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A review by piabo
Widen the Window: Training Your Brain and Body to Thrive During Stress and Recover from Trauma by Elizabeth A. Stanley
5.0
I am so glad I finally found this book. I have been looking for information on how to take care of my mental health for some time, but most books are super specific on trauma or other kind of diagnosis I do not have.
"Widen the Window" is for everyone who habitually pushes themselves to finish a task, reach a goal, or live through particular social situations. And so much more!
Only after reading this book, can I finally acknowledge that what I experience is stress and that things have to change in order for me to feel better and get out of the hole I am currently in.
Elizabeth Stanley does a great mix of personal anecdotes and scientifically proven strategies. It was therefore easier to connect to the things she says and find strategies to apply them to my own life.
I honestly wish I could just summarize this entire book here. Or lecture everyone I meet (and especially those I care about) about the principles or self-care and resilience building mentioned in this book.
My attempt to summarize:
It is okay to feel overwhelmed! It is not possible to think your way out of feeling stress. Your body experiences it and there are techniques to finish the stress cycle and relax, we just don't learn about much of this in school.
Sleep 8+ hours a day, exercise for 150+ minutes a week, eat well, engage in mindful activities, have healthy relationships.
Please do this AND read the book.
Thanks.
Of course, this book is not perfect. I am giving it 5 stars right now because so much was so good and new to me. But it is important that people read other books in addition to this (and seek therapy if things don't feel right!)
A great comment and additional resources are in this Goodreads thread: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4016438746
"Widen the Window" is for everyone who habitually pushes themselves to finish a task, reach a goal, or live through particular social situations. And so much more!
Only after reading this book, can I finally acknowledge that what I experience is stress and that things have to change in order for me to feel better and get out of the hole I am currently in.
Elizabeth Stanley does a great mix of personal anecdotes and scientifically proven strategies. It was therefore easier to connect to the things she says and find strategies to apply them to my own life.
I honestly wish I could just summarize this entire book here. Or lecture everyone I meet (and especially those I care about) about the principles or self-care and resilience building mentioned in this book.
My attempt to summarize:
It is okay to feel overwhelmed! It is not possible to think your way out of feeling stress. Your body experiences it and there are techniques to finish the stress cycle and relax, we just don't learn about much of this in school.
Sleep 8+ hours a day, exercise for 150+ minutes a week, eat well, engage in mindful activities, have healthy relationships.
Please do this AND read the book.
Thanks.
Of course, this book is not perfect. I am giving it 5 stars right now because so much was so good and new to me. But it is important that people read other books in addition to this (and seek therapy if things don't feel right!)
A great comment and additional resources are in this Goodreads thread: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4016438746