Stress-Proof: The Scientific Solution to Protect Your Brain and Body--and Be More Resilient Every Day

by Mithu Storoni

Discover simple, science-based strategies for beating stress at its own game

When’s the best time to exercise – and how much is too much?
Which foods fortify the brain, and which do the opposite?
How can we use music, movement, and motivation to boost our rational brain and keep our cool no matter what life throws our way?
 
Short bursts of stress are an inevitable part of modern life. But how much is too much? Research is uncovering the delicate balance that can turn a brief stressful episode into systemic overload, eventually leading to inflammation, anxiety, depression, and other chronic health issues.

This practical and groundbreaking guide reveals seven paths to fighting the effects of stress--to strengthen our natural defenses so that our minds remain sharp, and our bodies resilient, no matter what life throws at us.

Each chapter examines a common stress agent—including inflammation, an out-of-sync body clock, cortisol levels, and emotional triggers—and presents simple ways to minimize its harmful effects with changes in diet, exercise, and other daily habits—including surprising hacks involving music, eye movements, body temperature, daily routine, and more.

Translating cutting-edge scientific findings into clear and simple advice,  Stress-Proof  is the ultimate user’s guide for body, mind and well-being.

**Winner, Best Stress Management Books of All Time, BookAuthority**

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Health, Audiobook, Science, Mental Health

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. Good information but kind of boring. Also felt a little homiletic at times—do this for 30 minutes a day, do this for 1 hour a day, do this for 5 minutes a day, do this every 30 minutes... if I did everything she suggested for the amount of time she says every day, I'd have no time to get anything else done. Just doesn't seem very practical.

[Ben H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant read. This book is not only relevant for those of us who are stressed - it also educates us on living happier and healthier lives by making small, manageable changes to every day behaviours.

Before reading this book, I was suffering from an autonomic nervous system condition that is not well known about. I was told by doctors and specialists that my condition was likely permanent, but by strictly following the advice given in this book, I was able to make a full recovery.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a surprisingly good and rather unique book containing many strategies for managing a lifestyle which is constantly under stress. It covers food, exercise, pleasure, addiction, social interaction, and much more. Definitely recommended.

[Jenna M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good shopping list of strategies but doesn't try to tackle the deeper systemic issues. Also, science, I love you, but why you gotta keep torturing tiny furry animals?

[Alison · Rating 1 out of 5]

The next time you purchase a dairy product, be sure to ask the vendor if the cows were milked at night. Then, you'll have better melatonin production, which means you'll sleep better, which means you'll be less stressed. The next time you are fixating on a negative feeling or sensation, just think of something positive instead. Then your cortisol levels will balance, which means you'll be less stressed. The next time you are listening intently to music and doing nothing else, make sure it's a Mozart composition. Then, you'll activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which means you'll be less stressed. Also, lots of stuff about rats in enriched environments and calorie restrictions.

So anyway, if you want tons of information (literally, all the paper behind the hundreds of scientific studies cited here probably weighs a ton) about stress, then read this.

If you want to experience less stress, skip the book and just go for a hike (or other analogous thing you already know is good for you and don't really need a scientific study to prove it). Also, you might want to consider quitting your thankless corporate job.

[Raechel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of this is common sense and it's nice to see TONS of citations to show that they're scientifically backed. Some of the suggestions, if you added them all up, would take up a lot of your time.

[Heather Ramshaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely interesting and helpful read. Gave me a lot of validation regarding the chronic stress I’ve experienced recently, and provided tons of strategies for becoming more resilient. Yes some of the strategies are obvious, but many were new to me, and having the scientific reasoning to understand why they truly work provides more motivation to implement. Wish me luck as I attempt to become ‘stress-proof’!

[Michael Dubakov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Пока лучшая книга по этой теме. 4/5. Довольно хорошо показана связь стресса с физиологическими процессами. Также множество практических советов, из которых можно надёргать себе свой план борьбы с жизнью.

Вот сокращенный список советов без всякого объяснения механизма их работы. Для понимания читайте книгу.

