Mastering the Art of Stress. Finding Calm in the Chaos: The “KISS” Series; Keep it Simple, Sweetheart

By Sophia Elan

"… Elan empowers others with the knowledge of the conditions stress may cause in their lives that may be eliminated with simple acts…" - Readers' Favorite 5-Stars

Stress less, live more…

 

An illuminating, practical guidebook on why and how to conquer destructive chronic stress.

 

In this well-researched and engaging book, Elan shares 52 simple, life-changing, proven strategies (based on holistic therapies and neuroscience) to help guide you to a path toward health, happiness, and harmony. "Mastering the Art of Stress" is the first book in Elan's "K.I.S.S. 52" series, a collection of self-care made simple books, utilizing Elan's trademark "keep it simple, sweetheart" philosophy. The "K.I.S.S. Plan" is designed to inspire and empower you to achieve optimal mental and physical well-being, via simple, natural, accessible lifestyle routines. 

 

Chronic stress, directly and indirectly, impacts mood, energy, appetite, weight, sleep, digestive health, immunity, and the risk of developing mental disorders and physical diseases, as well as aging in general. It manifests itself psychologically, physiologically, and behaviorally in innumerable ways. Chronic stress is a primary causative or contributory factor associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, inability to lose weight/obesity, sleep disturbances, digestive disorders, insulin resistance/diabetes, high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, heart disease, autoimmune diseases, certain cancers, and substance abuse and eating disorders. These debilitating conditions are plaguing us with no end in sight; Elan enthusiastically shares a path to conquer stress to help achieve that elusive end.

 

The epic rise in chronic stress parallels the epidemic rise in mental and physical health challenges, including dementia, neurodegenerative diseases, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. Elan contends that this parallel is far from coincidental and that you have the power to be the master of your health destiny.

 

Elan documents the connection between unabated, prolonged stress and the development of virtually every mental and physical health challenge. She offers practical, evidence-based, transformative strategies to successfully reduce and manage stress and prevent/resolve the wide-ranging negative physiological, psychological, and behavioral consequences thereof. 

 

A survivor of lifelong traumas, Elan preaches what she practices and shares an insightful toolkit for resolving chronic stress and overcoming the destructive emotional, behavioral, physiological, and psychological impacts she knew all too well from a lifetime of misdiagnoses and mistreatments. By resolving her traumas, employing her "KISS" philosophy, Elan found the key to ending her physiological challenges, her mental anguish, and her maladaptive coping mechanisms, including substance abuse. 

 

In her compassionate and relatable voice, Elan encourages us all to be our own best health advocate and "insurance" by engaging in simple, empowering natural habits and practices to live the rest of our lives as the best of our lives. Keep it simple, sweetheart…

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mediterranean Me
• Release date: Sep 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223377382

Sophia Elan

Sophia Elan, a full-time author, University of Chicago Law School alum, and retired corporate lawyer, traded her professional career to feed her soul. She is on a mission to make others happier, healthier and more harmonious. An insatiable foodie, seasoned traveler, and avid wellness enthusiast, she considers herself blessed to be traveling the world with her unquenchable zest for life in quest of simple pleasures. Sophia resides along the exquisite Turkish Riviera, and travels throughout Europe extensively, finding endless inspiration for her writings and her Mediterranean Me lifestyle brand. Wherever she is, you can find Sophia with her trademark smile and her heart overflowing with gratitude and love. Sophia warmly invites you to follow her on her blog and social media to join her escapades and purchase her Mediterranean novels and non-fiction holistic wellness books at https://linktr.ee/mediterraneanme.       

