, and Attitudes
• Recognizing the Value of Your Values
• Clarifying Your Values and Goals
• Actualizing Your Values, Reaching Your Goals
• Expressing Gratitude
• Cultivating Optimism
• Laughing Your Way to Stress Reduction
• Doing Something Good for Someone Else
• Adding a Spiritual Dimension
• Gathering a Little Wisdom
• Part IV: Managing Your Stress in Real Life
• Chapter 12: Overcoming Your Anger
• Figuring Out Just How Mad You Really Are
• The Pros and Cons of Anger
• Tempering Your Temper
• Becoming Mindful of Your Anger
• Modifying Your Mindset
• Chapter 13: Worrying Less
• Do You Worry Too Much?
• Don’t Worry, Be Happy. Yeah, Right!
• Identifying Your Worries
• Understanding Your Worries
• Controlling and Stopping Your Worrying
• Thinking Straighter, Worrying Less
• Correcting Your Thinking Errors
• Escaping Your Worries
• Chapter 14: Reducing Interpersonal Stress
• Developing Stress-Reducing Communication
• Discovering What It Means to Be Assertive
• Becoming More Assertive
• Coping with Difficult People
• Chapter 15: De-Stress at Work (And Still Keep Your Job)
• Reading the Signs of Workplace Stress
• Knowing What’s Triggering Your Work Stress
• Making Positive Changes to Control Your Workplace Stress
• Taking Advantage of Company Perks
• Coming Home More Relaxed (And Staying That Way)
• Chapter 16: Maintaining a Stress-Resilient Lifestyle
• Making Stress Management a Habit
• Remembering Your Ps (Prompts) and Cues
• Finding Your Oasis (Sand Optional)
• Accentuating the Positive(s) with Stress Buffers
• Connecting with Others
• Doing Something, Anything
• Regrouping and Getting a Grip
• Living Mindfully in the Present
• Taking Your Fun Seriously
• Part V: The Part of Tens
• Chapter 17: Ten Habits of Highly Effective Stress Managers
• Knowing How to Relax
• Eating Right and Exercising Often
• Getting Enough Sleep
• Not Worrying about the Unimportant Stuff
• Not Getting Angry Often
• Being Organized
• Managing Time Efficiently
• Having a Strong Support System
• Living According to One’s Values
• Having a Good Sense of Humor
• Chapter 18: Ten Events That Trigger Stress
• Losing a Loved One
• Experiencing a Major Illness or Injury
• Divorcing or Separating
• Having Serious Financial Difficulties
• Losing a Job
• Getting Married
• Moving to a New Place
• Fighting with a Close Friend
• Having a Child
• Retiring
• Index