- Если вы не можете прийти в себя после стрессовой ситуации, поиграйте в игры вроде тетриса или займитесь упражнениями для тренировки рабочей памяти.
- Ищите как можно больше способов войти в состояние потока.
- Если вы начинаете новое дело, попробуйте организовать его так, чтобы оно выглядело как вызов, а не набор простых (и скучных) пунктов.
- Каждый день практикуйте медитацию-сосредоточение. На работе хорошим помощником станет любимая кофейная чашка.
- Каждый вечер освобождайте один час, чтобы превратить свой дом в «пещеру рационального мозга». Выключите все телефоны, отключите компьютер, послушайте расслабляющую классическую музыку или почитайте хорошую книгу
- Займитесь каким-нибудь делом, которое нужно выполнять поэтапно, и обязательно завершите начатое.
- Сделайте непритязательные классические упражнения хатха-йоги частью повседневной жизни.
- Пейте чай маття.
- На 15 минут снизьте частоту дыхания до 6–7 вдохов в минуту.
- Посмотрите на фото или картины с изображением природы.
- Закройте глаза и активно слушайте шаманские барабаны в течение 15 минут, сосредоточившись на ритме.
- Постоянно напоминайте себе об общих целях и фокусируйтесь на них.
- Придумайте ритуал помощи другим — просто ради самого процесса.
- Обнимайте близких при любой возможности.
- Делайте по утрам зарядку.
- Регулярно ходите в сауну.
- Избегайте негативных людей, историй и ситуаций.
- Никогда не позволяйте себе скучать.
- Каждый день стимулируйте мозг самыми разнообразными способами.
- Добавляйте в пищу куркуму
- Не курите!
- потребляйте достаточно триптофана и витамина B6 из пищи (ешьте яйца и бананы!);
- после завтрака находитесь при дневном освещении не менее получаса;
- Первый плотный прием пищи должен приходиться на утро.
Завтраку должен предшествовать длительный период воздержания от пищи.
- Ужинайте как можно раньше.
- Укрывая одеялом только ноги и стопы, вы заснете быстрее.
- После обеда проведите при ярком дневном освещении хотя бы полчаса.
- При отсутствии аллергии на молочные продукты ежедневно употребляйте натуральный «живой» йогурт без добавок, можно вместо десерта после каждого приема пищи. Рекомендуемая норма — 300 г в день
- Ешьте белый рис с добавлением растворимой клетчатки, после того как он в течение нескольких суток постоит в холодильнике.
- Разбивайте любое задание на небольшие этапы и вознаграждайте себя после окончания каждого из них.
- Регулярно смотрите фильмы с непредсказуемым сюжетом и читайте детективы.
- Смотрите футбол!
- Во время работы слушайте барабанную музыку с ритмическими вариациями. Рекомендую японские барабаны тайко, африканские барабаны джембе, индийские барабаны табла, джаз и рок.
- Каждый вечер посвящайте 15 минут мыслям о позитивном опыте, пережитом в течение дня. Можете описать свой опыт в дневнике.
- Каждый день слушайте Моцарта.
- Сделайте так, чтобы вам было чем гордиться. Спортивные достижения — простой и доступный способ повысить самоэффективность.
- Как можно чаще делайте добро.
- Если вы не нравитесь себе, изменитесь.

[Polina · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book contains oversimplified information about stress accompanied with general advice such as "sleep well, work out, hug a friend". There are also some unsupported claims of "kukurma consumption will do wonders" and "hot yoga is good for you cuz it's harder than normal yoga!".

But the worst part is the advice about "controlling your own emotions". It's kind of like "Are you really stressed? just tell yourself to calm down. Look at the bright side. And don't forget to smile!" What? Also, saying that staring at your coffee cup intensly for two minutes while pushing all of your thoughts away equals meditation is kind of uhhhh... strange?

If you already suffer from chronic stress, this book might stress you out even more. It does, however, contain some general advice which is sensible - like some basic self-care practices.

[Sergey Shishkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is packed with tips and tricks to reduce stress symptoms and improve recovery from chronic stress. The tips are all based on scientific research, although most areas covered in the book are still understudied. This results in dozens generally making sense suggestions that have potential to improve one's life, although without any certainty. The most obvious areas are sleep, diet and self-control. I found the suggestions useful and practical, although I would not give the book such a definitive title as "stress-proof", maybe just "less stress".