Book preview

BOOKS BY SOPHIA ELAN

Roar: Primed for Peace. Self-Heal Trauma for Health, Happiness, & Harmony

Mastering the Art of Stress: finding calm in the chaos, a KISS 52 Guide*

Eat the Cupcake, not the Cake: PART I. 25 KISS Ways to Healthy Weight. Look Great. Feel Great. Be Great

Release Yourself: PART I, a KISS Primer. Stress Less. Live More. Free Your Mind, Body, & Spirit"*

Release Yourself: PART II, a KISS 25 Guide. Stress Less. Live More. Free Your Mind, Body, & Spirit (*Note: PART II: #1-25 focuses on Mindset, Relationships & Relaxation)*

Release Yourself: PART III, a KISS 25 Guide. Stress Less. Live More. Free Your Mind, Body, & Spirit (*Note: PART III: #26-50 focuses on Lifestyle Factors, Vagal Tone, Brain Chemistry, Herbal Therapy & Gut Health)*

*The 3-part Release Yourself series is essentially the same as this book

DISCLAIMER:

The information provided in this  book is intended exclusively for informational purposes. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

The content presented in this book is based on the author's research, personal experiences, and knowledge available up to the date of publication. However, the field of wellness and health sciences is constantly evolving, and new research may emerge that could change the understanding or recommendations in this book.

Individual results and outcomes may vary. The suggestions, recommendations, and strategies outlined in this book may not be suitable for everyone, as individual health conditions, fitness levels, and circumstances differ. It is important to consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making any significant changes to your diet, exercise routine, or lifestyle.

The author and publisher of this book are not liable for any injuries, health complications, or adverse effects that may arise from the use or misuse of the information presented herein. Readers are encouraged to use their own judgment and discretion in applying the concepts discussed in this book.

Furthermore, any product recommendations, endorsements, or advertisements within this book are not guarantees of effectiveness or suitability. Readers are advised to conduct their own research and consider consulting with professionals before purchasing or using any products mentioned in this book.

By reading this book, you acknowledge and agree to the above disclaimer and release the author, publisher, and any associated parties from any responsibility or liability for any harm or adverse effects that may result from the use of the information provided. Always prioritize your safety and well-being, and consult appropriate professionals for personalized guidance.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

A COMPREHENSIVE, NATURAL Lifestyle Guide to Conquering Your Stress

To

Optimize Your Body, Mind & Spirit

For

Health, Happiness & Harmony

Time to Move

FORWARD

About Me

PART I: THE PROBLEM:

GOT STRESS?

Our Societal Stress Crisis

Conventional Treatment

The Nervous System & The Stress Response

The Impacts of Chronic Stress

PART II: THE SOLUTION

CHANGE THE MINDSET: LET’S GET UNCONVENTIONAL

Own Your Power

#1.  Treat Yourself Holistically: Utilize the Mind/Body Connection

#2. Be Your Own Proactive Health Advocate

Increase Self-Awareness to Reduce Stress

#3. Try Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

#4. Use Biofeedback

Reduce Stressors Within Your Control

#5. Resolve Occupational Stress or Change Jobs

#6. Stop Being Overwhelmed by Endlessly Overcommitting

#7. Resolve Relationship Issues

#8. Live Within Your Financial Means

#9. Resolve any Unresolved Trauma(s)/Terminate any Toxic Relationships

Cultivate Mechanisms to Manage Stress & Create Resilience

#10. Cultivate Self-Awareness

#11. Cultivate A Positive Mindset: Shift Your Perceptions & Perspective to Positively Change Your Reality

#12. Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude

#13. Enlist Spirituality/Inspiration

Cultivate Resilience

#14. Practice Self-Regulation

#15. Be Mindful of Negativity/

Cultivate Positive Co-Regulation

#16. Be a Social Butterfly

#17. Practice Hormesis

Elicit the Parasympathetic Relaxation Response

#18. Engage in Stress-Reducing Activities in General

#19. Enjoy Mother Nature: Forest Bathing and Sunshine

#20. Get/Give Yourself a Massage

#21. Get/Give Yourself Reflexology

#22. Get/Give Yourself Acupressure

#23. Try Acupuncture

#24. Be Musical

#25. White Noise

Focused Attention/Cultivate Being Present

#26. Meditate/Be Mindful

#27. Every Breath You Take

#28. Practice Yoga

#29. Practice QiGong/Cultivated Energy

Release Yourself

#30. Engage in Programmed Muscle Relaxation

#31. Use Humor Therapy

#32. Cry/Sigh

#33. Emotional Freedom Technique

#34. Try Craniosacral Therapy: Release Yourself Indeed

Support Your Brain Chemistry

#35. Increase Levels of GABA, the Calming Chemical

#36. Balance Levels of Glutamate, the Excitatory Chemical

#37. Oxy Up, the Bonding Chemical

#38. Boost Serotonin, the Soothing Chemical

#39. Boost Dopamine: the Pleasure/Reward Chemical

#40. Boost Beta-Endorphins: the Feel-Good Chemicals

#41. Increase Levels of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor,

Key to Neuroplasticity

Engage the Parasympathetic Nervous System

#42. Vagus, Baby

#43. Ensure Adequate Levels of Acetylcholine

#44. Improve Your Heart Rate Variability

H.O.T. Therapy:

Enlist Calming Herbs, Oils & Teas

#45. Use Herbs & Spices Regularly

#46. Use Essential Oils/Aromatherapy

#47. Find Your Cup of Tea

Adopt Positive Lifestyle Habits

to

Ameliorate

Stress, Anxiety & Depression

#48. Hydrate

#49. Sweet Dreams

#50. Engage in Regular Activity

#51. Optimize Your Gastrointestinal Tract

#52. Stress Nutrition: Nourish to Flourish

(Time to Move)

FORWARD

Stress less. Live more . As a survivor of complex post-traumatic stress disorder, I know a thing or two about stress. More importantly, I know even more about perseverance and triumphing over traumas/chronic stress. I intimately know the trauma psyche, the physiological embodiments of chronic stress, and stress-induced behavioral consequences. Most importantly, I know how to get out of this morass with natural, simple, inexpensive, accessible lifestyle strategies.

My philosophy as a writer is to write the books I want to read, so I do... I used the "power within" (that we all have) to stop chronic stress from wreaking havoc on my body, my mind, my spirit, and my life. It’s my mission now to help transfer that "power without" by sharing my insights, consistent with my "K.I.S.S." philosophy to "keep it simple, sweetheart." Healing should not be a luxury; it should be accessible to each of us. Healing does not happen in silence or solitude. This belief is the genesis of this book, indeed, of all my books.

As those of us familiar with chronic stress know all too well, virtually no aspect of life is untouched by the detrimental ravages thereof. What’s more, chronic stress’ sister mental issues, anxiety, and depression, often coexist with their overlapping and distinct symptoms. Stress manifests psychologically (e.g., as constantly worrying, being anxious, feeling on edge, or having difficulty concentrating or remembering things); emotionally (e.g., as feeling irritable, moody, easily frustrated, or even angry); physiologically (e.g., as fatigue, high blood pressure, difficulty losing weight, frequent colds or infections, headaches, general aches/pains, and even chronic degenerative diseases); and behaviorally (e.g., as withdrawal, lethargy, sleep disturbances, deprioritizing self-care, an inability to relax, or even addictive behaviors for food, alcohol or drugs, for example). I think most of us tend to think of the consequences of stress as psychological or emotional and don’t appreciate the link between chronic stress and our physical health or our behavior as much.

I don’t know about you but I’m a bad news first kind of person. In any event, since it’s my book, we’ll start there...  The bad news concerning stress is two-fold. First, it affects virtually all of us. Second, chronic stress, directly or indirectly, underlies - or is associated with - essentially every negative health status, nagging or debilitating ailment, mental disorder, and chronic degenerative disease (including obesity, high blood pressure, migraines, inflammatory conditions, autoimmune diseases, anxiety, depression, dementia, and our top killers, cardiovascular disease, stroke, and certain cancers).

You’ve likely heard about how chronic inflammation underlies virtually all ailments and diseases, both mental and physical. Did you appreciate though that one of the primary causative factors of chronic inflammation is chronic stress? I can sum up the heart of my message with the following logic:

Chronic stress = chronic inflammation

Chronic inflammation = chronic mental & physical ailments/diseases

Therefore: manage chronic stress to avoid most chronic illnesses

Chronic inflammation is a primary pathway between chronic stress and the development of a lot of health challenges. We hear a lot about anti-inflammatory strategies given the clear connection between chronic inflammation and mental and physical health problems. There seems to be a lack of focus on resolving chronic inflammation at the source, however; that source is frequently chronic stress. Tragically, we all too often seem to view chronic stress (and associated lack of sleep) as almost a badge of honor, as reflected in the phrase, What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger. Personally, I’m tired of amassing so-called stress-induced strength and more focused on preventing/resolving the what doesn’t kill you side of the equation.

