Welcome

What is the one condition every doctor shares with every patient? The answer is stress. It's everywhere. Whenever people find out I'm a stress consultant (from librarians in Toronto to limo drivers in New Jersey to techies in California), they invariably say, "Boy, could I use your services!" We all know about stress from experiencing it — even suffering from it at times. What we don't all know is what to do about it. That's what this book is about.

I became interested in stress in 1981. Actually, "hooked" would be more accurate. I was a family doctor, and had just received a flyer advertising a seminar in Montreal on heart disease. The topics included nutrition, exercise, stress management and sexuality (that was probably the teaser — I guess someone figured that, even at a medical meeting, sex sells!). The conference looked intriguing, and a few days off appealed to me, so I signed up. Little did
I realize, when I got off the train on that sunny June afternoon, that my work life was about to change forever.

The program featured three lectures on stress management. I was riveted. The presenter was a young, funny, self-admittedly nervous psychologist — and she was fabulous! Not only was the information fascinating, but I could see how helpful it would be for my patients. Even more compelling was the fact that I could see huge potential benefits for myself. I was not the most laid-back guy in the world. And working in a high-pressure job only added to my stress. Those first presentations explained things I had been experiencing all my life, but had never previously understood. I have pursued the subjects of stress theory and stress management with a passion that has not abated in more than twenty years.

Over time, I began to appreciate the widespread impact of stress on my patients — not only on their health and emotional well-being, but also on their energy, productivity, relationships, self-esteem, and overall quality of life. I also made big progress in handling my own stress.

Evidence of stress surrounds us, from cover stories in magazines to newspaper tales of road rage; from people around us looking harried and hurried to the face looking back at us in the mirror.

Statistics bear this out. According to Psychology Today (March/April 2000), "stress-related problems cost American businesses more than $200 billion annually in absenteeism, worker's compensation claims, health insurance costs and lowered productivity. Fully 40 percent of employee turnover is stress-related." And a study done in 2000 for the Heart and Stroke Foundation reported that more than 40 percent of Canadians over the age of thirty say they often or almost always feel overwhelmed by stress on the job or with their families or finances. Dr. Rob Nolan, a
Foundation spokesman said, "Most Canadians say stress plays a dominant role in their daily lives." Statistics Canada estimates that the annual cost of work time lost to stress is $12 billion per year. Sort of catches your attention, doesn't it?

As if the news of current stress levels isn't bad enough, the research study showed that only 26 percent of Canadians feel that they know how to handle their stress well. Dr. Nolan said that people often cope with stress by engaging in harmful lifestyle habits. "About 75 percent of the respondents say their coping mechanisms include eating fatty comfort foods, watching TV, smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol."

It seems safe to say that stress is a huge problem in our society and that most of us are not handling it very well.

We're living in stressful times: international terrorism, war, economic upheaval and overall uncertainty. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless. In the face of these enormous problems, one might ask how relevant it is to deal with the smaller issues of day-to-day life. Ironically, it may be more important in difficult times. I believe that the less control you have over your external environment, the more important it is to take control of your internal environment.

Aim to take control of the things you can control. These include the way you think, the way you behave and the lifestyle choices you make. If you manage these issues better, you'll have much more energy and resilience to deal with the larger, external forces that affect us all. And the good news is, you have more control than you think.

In the pages that follow, I will show you how to take more control of your life and handle stress with skill and confidence. I hope you find the journey both beneficial and enjoyable.

How to Use This Book

Each chapter begins with a story or analogy, followed by relevant information and suggestions. The chapters end with prescriptions: specific, simple, concrete things you can do over the next week to put the ideas into action. My goal is to have the book serve as a guide for making gradual changes that will reduce your stress and improve your health.

The book can be read in three possible ways. You can read it straight through as with any other book. Or you can go directly to specific chapters that interest you. Or you can use it as an action-oriented manual, reading one chapter per week and implementing the prescription over the ensuing seven days. If you want to read about any subject in greater detail, there is a reading list at the end of the book, organized by topic. Whichever approach you take, I hope you find the book engaging, interesting, fun and of practical benefit as you deal with the stress of your life.