2 comments about Ten Minutes to Relax (Inner Life).

1. Imagery is beautiful and relaxing. Really helps release stress, in only 10 min. (as promised). The music interlude at the end could be a bit longer, however, since you get very relaxed and it might be helpful to keep the mood going as you drift further into a calm state. Overall, highly recommend.



2. A series of soothing visualization exercises that I've found highly effective in relaxing me through the day. The narrator has the right voice for it, and the length of the inductions is sufficiently short that you can actually use it during the day. Load it on your Ipod and go!

No comments about Touching the Earth: The Five Prostrations and Deep Relaxation.

2 comments about 365 Simple Reminders: Ways to Keep Life Simple.

1. I have found many of these "Life's Instruction Book" type of items to be new-agey or over sentimental.

   The inclusions in this book are straight-forward, and many cause a little chuckle or two. I wouldn't hesitate to give this book to my cynical friends and family.

   I bought a couple of books and included them in gifts for my stressed family or tense friends. It should help everyone get in touch with the simplier pleasures in life, without being hokey or sappy.




2. I was disappointed with this book. I knew it would have bits from the author's previous books plus new words of wisdom. But each page only had one sentence of advice. I thought she'd write a little bit about each suggestion like in her previous books. i'm glad I bought this book used. Otherwise it was a waste of money for me.

No comments about Patterns of Distress (Clinical Education in Somatic Process).

2 comments about Technostress.

1. Remember the simple life, before technology? That was a long, long time ago. Technology, in various forms, has been in our lives for many years. More recently, however, technology has combined with an increased velocity in the pace of our lives, causing considerable stress: technostress.

   Who better to write about this phenomenon than a technology consultant and a psychologist-turned-researcher? What a team for the topic! The integration of their work was obvious and appropriate throughout the book. Weil and Rosen explain in understandable phrasing the origins of our technostress at work, at home, at play and in society overall. But, they don't stop there. The authors also explain in careful steps what to do to control technostress to lead more comfortable, yet productive, lives.

   Weil and Rosen help us understand that 80-90 percent of us are not embracing all this technology as rapidly as we all think we (everyone else) are. "Because technology is being thrust upon them at a pace and volume greater than they desire, this vast majority of the populace is also experiencing technostress."

   It is easy to see how technology has taken over our lives, the authors observe, as they note that technological intrusion has come from more than the ubiquitous computer. While addressing e-mail issues, they also acknowledge the impact of the microwave, television, the VCR, hand-held poker games, calculators, electronic fish-finders, and automated doggie door openers that respond to a signal from the dog's collar.

   Boundaries become critically important in this technology-charged environment. We long for the "good old days" when work stopped at a predetermined hour and we were able to move into our personal and family lives. Now technology has allowed, even encouraged, intrusions into all aspects of our lives-from the other aspects. Pagers chirp interruptions from work during family time; family phone calls or e-mails find us during our work time. The authors remind us that "people have a clear need for their role boundaries to be respected if they are to maneuver successfully through their complex lives." Then, they provide their readers with advice and counsel about how to make that happen. We need to reclaim our space to reduce our technostress.

   I'm writing this review on a cross-country airplane trip-conscious that I'm using technology (my laptop computer) to exercise my efficiency. Yet, at the same time, I'm enjoying the serenity of freedom from ringing telephones, insistent pages, unwanted noise (I don't have to use the headphones), and the siren song of e-mail. I'm in control!

   We have become technodependent. "We [even] invade our own space by making check-in calls to our equipment. We don't feel safe without electronic connection-even though the process is disruptive and can be irritating." We send messages, then wait for return messages. If we don't get prompt responses from voicemail or e-mail messages, we become anxious . . . even paranoid. Are we being ignored? Did the message get through? Is the recipient all right? Angry with us? And here comes the psychological teaching-"we are missing the two main ingredients for successful communication: connection between two people and exchange of accurate information." We don't get closure and that causes technostress.

   The demands of unmanaged technology-the technology that manages us-can easily surround us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There's no relief, no opportunity to get needed "downtime. "Our nervous systems are perpetually excited. It's like being in a constant state of red alert. Humans need downtime, internal peacefulness, and uninterrupted sleep. The body needs to heal, rejuvenate, and keep its immune systems operational in order to fend off illness. Without these things, people become sick, cranky, depressed, anxious, distracted, and technostressed. This said, the authors again remind us that we control our lives-we control technology and its impact on is.

   The authors also raise the issue of privacy, now a much greater concern in our lives. E-mail, cellular phone conversations, our buying patterns can all be monitored without our knowledge-are we ever safe? We can reduce our technostress. As the authors counsel, "Empowered by knowledge, we can make choices." This book is full of helpful and practical knowledge. It made a difference for me, and it can make a difference for you.




