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| Sunday, 3 November 2002 |
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Steps to self-management of stress Stress and you A9-step behaviourial learning model for self-management of Stress Author Dorothy Abeywickrama This first edition of Stress and You - A9-Step Behaviourial Learning Model for Self-Management of Stress, authored by Dorothy Abeywickrama, is a welcome addition to the available literature on stress, and the processes by which to monitor and manage it. This book is particularly relevant to the population at large but its content also will be useful to counsellors, other helping professionals and care-givers. As the twenty-first century unfolds, researchers and the theorists are increasingly noting that negatives stress is becoming epidemic. People in more and more nations are finding themselves in situations filled with stress triggers, whether they be in the family, the community or at work. The international threats of terrorism and violence, economic survival, or family dysfunction are major causes of negative stress for a growing number of persons for whom inability to cope with such difficult circumstances lead to a variety of stress-related behaviours: alcoholism rage towards other persons, physical and mental abuse of children and spouses, absenteeism from work, or a wide range of physical and mental disorders. What is particularly important in Ms. Abeywickrama's book is the emphasis on self-management of stress. While international conferences and governments can produce research findings about the magnitude and effects of stress in families, workplaces and communities, the action they can take is unlikely to affect individuals directly. Governments can do little to reduce individual stress because of the differences in how persons perceive and interpret the triggers that stimulate their stress and the manner in which they cope with each stress induction. Therefore, individuals must take control of their own health and be educated to monitor and to manage their stress based upon the nine steps discussed in the book. The steps to the self-management of stress provided by Dorothy Abeywickrama are wide-ranging and comprehensive. The recommendations related to each step are based on research and theory which Ms. Abeywickrama converts into practical guidelines useful to any individual. Her emphasis on understanding yourself, keeping physically fit,improving skills of communication, developing positive thinking, time management, planning and organising, counselling and relaxation skills, and implementing progress monitoring skills based on sound psychological principles advocated by behaviourial and cognitive psychologists to address stress and related mental health issues. There are at least three unique contributions of the book that deserve further mentor. One is that Ms. Abeywickrama writes in an informed, systematic, and readable manner. She has brought together in a concise and clear book, a wealth of information scattered throughout the psychological literature. The examples and language used in the book define and illustrate stress in its many guises as well as how to implement each of the nine steps to manage stress. A second contribution of the book is the accessibility of the major points which readers need to grasp. The author has given special attention to make each chapter specific in its focus and as brief as possible to convey the message of that chapter. Thus, readers can grasp the unfolding of the principles in the book quickly and accurately. The reader does not have to ponder and try to decipher the book's context, its content is straightforward. A final contribution of the book is in its emphasis on hands on action. It is a practical guidebook to foster individual stress self-management. As such it is a book to return to time and again as the lessons contained within it need to be reinforced and practised. The exercises and examples used are designed to increase the reader's ability to implement each chapter's content into individual insights, attitudes, and behaviours that will help them understand and respond to stress in positive, healthy, and beneficial ways. Stress and You - A9-Step behaviourial Learning Model for Self-Management of Stress achieves its purpose in meaningful and constructive terms. I have learned from it and I am sure you the reader will do so as well. Edwin L. Herr Ed.D |
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