[Andreas Kamile · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read about stress, how it affects your body and mind, and most importantly, what you can do about it. Storoni manages to explain tons of new and exciting research in a down-to-earth manner and offers easy ways of implementing abovementioned findings. I love it and can wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to take better care of him- or herself!

[Dmitry · Rating 1 out of 5]

(The English review is placed beneath Russian one)

Книг об опасности стресса появилось уже довольно много, я упомяну хотя бы самую удачную, с моей точки зрения, «Почему у зебр не бывает инфаркта. Психология стресса». А уж сколько вышло статей в интернете и роликов на YouTube, вообще не со считаешь. Поэтому о вреде стресса, можно предположить, знает уже почти каждый, кто либо много читает non-fiction, либо кто по много часов сёрфит интернет. И от этого факта особенно странно смотрится то, что книг/статей/видеороликов и пр., на тему как справится со стрессом, практически нет. Поэтому появление этой книги меня сразу заинтриговало, а небольшой её объём говорил как бы о том, что в данном случаи мы обойдёмся без воды – только конкретика, только руководство к действию. Что касается второго – практики – то в каком-то смысле книга оправдывает это ожидание, только вот не совсем в ту сторону, на которую рассчитываешь.
Главная проблема с этой книгой заключается в том, что тут фактически ничего и нет по борьбе со стрессом. Вот так просто. Первая четверть как бы подтверждает название, но дальше книга поворачивает совершенно в другую сторону. Но начнём с самого начала.
Первые главы, как это часто бывает (в особенности, когда нужно добавить объёма книге), посвящены теоретической части. И тут сухая теория о мозге, в какой части ютится «страх», он же «стресс» (ведь стресс у нас идёт прямо от страха), и так под копирку учебника по нейропсихологии. Так как я уже много читал про разные части мозга и что за что отвечает (к сожалению, никогда не мог заставить себя запомнить всё это, т.к. не понимал, а зачем мне это, если я не врач). В общем, сухая такая теория. Нам она не нужна, т.к. мы ищем не объяснения стрессу (это мы уже давно знаем из множества книг на эту тему), а что наконец-то можно предпринять для его уменьшения. И да, далее автор предложит советы. Но всё это будет выглядеть как статья из журнала «10 секретов здоровых волос». Очень коротко и очень поверхностно. Меня ничего не заинтересовало за исключением игр. Автор упоминает игру в тетрис как способ отвлечься от проблем (которые вызывают стресс), йогу, медитацию и пр. в том же духе. Т.е. всё то же самое, что можно встретить в каждой второй книге по самопомощи, но главное я понял, нужно ещё раз обратить внимание на книгу «SuperBetter» Джейн Макгонигал, в которой автор не пишет о стрессе напрямую, но в которой намного шире рассматриваются игры, как способ отвлечься от гнетущих мыслей. Хотя, вышеназванная книга и не блестящая, но она всё же намного лучше этой и поэтому я бы рекомендовал вместо данной книги обратиться к «SuperBetter» Джейн Макгонигал.
Ну а дальше, т.е. большую часть книги автор уйдёт в такие темы как здоровый сон, правильное питание, занятие физическими упражнениями, сила воли (разумеется, тут будет знаменитый эксперимент с зефиром, ибо, куда уж без него) и так далее. Вот зачем тут тема сила воли? По мне, так она имеет косвенное отношение к рассматриваемой теме. Я уж молчу про подробнейшее описание, какие продукты нужно есть, когда ложиться спать и так далее. Т.е. книга превратиться в банальный сборник советов по здоровому образу жизни. В принципе, ещё, когда автор начала писать про медитацию и йогу, я уже тогда начал задумываться, что автора куда-то не туда понесло, т.к. йогу, медитацию и осознанность кто только не впихивает в свои книги. Это нынче модные темы, которые даже пытаются доказать научным способом, т.е. добавить авторитет который имеет наука. Разумеется до сих пор это ещё не получалось, поэтому все эти три темы если и могут кому-то помочь в борьбе со стрессом, то только в индивидуальном порядке.
В общем, ищем дальше.