2. Thirteen years before Weil and Rosen's "TechnoStress" published, Craig Brod (1984) defined "TechnoStress" as "a modern disease of adaptation caused by an inability to cope with the new computer technologies in a healthy manner" in his book which was also entitled "TechnoStress" (with the subtitle: the Human Cost of the Computer Revolution). This definition is further refined and completed in Weil and Rosen's "TechnoStress" in which "TechnoStress" is defined as any negative impact on attitudes, thoughts, behaviors, or body physiology that is caused either directly or indirectly by technology. Technology came into our world with an implied promise that our lives would be better (such as relaxing lives with time-saving devices); however, ironically, we not only never have enough time to relax but also were demeaned by the hyper-production and hyper-distribution of the technology, which surpassed human processing ability and suppressed us with the "TechnoStress".

   This book provides an innovative theoretical and empirical explanation of the modern technological revolution, and offers a useful starters guide to the technologically challenged individual and professional. What I like the most about this book is its honest and practical examples that seem so real and similar to our own situations. Although the authors claim that we have become "technodependent", they also provide solutions to conquer "TechnoStress". Various tips and suggestions are made to cope with "TechnoStress" and to overcome the escalating problem of information flow, which is the most well-documented form of "TechnoStress". As a seeker for the solution of information overload, I benefit a lot from the book and am sure you will too.

   I agree with many others that this book is not only a 'must have' for all of us who can't separate our lives from technology, but also should be a `must read' for those who design high-tech products so that they would know how to make their products more humane and still enjoy harvesting the benefits of technology.

No comments about Don't Sweat Guide to Holidays, The: Enjoying the Festivities and Letting Go of the Tension (Don't Sweat Guides).

No comments about Every Mother Can Let Go of Stress (Even Tough Mothers Deal With).

1 comments about Metaphysical Meditations.

1. Years ago I got into the habit of keeping this recording in my meditation area. Whenever I felt restless or distracted, all I had to do was play this recording and within moments my mood shifted to one of peaceful upliftment.
   
   It is an art form to match words to music and other sounds that bring those words to life. Swami Kriyananda has succeeded brilliantly in doing just that. It is one thing to read Metaphysical Meditations oneself while sitting in silence (also recommended). But it is another thing entirely to listen to Kriyananda read these words with deep feeling, while beautiful music and nature sounds play in the background.
   
   If you meditate and/or feel the need for greater peace and inspiration in your life, you should get this CD. You will not regret it.
   
   Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]

5 comments about Caring for Yourself While Caring for Your Aging Parents: How to Help, How to Survive.

1. A most helpful book for reminding yourself how much your elderly parents would not want to be a burden to you, if they were still in their right minds. Lots of advice to make caregiving easier, well written, easy to read. Another great book is "Elder Rage" , which solves the nightmare dealing with difficult elders.



2. Claire Berman gives fabulous examples for all types of caregiver situations. The information is a valuable tool in handling a wide range of issues, from a parent's early needs, to full nursing care. The book aids caregivers with making medical and financial decisions for elderly parents and finding help in the community without jeopardizing your loved one's independence. In addition, it encourages the reader to find the right caregiver support group and keep a clear focus on your own family needs/priorities.



3. Claire Berman's book speaks to my heart. As the child of an aging parent, I have come to realize that the difficulties I face as a caregiver are at least as much, if not more, emotional than physical. Her stories, whether directly related to my circumstances or not, address my raw emotions and help ease the pain.
   
   Her personal style of writing is unusually apt for those who are a parent's caregiver. She addresses care for aging parents from the perspective of a person who has made her own mistakes and learned from them. She writes as a friend rather than an impersonal "expert." I recommend this book for anyone who faces this demanding task.
   
   Phyllis Staff, Ph.D.
   author, "How to Find Great Senior Housing"
   and
   "128 Ways to Prevent Alzheimer's and Other Dementias"



4. Caring for Yourself While Caring for Your Aging Parents, Third Edition: How to Help, How to Survive is a super resource that covrs so many aspects of the aging process of one's parents. It handles many situations and instructs and advises appropriate steps to take.
   
   It talks from many points of view. It deals with sibing issues and how to keep things reasonably fair even if oe sibling is not in the living area of the aging parent while one is nearby. It coers the only child's perspective. Most of all it illustrates proper and improper conduct. This gets you to think about your own situation and how to better handle it.
   
   
   Most important of all, this wonderful resource has a Department of Aging Directory which will help get you started when you feel overwhelmed. It also makes the caregiver think deeply about his or her own future and being part of a loving environment.
   
   This is certainly a resource you want to keep around during difficult times. It is definitely a difference maker.



5. This book would be very good for someone with a parent just starting into the elder care system. If your parent is already in the system and you are feeling very frustrated, guilty or generally upset with the situation it is not much help. I thought it would focus more on the "Yourself" and less on the parents. The focus was the parents.

No comments about The Power of Acceptance: Finding Peace from Anxiety and Panic Attacks.