StreSS, Anxiety, And inSomniA - Dr. Michael Murray

ForewordWe live in stressful times. With so much uncertainty in our world and,increasingly, in most of our lives, we all need to understand the dramaticimpact of stress on our well-being and on the well-being of those aroundus. The difference between a life lived to its fullest, filled with anticipationand joy, and a miserable life governed by fears and bitterness, can be directlyrelated to our ability to reduce and manage our stress. We cannot alwayscontrol the events in our lives and we certainly cannot avoid stressful eventsaltogether. But we can gain awareness of where stress comes from and wecan learn how to respond differently to adversity when it inevitably calls.Learning to manage stress is a skill set that can be acquired through knowledgeand practice. Stress management begins by recognizing what stress is andwhat causes it. In many cases we bring stress on ourselves and we need tolearn and practice different behaviors to avoid unnecessary stress. We alsoneed to learn how to respond differently to stressful circumstances. Respondingto stressful events more positively usually involves changes in lifestyle,thinking patterns, and our physiological response to stress. When we trulylearn to manage our stress, it becomes the spice of life and a catalyst forself-improvement rather than a cause of burnout and despair.Michael Murray presents a fresh and compelling insight into the manyfacetedcauses of unhealthy stress, and he lays out a holistic plan to harnessthe positive power of stress to make it an important ally in personal growthand the achievement of success. As a true clinician, Dr. Murray helps usdeal with many of the underlying reasons behind our unhealthy responses toIII