Stress Resets

October 9, 2023
Psychologist Taitz (How to Be Single and Happy) compiles bite-size strategies for relieving stress in this well-intentioned but wobbly guide. According to the author, people often cope with their stress in ways that “spread the mess”—for example, overspending because of financial anxieties. In the long term, she writes, the stressed-out would do well to reflect on their damaging avoidance mechanisms, but in the short term, they can “pause and reset” using the 75 strategies outlined here, many of which can be completed in five minutes apiece. Entries range from the expected (a reflective walk—with the phone left at home) to the quirky (“Sing your thoughts in a playful way” will “help you take them less seriously”) and the questionable (“Give yourself a panic attack to feel less afraid of them”). There’s definite wisdom here, and readers will appreciate having at their disposal concrete tools designed to provide enough in-the-moment relief to move on with one’s day. Unfortunately, the proceedings are hamstrung by some rote advice (readers should “consider if there is an opportunity for growth in whatever is causing you stress”), missed opportunities to cite sources, and a distracting focus on the ills of benzodiazepines as a Band-Aid for long-term anxiety. In a crowded field, this fails to stand out.