No More Stress!: Be Your Own Stress Management Coach

Contents......Page 6
About the author......Page 12
What’s special about a cognitive–behavioural approach?......Page 14
HOW WILL THIS BOOK HELP ME?......Page 16
What materials will I need?......Page 17
Too much of a good thing – the stress response......Page 19
So, what exactly happens to my body when I become stressed?......Page 23
So, just how stressed am I?......Page 24
Are some people more susceptible?......Page 26
Could I have learnt to be stressed?......Page 32
Is all stress bad?......Page 33
The bus journey......Page 35
Psychological conditions that have stress associated with them......Page 37
Frequently asked questions......Page 39
Help yourself to manage your stress......Page 43
Stress and dietary tips......Page 49
Managing your time......Page 50
Sleep......Page 51
Stress at work......Page 54
Managing change......Page 57
Time management......Page 59
Learning to be grateful......Page 65
The blessings exercise......Page 67
Getting the most from life......Page 68
What is my purpose?......Page 73
Being kind helps me as much as it does you......Page 74
The four stages of change......Page 77
The role of optimism......Page 78
Are my thoughts real?......Page 81
How do my beliefs affect me?......Page 82
Faulty thinking......Page 83
Healthy thinking......Page 84
Keeping a stress diary......Page 86
The role of judgements......Page 89
Types of negative thinking......Page 90
Edit your thoughts......Page 100
The A–E Model......Page 102
Challenge your thoughts......Page 103
Life rules......Page 109
Demands that may increase your stress......Page 110
Challenging your demands......Page 111
Putting it all together: a model for understanding your stress......Page 114
The concept of good and bad moods......Page 115
Tips to help you like yourself......Page 118
Learn to appreciate yourself......Page 122
The life audit......Page 123
Distraction......Page 124
Learn to be emotionally smart......Page 126
Other people’s emotions......Page 132
How to deal with strong emotion......Page 134
Don’t put things off!......Page 135
Guilt......Page 137
The role of assertiveness......Page 139
Shame and humiliation......Page 140
How to deal with shame and humiliation......Page 141
Dealing with worry......Page 142
How to use coping imagery to deal with negative emotions......Page 144
Graded exposure......Page 147
Using coping imagery to reduce stress......Page 149
The six-stage problem-solving model......Page 152
Assertion training......Page 160
Four types of behaviour......Page 161
Assertiveness involves respect for self and for others......Page 166
Some assertiveness skills......Page 167
Managing instant reactions......Page 168
More assertiveness skills......Page 169
My personal rights......Page 172
Dealing with difficult situations......Page 173
Handling criticism......Page 176
Giving criticism......Page 177
Managing put-downs......Page 178
Using the ‘traffic light’ system......Page 179
The role of ‘time out’......Page 180
Learning how to argue......Page 181
Stress and dietary tips......Page 187
What can I do to help myself?......Page 188
What food can I eat?......Page 190
Psychological therapies......Page 193
USEFUL RESOURCES......Page 195
APPENDICES......Page 198
Understanding what upsets me......Page 200
Stress diary......Page 201
Cost–benefit analysis......Page 202
Personal contingency plan......Page 203
Big I, little I......Page 204
A–E Model......Page 205
CONTACT ME......Page 206