Hello everyone!
I've been on a quest to figure out what inner harmony means to me, and I've spent a lot of time trying to get it right.
For me, it's about managing my emotions, improving my communication skills, and learning to chill out.
Books on positive psychology have been a huge help in my journey. They've taught me how to deal with stress, re-evaluate my attitude towards fear and resentment, and become more confident in myself.
Right now, I'm reading 'The Resilient Brain' by M. Greenberg. The book promises to help me eliminate unhealthy stress reactions like avoidance, freezing up, or unwarranted panic.
‘By doing practical exercises, you'll eliminate unhealthy stress reactions like avoidance, freezing up, or unwarranted panic.’
The book is over 300 pages long, and I think it's well-designed and packed with useful info.
In Chapter One, 'Understanding Stress,' I learned a lot about how the brain reacts to stress, what stress looks like, and how neuroplasticity helps during stressful situations.
In this chapter, the author reveals the physiological consequences of stress, especially chronic stress.
‘Even if you're already experiencing negative consequences of stress, it's not too late to change your situation. The human brain and body have amazing abilities for self-recovery.’
In Chapter Two, 'The Nature of the Stress You're Facing,' the author talks about life's setbacks and how everyday troubles can't be separated from childhood experiences and trauma.
The natural mechanism for optimal stress response is disrupted due to past negative events.
Unfavorable childhood experiences are deeply ingrained in the brain, and if you don't work with them, you'll:
Despite the fact that these events happened a while ago, they could have changed your brain in ways that now make you more sensitive to current stressors. The memory of traumatic childhood events can make you react more strongly to levels of stress and physical discomfort in unpleasant situations. This is because traumatic events can influence how you evaluate stressful situations and how quickly you let go, get scared, and give up.
The author warns about the importance of self-acceptance, respecting your own feelings, and getting rid of internal criticism.
I'm glad the book provides recommendations on how to behave in difficult situations at the end of the chapter.
This part of the book caught my attention with the info about the everyday background of our moods, which we can't even notice. And this background affects all aspects of our lives.
One thing that struck me is how our communication skills can impact our relationships and overall well-being.
Before, I used to think that communication was just about talking, but now I realize it's so much more than that.
"Feeling lonely puts you in a stressful state, both mentally and physically...Your brain is programmed for communication with other people, so it evaluates loneliness as a constant source of stress, triggering a 'fight, flee, or freeze' reaction. You can feel lonely even in a crowded room if you don't feel like someone cares about you or that your needs are important to those around you. So, feelings of loneliness can occur both when you lack contact with others and when you subjectively feel isolated. Both types of loneliness harm a person's health, but feeling lonely might be the worst of all."
As I read through the book, I started to notice how often I felt lonely, even when I was surrounded by people.
It was a wake-up call for me to prioritize my relationships and make time for meaningful connections.
Chapter three really dives into the value of being present and how it affects our behavior and well-being. When we're in a state of presence, we take our experiences head-on, rather than getting caught up in anxiety and worry that can lead to depression and addictions.
“By cultivating presence, you're intentionally and openly focusing your attention on what's happening in this exact moment, both inside and around you. You can observe and describe your process of perception: what you see, hear, feel, or smell right now. Or, you can focus on your breath to see what's going on in your mind and restore inner balance. Being present in the current moment helps you stop obsessing over the past and worrying about the future,”
I have to agree with the author's thoughts on loss, pain, and sadness.
It's amazing how often we try to avoid these emotions, but the book shows us that they're a natural part of the human experience.
The fourth chapter, 'Become aware of and accept your emotions,' really resonated with me because I often struggled to identify, live through, and even name my emotions. This chapter breaks down the benefits of emotions and how to live with them in a healthy way.
The fifth chapter teaches us how to control stressful experiences so we don't damage our own health due to our inability to accept and live through what's happening around us.
In our culture, it's not common to be kind to ourselves. It turns out, it's really important to be able to stop our own self-criticism and remember to be our own advocate and defender.
I was interested in the topic of trying to control things that are beyond our control.
This can lead to a multitude of problems in our lives.
I really connected with the 7th chapter, which breaks down the complexities of our thinking and shows us how to stop getting bogged down in anxious thoughts and worries. It also teaches us how to recognize thought traps.
The information in chapter 8 really stuck with me. It's about unnecessary vigilance and the presence of an unconscious or accepted feeling of a lack of resources, or in other words, the fear of running out of money.
I loved the exercises on forming a positive mental state.
Chapter 9 was a surprise for me - the author suggests setting an intention that 'stress is useful' and explains why this is necessary in our lives.
The final chapter is all about health, chronic stress, and inflammation, as well as weight gain and disrupted sleep.
When I read books like this, I like to take notes and answer the questions in the book. I usually do all the exercises and tasks that seem appealing and useful to me.
Before, I couldn't quite grasp the benefit of 'grounding,' a word that kept popping up in books and conversations. Now, the information has finally clicked for me.
What I love about the book 'Stress-Resilient Brain':
There's practical value in recognizing your own problems;
The book is written in an accessible way, easy to understand for everyone;
It promotes self-awareness, giving you techniques to understand yourself on your own;
It develops emotional intelligence and improves communication skills;
I liked the techniques and tests for working with anxiety and difficulties in life;
It motivates you to switch from a victim mentality to taking responsibility for your own life;
It's an instruction manual for personal growth.
To all my subscribers and page visitors, thank you for taking the time to read my review.
I've genuinely benefited from this book, and I'd highly recommend it for maintaining both physical and mental well-being.
I'm sharing the link with my friends who could use a boost, and I'd love it if you'd follow me for more reviews and recommendations on this site.
Check out my other book reviews, like 'Psychosomatics and Positive Psychotherapy' by N. Pezeskian, self-love, managing emotions, living with depression, triggers, and codes of consciousness.
That's all for now.