This is an excellent, well-researched book focusing on the physiological and psychological dynamics of stress and how to effectively deal with it. Written by two sisters from widely different backgrounds – a health educator with a PhD and a professional conductor, it is fantastically written, alternating between leading edge science and understanding and helpful anecdotes, which then are unpacked and discussed to further the reader’s knowledge and understanding of the underlying dynamics, causes and effects, with the end goal of providing guidance on how to relate with stress in healthier ways. It is specifically written for women’s experience in the modern world, which provides an interesting and perhaps under-explored focus, while still containing just as many important takeaways for readers who are men.
The most important takeaway is that stress occurs as part of a cycle; too often we are in a state of consistent buildup without ever achieving the necessary release that lets us put the cycle behind us, and as a result, we tend to end up carrying around unresolved cycle upon cycle, accumulating into such extreme amounts that the physical and psychological impacts become increasingly clear; they are well-documented throughout medical literature.
Completing the stress response cycle is an essential part of self-care, and is something that no longer happens as a matter of course in the modern world, so it becomes both important and beneficial to approach this mindfully and with a sense of intentionality.