Review of “The Stress Book” by Terrence Foster, MD

Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)

The Stress Book by Terrence Foster, MD will likely go down as “the king” of self-help books so far this year! Yes, we're saying that this is probably the best all-around self-help book we've read this year.

What makes it so great is that it has tremendously valuable practical applications. That means that you can take the advice and use it immediately. It can make your life easier and more manageable, give you a better perspective of things, and remind you how much you have to offer to the world (and how much the world has to offer for you!)

This book is a healthy reminder that there's so much joy, love, and opportunity to be found in the world, yet we often feel miserable, sad, depressed, hopeless, frustrated, and angry. Many come to resent and despite the people who have the things they don't. They become envious and hateful. Many stay in toxic relationships because they feel that terminating or leaving a relationship is a sign of “failure” or “weakness.”

Many allow stress to pile up in their lives, accepting that it's just a part of life and that they have to live and die with it. They never flip an “off” switch, never switch their cellphones to “Do Not Disturb,” and never say “no, I can't right now.” They allow other people (i.e. employers, spouses, family, friends, acquaintances, etc.) to take advantage of them and run them into the ground.

Let's face it: STRESS KILLS. It likely contributes to hormonal disruptions like high cortisol levels, poor LDL-HDL cholesterol balance, high blood pressure, thyroid problems, adrenal fatigue, depression, anxiety, and more!

And, plain and simple, stress stinks. It leads to negative feelings and emotions. It gets us “down.” It makes us feel overwhelmed and ruins are enjoyment of life.

Now, this book isn't about completely avoiding stress. A certain amount of stress is normal. Moderate exercise is a stress. Moderate work (for employment) is acceptable. One of the keys is realizing that you are not an immortal, indestructible robot. You cannot run yourself into the ground indefinitely or forever.

This book is about stress MANAGEMENT. It's about avoiding conflicts when possible. It's about not wasting energy and time on trivial things and picking your battles. It's about realizing which relationships are healthy and worth maintaining, and which ones aren't.

There are so many great things about this book. For one, it is well-written and well-structured. It helps that chapters are split up into prose followed by bullet points. Also, the tips aren't usually idealistic. They're practical and realistic, at least for the most part. There are some great quotes in here from a variety of people across the socio-political spectrum from Collin Powell, Trevor Noah, Barrack Obama, Golda Meir, Max Ehrmann, and more.

One of our favorite parts of this book was the one that encourages the reader to cover their bases and look after themselves, working toward ensuring personal safety and that of their loved ones. That could mean keeping self-defense weapons on hand and/or learning a martial art. There's also a reminder to protect yourself online, making sure that your personal information, accounts, and passwords aren't compromised.

This book made us feel like “cleaning up” our own lives, working out, and taking better care of ourselves! It even inspired us to consider going on vacation (a very rare thought on our end)!

Check it out on Amazon!