This book is an alarm call, highlighting the prevalence of chronic stress and detailing the significant deleterious impacts of this contagion on the body, mind, and spirit. Chronic stress is killing us literally and figuratively as a society; it is not making us stronger. In addition to most of us not fully appreciating the far-ranging negative implications of chronic stress, I also think most of us assume we more or less just have to live with it as a fact of life. Although I lived almost the entirety of my life operating within the constraints of those thoughts, I’m now happily here to beg differently...

This book is also a comprehensively-researched lifestyle guide, offering simple, proven strategies to stop the scourge of chronic stress to help prevent or treat the countless mental and physical ailments, disorders and diseases, and behavioral issues for which chronic stress is a significant causative or contributory factor. The incredible news is that there are many things we can do that have demonstrated efficacy to prevent, reduce, or adapt to, chronic stress, and to increase our resilience to stress. Tried and true, personally, anecdotally, observationally and scientifically. This is extraordinarily empowering as it gives us the ability to proactively prevent/redress the various stress-induced/related undesirable behaviors and negative mental and physical consequences.

We tend to think of most mental and physical health issues as inevitable consequences of aging, but they are absolutely not inevitable; oftentimes the culprit is chronic stress and it is within our power to address it. I think we tend to think of some of these strategies as too simplistic or passive to be able to truly have a significant impact. I know, I did. I researched voluminously for this book and applied most of the strategies to my own healing; these evidence-based approaches are remarkably effective. Their simplicity/passivity makes them easily accessible to most of us. We need to embrace these natural solutions to reduce the default reliance on prescription drugs, which mask but do not resolve our stress-induced societal crisis - indeed they exacerbate the problem.

Globally, we are overwhelmed, overweight, overloaded with toxins, over-drugged, sleepless, and sedentary, and suffering physiological, psychological, and behavioral consequences, manifesting as mental and physical calamities. I’m confident that when we truly appreciate the profoundly negative and pervasive consequences of cumulative lifestyle habits, we can collectively start down the path of preventing and treating these degenerative issues and improving our overall quality of life. It’s a fact that lifestyle factors account for the vast majority of chronic degenerative physical and mental conditions. It’s a fact that innumerable positive lifestyle changes can positively change the sobering tragic reality that we are a dis-eased world.

This series was originally a chapter in my upcoming book, "Mediterranean Me: The KISS Plan for Optimal Health", but it became so voluminous and important to me that I knew it warranted a series in its own right. "Mediterranean Me" is an extensively-researched, comprehensive guide of recommendations to achieve optimal physical and mental fitness and health, a la the Mediterranean lifestyle I have been blessed to be living for decades. The "KISS" or keep it simple, sweetheart,  plan is my shorthand reference for a confluence of simple, natural, inexpensive lifestyle factors that you can adopt to optimize your health and, indeed, your life.

Managing chronic stress lends itself well to the "KISS Plan"; there are innumerable lifestyle habits for preventing, managing, and adapting to stress.  "Mastering the Art of Stress"  is my debut book of a series of "KISS 52" guides. I also have "KISS 25" series, my small contribution of easily replicable mini lifestyle guides, consistent with my keep it simple philosophy, to tackle various issues and conditions plaguing society.  Each mini guide highlights the importance of a prevalent challenge to mental or physical well-being and provides a collection of simple, practical, inexpensive, accessible, natural strategies in collective pursuit of optimal holistic health, happiness and harmony. I know some prefer mini guides to comprehensive guides; this information is so critical in my opinion that I endeavored to provide options to suit everyone’s tastes.

My goal is to help you appreciate that you are the master of your holistic health and that you can optimize your physical and mental well-being, starting today and continuing every day. No drugs, no procedures, no therapist, no special equipment, no personal trainer, etc. required. You deserve health, happiness and harmony. You owe you...