There are many books about the danger of stress, and I will mention at least the most successful, from my point of view, called "Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers." Therefore, we can assume that almost everyone knows about the dangers of stress, who either reads a lot of books or surf the Internet for many hours. This fact makes it particularly strange that there are almost no books/articles/videos, etc. on how to cope with stress. Therefore the occurrence of this book has intrigued me at once, and its small volume spoke as though that in this case we will manage without empty words, i.e., only specificity, only the manual to action. As for the second - practice - in some sense, the book fulfills this expectation, but not in the direction you expect.
The main problem with this book is that it contains virtually nothing to deal with stress. It's that simple. The first quarter as if confirms the title, but then the book turns in a completely different direction. But let's start from the beginning.
The first chapters, as often happen (especially when it is necessary to add the volume of the book), are devoted to the theoretical part. Here is a dry theory about the brain. In what part of the brain there is "fear," aka "stress" (after all, stress goes straight from fear), and so under the copy of the textbook on neuropsychology. In general, a dry theory like that. We don't need it, because we're not looking for an explanation of stress (we've known this from many books on the subject for a long time), but what can finally be done to reduce it. And yes, further, the author will offer advice. But all this will look like an article from the magazine "10 Secrets of Healthy Hair". Very short and very superficial. There is nothing that interests me except games. The author mentions playing Tetris as a way to distract from problems (which cause stress), yoga, meditation, etc. I mean, it's the same as you can find in every other self-help book. But the main thing is that I realized that I need to once again pay attention to the book "SuperBetter" by Jane McGonigal, in which the author does not write about stress directly but considers games much more as a way to distract from oppressive thoughts. Although this book is not brilliant, it is still much better than this one, so I would recommend instead of this book to refer to "SuperBetter" by Jane McGonigal.
And further, i.e., the most part of the book will be spent on such topics as healthy sleep, healthy eating, physical exercise, willpower (of course, there will be a famous experiment with marshmallows) and so on. Why is there a theme of willpower here? In my opinion, it has an indirect relation to the subject under consideration. Not to mention a detailed description of what products to eat, when to go to bed, and so on. So, the book becomes a banal collection of tips on healthy lifestyles. Basically, when the author began to write about meditation and yoga, I began to think that the author has gone somewhere wrong. These are nowadays fashionable topics, which are even trying to prove in a scientific way. Of course, so far, it has not worked out yet, so all these three topics if they can help someone in the fight against stress, it is only on an individual basis.

[Kristel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who ever feels stress. Well written scientific studies support easy to make life changes.

[Sina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives a lot of advice to manage your stress and anxiety. One may read it over a long period of time to have time to implement all the advices.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear medical approach based on research studies on how to improve your well-being. Love it!

[A.Archer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A unique book: both thoroughly researched & evidence-based and an entertaining read. Highly recommended.

[Marsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this through Goodreads Giveaway -
I found this book very interesting and well written. I would recommend this book to others.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome and very relevant for me as someone who tends to favor the “emotional brain” and can think negatively more than I’d like. There’s some really eye-opening information (and some I know but learned a lot more about). The current research on areas related to how the brain and body handle stress along with practical advice for improvement made this fascinating and accessible. I liked the formatting of the book as well. This is probably the best book I’ve read on mind-body connection.

Main subjects: the brain, emotional regulation, cortisol, fostering growth in the rational brain, tuning your body clock, extinguishing inflammation, modulating insulin resistance, motivation, aligning beliefs and goals, and resilience.

*thanks to Goodreads for the giveaway!

[Maureen Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jammed packed with research findings and ideas to help prevent or reduce stress in your life! The subtitle says “The scientific solution...” but it should be “solutions” because there’s not just one, there are many. The last line of the book says something like “If you can’t do everything, do what you can. It will go a long way.” I have gleaned a few things, made some changes and definitely see a difference. Highly recommend to anyone who realizes stress plays a big part in their overall well being.