Each guide is well-researched and extensively referenced. You can incorporate the various recommendations provided in the second and third book in this series independently or, ideally, collectively, over whatever period of time works for you, based on your unique goals and circumstances. Feel free to pick and choose amongst the recommendations and incorporate whatever syncs with you as quickly or slowly as you desire. I tried to make each of the suggestions relatively stand alone, but they are interrelated and positively cumulate.

Meaningful improvements in any aspect of life come with meaningful changes. The challenges we face as a society developed over time. Although most of us crave a quick fix, instantaneous panacea to solve all of our problems, reality shows that thoughtful habituation of positive lifestyle habits is most impactful and sustainable. Radical change requires consistent, habitual efforts. I think Americans, in particular, ironically complicate things while searching for an easy, quick fix. Living and traveling extensively throughout the Mediterranean has given me a unique perspective and useful insights to optimize my mental and physical well-being. It’s my mission to share these insights with you.

I made "Release Yourself I" free because I am dedicated to highlighting the pervasive and profound destructive impact chronic stress potentially has on us mentally, physically, and behaviorally. We cannot have optimal holistic health if we are suffering from chronic stress. This book is a call to action to appreciate the need to conquer chronic stress. Fortunately, there are a lot of resources to help us reduce, manage, and cope with stress.

As with all of my books, it was very important to me to highlight recommendations that are natural and accessible. The unifying theme is my "KISS" philosophy, employing simple lifestyle factors to "keep it simple, sweetheart" in our collective quest for optimal holistic health. Our minds and our bodies are complex, but self-care - which is at the cornerstone of a healthy life - is relatively straightforward. My unifying goal reflects self-care made simple.

There’s an unbelievable - yet overwhelming - amount of information and so-called (often conflicting and frequently self-serving) advice out there. My recommendations are based not only on observational and anecdotal experiences but scientific data and studies as well. I am making all of the references and resources I relied on for each of my books available for complimentary perusal online on my blog. I have approximately 100 pages of references and additional readings just for this book that initially started out as a chapter. This reflects how significantly I think chronic stress is crushing us as a society, how important it is to address this health-depleting condition, and how attainable it is to redress it.

I have a master’s degree in natural health and have received a number of International Sciences and Sports Association fitness/nutrition certificates. Not a day went by as I was voraciously, passionately researching the various topics that I didn’t learn something new - often something astounding - about how certain things we can do or refrain from doing are profoundly impactful on our health destiny - for good or bad. For the vast majority of us, if you want to be healthier, you quite simply can be, armed with the incredible educational and motivating information readily available.

Please don’t blindly follow the trend du jour or so-called advice from social influencers with no relevant credentials, qualifications, or life experiences; and don’t trust social media influencers simply based on the number of followers they have amassed. Following the herd is not a wise divining rod in my humble opinion. Don’t trust me simply based on what has worked for me given my unique circumstances, desires, and goals. My goal is to provide you: with a motivational perspective; an approach for seeking out sensational information, as opposed to being fed incessant sensationalism; and a fresh framework for analyzing information. I want to pique your interest - and provide additional resources - concerning relevant topics of interest to you. Trust the tried and true. Trust yourself, and please keep it simple, sweetheart.

Out of all the lifestyle factors I discuss throughout my books, no factor, in my opinion, is more important than managing chronic stress. You can eat well, exercise diligently, etc., but if you fail to address chronic stress, it will have an ongoing negative cascade of effects. If you suffer from chronic stress, as so many of us do, you simply cannot have optimal well-being without addressing it. As I recount in the next section, "About Me", I was the living example of this, eating well and exercising regularly, but failing miserably in other areas of life and suffering the consequences, despite my relatively good diet and diligent exercise habits.

Not only does chronic stress have a wide range of direct negative consequences on health, but it also negatively impacts other health-promoting lifestyle factors. For instance, if you have chronic stress, you’re more likely to have disrupted, non-restorative sleep. If you’re not getting quality sleep, you’re more likely to have low satiety signals and may eat poorly. If you are sleep-deprived, you are more likely to be sedentary and socially withdrawn, preventing you from reaping the incredible benefits of regular exercise and social connectivity. In other words, it is easy to understand how negatively, cumulatively, directly and indirectly, chronic stress impacts our overall mental and physical health.