[Jimmy Tu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great reference book for a variety of methods of maintaining stress. Mithu goes through a variety of research which goes from common themes like live healthy and mediate to more esoteric research like force flow in order to break negative emotional loops, eat less ripe bananas to reduce your inflammation levels and music with a fun rhythm you can tap your feet to increase happiness.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main confirmation I got from this book was that food is deeply connected with your brain function and stress level. Eat well to release stress better, hug people you love at every opportunity (virtual groups don't work the same), don't dwell on negative thoughts, exercise and enjoy your favourite hobby. Was listening as an audio book, and it went well with this one.

[Jodi Howe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book more engaging than I expected. It offers so many solutions to help the reader manage their stress and become more resilient. This was a great reminder that exercise, my diet, and my social network all heavily factor into my happiness and stress levels. My two biggest take aways include- 1. I need to slow down, just a bit, and be mindful as I go about my day. I’m going to focus on the pleasurable moments (big and small), savor them, and be grateful for them. I’m going to work on multitasking less and spending less time on autopilot. My day is now a joy scavenger hunt! 2. When life gets busy I tend to drop enjoyable pursuits from my calendared events. This has helped me accomplish more, but it’s also negatively impacted my happiness and resilience. This book has taught me that it’s important to schedule “self care” time into busy weeks to better combat stress and increase optimism. In the future I will think twice before I miss a workout, cancel a lunch with friends, or skip date night with my husband.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overview of scientific studies on impacts of stress, and ways to better handle stress. It can be repetitive because of the writing style - each chapter focusing on different ways stress can impact the body, and giving ways to address that harm. So for example, sleep habits come up repeatedly. It covers mental techniques, individual foods and habits such as eating times, as well as a great deal on what stresses our body. There's things we can do to cope with immediate stressful situations and ways we can prepare ourselves for long-term stress of things like shift work.

Worth a quick read, my main takeaways are: more soluble fiber, eat during daylight, healthy habit formation techniques, times it's useful to play video games.

[Pranav Sirvaiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many good Psychology, Self-help & medical books for an average reader. This book is about how health, psychology and self-help are connected. And how by managing our attitude, health, sleep, psychology, etc. we can grow ourselves & be better. I highly recommend this book. It is an awesome read. Also, this is one of the book which is from a doctor & is in plain (easy to grasp) language.
Thanks Mithu for sharing the knowledge. Hope to see a sequel with some more easy to understand concepts (with diagrams :).

[Mike Mcbride · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reasoning, research, and mindset were fantastically orchestrated in this book. The author showcases the effects and importance of using growth mindset, outlook, and breath as means to influence stress, giving the strategies and effects of both positive and negative means.

This research was clearly and succinctly referenced and was stated in ways that readers who aren't specialists can see the results and connections. The connections and writing flowed throughout the book as the concepts were introduced, supported/proven, and modeled through practical strategies that often related to or directly supported other concepts discussed previously. This may become an annual read along with Mindset, into which this book beautifully segues.

[Elisabeth Bjuro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, very comprehensive book with tips I have greatly benefitted from! I keep
going back to this book as it's so dense with knowledge and to remind myself of things to
implement in my routine. The market is so saturated with tips and tricks for your health, it's
great to have this collection of advice all from a professional in the field. I recommend this to all busy people in my life!

[Amanda]

I am going to try *reading* this book, and then I plan to update my review. But I do *not* recommend the audiobook. This book is dense with science, and I personally find those hard to absorb on an audiobook but I gave it a shot. I also think this narrator wasn't a good choice for a book like this: I found her reading sort of . . . boring (sorry!). Anyway, I have already started *reading* the book, and I have high hopes for it. :-)

[Simone Tumolo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gem! This unique and practical guide show us step by step how to move beyond the limit of the known and into a beatiful stress free life! The author has done an outstanding job of creating a manual for human body and mind. Looking forward to next books covering yoga and meditation. I k grateful for this book.

[Kasie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stress Proof offers incredible insight on how to manage stress in effective scientifically proven ways. I was really impressed by the number of recommendations, some of which I will be trying to employ during my daily/weekly routine. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to gain more stress management strategies.

[Wendelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is a formidable MD-Phd from Cambridge, yet remarkably she is not showing off in this book. Rather, in bullet-proof-ready short paragraphs, she identifies specific methods and solutions to deal with stress, backed by study after study and an intricate understanding of the workings of the brain.