To further exacerbate the problem, if we are chronically stressed, we are much more inclined to engage in maladaptive coping mechanisms, including overeating or eating a less nutrient-dense diet and abusing other substances (like alcohol and drugs).

Our more or less collective mindset intrigues me. We all know, at least generally, the health-depleting/harmful consequences of some of the lifestyle habits we regularly engage in (e.g., frequently consuming ultra-processed or fast foods; being sedentary more often than not; skimping on sleep; consuming excessive alcohol; and smoking, etc.). We know we’re not doing our health a favor when we engage in these deleterious habits; it is unequivocal that the vast majority of ailments and degenerative diseases are preventable/treatable via more positive lifestyle habits.

Why then are so many of us not actively replacing our health-draining habits with more health-promoting ones? Why aren’t we eating better as a society, for instance? Why is obesity epidemic? Why is diabetes rampant? Why are autoimmune diseases on the rise? Why do so many struggle to sleep well and seem constantly tired/lethargic and anxious/depressed? Why does everyone seem to have a digestive ailment of some sort from nagging ailments, like indigestion, bloating, or heartburn, or more serious conditions like colitis? Why are so many of us sedentary? Why do so many suffer from aches and pains? Why are so many popping non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs daily? Why are prescriptions for digestive disorders, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and attention deficit disorder on the rise?...

I think some of the reasons relate to chronic stress and that’s why it seemed particularly sensible to tackle stress as the first lifestyle factor to address in the "KISS" series. Chronic stress is an impediment to achieving optimal health. When we are suffering from chronic stress and the ill effects thereof, it’s human nature to gravitate towards things/substances that make us feel better quickly (e.g., unhealthy comfort foods/mindless eating; passively laying around, binge tv watching or social media scrolling; and excessive alcohol consumption, recreational drug use or prescription anti-anxiety pills or antidepressants usage). We want to feel good fast and are focused on the short term, without regard to the long-term health consequences. A lot of these habits have great potential to become addictive. When we are chronically stressed, we’re also less likely to be in a good mood and more likely to be fatigued, making it less likely we’re going to be motivated to make a healthy home-cooked meal or exercise, for instance.

When we are stressed, more primal parts of our brains are in control; our executive functioning can take a hit. It’s a perfect storm for engaging in undesirable habits; your brain chemistry is craving the comforting/numbing, less-than-healthy things, while your regulatory, cognitive processes may be suffering. In other words, chronic stress more or less drives us to engage in unhealthy habits and deprioritize healthy habits.

As noted, I think a lot of us tend to think of the consequences of chronic stress in psychological terms without appreciating the lengthy list of physiological conditions, ailments, and diseases with a clear association with chronic stress. If you’ve struggled with losing weight or have an eating disorder; if you struggle getting restful sleep; if you’re feeling overwhelmed, fatigued, anxious, depressed, apathetic, or lethargic; if you frequently have headaches, backaches, muscle tension, or digestive issues; if you can’t find the energy or motivation to exercise regularly; or if you frequently find yourself relying on numbing substances to relax, a major underlying problem may very well be chronic stress.

I hope you are as shocked as I was, and motivated to address chronic stress, when you appreciate the association between chronic stress and the development and progression of not only psychological disorders but also physiological conditions and diseases as well as undesirable behaviors.

*As a bit of an aside, I’d like to briefly highlight the epidemic global incidence of obesity, which is one of the most pressing worldwide health challenges, according to the World Health Organization. Obesity (or even being overweight in some cases), in and of itself, is strongly associated with several ailments and diseases, including high blood pressure, chronic inflammation, osteoarthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even certain cancers. Chronic stress is a primary risk factor for becoming overweight or obese that doesn’t seem to garner the attention it deserves. The topic of obesity is a prime example of the "KISS" philosophy and the shortcomings of conventional approaches, which, all too frequently, fail to address the underlying source of the health challenge presented. If we continually fail to address the contributory - if not causative - emotional and psychological factors to the development of obesity - our efforts to curb obesity are doomed. Likewise, we must give attention to emotional and psychological issues, to compassionately and effectively, address eating disorders.

Although I touch on the association between chronic stress and weight in this book, my "Eat the Cupcake, not the Cake" series is dedicated to the importance of achieving (and maintaining) a healthy weight. It highlights the health consequences of having obesity or excess weight and the contributory role of chronic stress, cortisol resistance, inflammation, oxidative stress, toxic overload, and digestive distress. It reflects an unconventional approach to a conventional epidemic. Consistent with my unifying "KISS" theme, the series contains simple, natural lifestyle factors to help achieve a healthy weight for the health of it. Obesity is a medical condition that deserves our attention for its health implications; it is not a matter of aesthetics. The "Eat the Cupcake" series encourages us to embrace ourselves and our food while making accessible changes to improve our overall health.*

Information in general, and books in particular, have the potential to change lives and several books have transformed me. If you have an interest in these topics, I would be honored if you read my other books. As noted, I also include the lengthy list of references, resources, and additional suggested readings for each of my books online for complimentary perusal. I highly recommend delving into those of interest to you; my research was incredibly illuminating and motivating.

I humbly hope to help inform you about the fundamentals of our nervous systems and the deleterious mental and physical impacts of unmanaged chronic stress; reform you by motivating you to make healthy lifestyle changes; and transform you by recommending simple, natural, inexpensive lifestyle habits to help you attain optimal mental and physical health, a la my "KISS Plan."

To the extent that chronic stress underpins one’s mental or physical ailments/disorders/diseases or behavioral issues, it will of course present a significant obstacle to optimizing one’s overall holistic health. Hence, the origin of this book because addressing chronic stress is a precursor to optimizing psychological and physiological well-being and lays the groundwork for other important healthy lifestyle habits. My fervent hope and mission are to help make others a little happier, healthier, and more in harmony. Thank you for joining me in this mission; it has become my life’s passion. I hope you get as much benefit from the "keep it simple, sweetheart" philosophy as I have. Be a "Stress Conqueror" and rule your world. Self-care made simple. Shall we?...

About Me

AS I NOTED, HISTORICALLY, I had complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) from a lifetime of wide-ranging traumas (including childhood sexual abuse, domestic violence (including attempted spousal murder), traumatic brain injuries, and suicide attempts). I suffered for decades from a variety of mental and physical ailments and (mis)diagnosed conditions, ranging from relatively mundane to more serious ones (including migraines, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, chronic bronchitis, sinusitis, esophagitis, a stomach ulcer, gallstones, asthmatic attacks, and food allergies). I was (mis)treated for decades and endured countless rounds of prescription and over-the-counter pills as well as many trips to the ER, hospitalizations, and procedures. I tell you all this not to elicit sympathy but to make my point: Nothing was ever wrong with me except for chronic stress.

All of my ailments and symptoms were psychosomatic. I think people erroneously think psychosomatic basically means the physical manifestations are just figments of one’s imagination. Psychosomatic ailments originate from a psychological source but they manifest as real physiological conditions, including things like autoimmune disorders and inflammatory conditions, all of which, interestingly, are on the rise in parallel with an increasing prevalence of chronic stress. Disorders of unknown etiology like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia do not seem so mysterious when the effects of chronic stress are appreciated. These conditions aren’t phantom or fictional ailments; they are just as real as diseases like heart disease. They are likely prevalent because, at best, conventional medicine seems at a loss to treat them, and, more often, is more or less dismissive of them.

It took me decades to identify and address the underlying source of my mental and physical woes and enigmatic behaviors that had plagued me since childhood. Trauma-induced chronic stress had been manifesting as physiological and psychological health challenges and maladaptive coping mechanisms throughout my life. At 57 now, I am at my happiest, healthiest, fittest, and most mentally sharp. I attribute my good fortune to having resolved my life of traumas and adopting a healthy lifestyle. I chronicle my healing journey of triumphing over trauma in my debut book, "Roar: Primed for Peace. Self-Heal Trauma for Health, Happiness & Harmony", and detail how I rebalanced my trauma-induced dysregulated nervous system in my upcoming sequel, "Unstoppable. Rewire Your Magical Mind to Live Happily Ever Now."

I intimately know how traumas and chronic stress frequently