RELAXATION & STRESS REDUCTION WORKBOOK

Now in its seventh edition—with more than one million copies sold worldwide—The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook remains the go-to resource for stress reduction strategies that can be incorporated into even the busiest lives.

The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook broke new ground when it was first published in 1980, detailing easy, step-by-step techniques for calming the body and mind in an increasingly overstimulated world. Now in its seventh edition, this fully revised and updated workbook—highly regarded by therapists and their clients—offers the latest stress reduction techniques to combat the effects of stress and integrate healthy relaxation habits into every aspect of daily life.

This new edition also includes powerful self-compassion practices, fully updated chapters on the most effective tools for coping with anxiety, fear, and panic—such as worry delay and defusion, two techniques grounded in acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)—as well as a new section focused on body scan.

In the workbook, you'll explore your own stress triggers and symptoms, and learn how to create a personal action plan for stress reduction. Each chapter features a different method for relaxation, explains why the method works, and provides on-the-spot exercises you can do when you feel stressed out. The result is a comprehensive yet accessible workbook that will help you to curb stress and cultivate a more peaceful life.

KEYNOTE
Since it was first published in 1980—and now with over 1 million copies sold—The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook has become the go-to resource for stress reduction strategies that can be incorporated into even the busiest lives.

Stress and anxiety are pervasive problems. According to the American Psychological Association most American suffer from moderate to high stress, with stress steadily growing into a public health crisis. Highly regarded by therapists and their clients this timeless classic, written by the best-selling authors Martha Davis, Matthew McKay, and Elizabeth Robbins Eshelman Stress Reduction and Relaxation Workbook offers readers the latest stress reduction techniques to combat the effects of stress and integrate healthy relaxation habits into every aspect of their lives.


Offering easy-to-use, step-by-step instructions, this revised 7th Edition includes new stress reduction techniques, including a whole chapter focused on the body scan, powerful self-compassion practices, and fully updated chapters on the most effective tools for coping with anxiety fear and panic, such as worry delay and defusion techniques from ACT.


EDITORIAL
The Relaxation and Stress Reduction Workbook broke new ground when it was first published in 1980, detailing easy, step-by-step techniques for calming the body and mind in an increasingly overstimulated world. Known for simple, yet effective techniques for stress reduction, the sixth edition of The Stress Reduction and Relaxation Workbook has sold over 200,000 copies since it was last revised in 2008. It has sold over a million copies since its original release in 1980.


In the first chapter, you'll explore your own stress triggers and symptoms, and learn how to create a personal plan for stress reduction. Each chapter features a different method for relaxation and stress reduction, explains why the method works, and provides on-the-spot exercises you can do to apply that method when you feel stressed. The result is a comprehensive yet accessible workbook that will help you cultivate a more peaceful life.

In this new edition, the authors bring this classic workbook up-to-date with a whole new chapter addressing the research and rationale for the body scan; a new chapter on self-compassion; and updated techniques for dealing with worry and rumination, including defusion and worry delay practices.


Specifics of the planned revisions for the 7th Edition include:
• Chapter 2 Body Awareness focuses on the body scan, including research supporting the body scan, linking it to relaxation and stress reduction. The body scan trains attention. It allows you to alternate between a wide and narrow focus of attention; from a specific part of your body, like your fingers, all the way through your entire body. Using the body scan helps train your mind to move from detailed attention to a wider and more spacious awareness moment to moment. The revised chapter includes research from MBSR that showing the effectiveness of body scan for worry and rumination.
• Chapter 11: Focusing will be replaced with a new chapter on Self-Compassion. Self-compassion helps you deal with stressors with kindness and understanding—rather than being harsh and critical of yourself. Self-compassion when things are at their most difficult can reduce your stress and improve your performance.
• Chapter 13 - Facing Worry and Anxiety will be completely revised by Matt, including replacing outdated material with 1) a section on Worry Delay (acknowledging worry thoughts and placing them ‘on-hold' to be dealt with later). 2) and defusion (from ACT) for coping with worry/anxiety.
• Chapter 14: Coping Skills Training will be replaced by a new chapter 14: Mastering (or Facing) Stressful Situations, written by Martha with guidance from Matt and based on Michel Dugas' model, an update to the outdated Craske and Barlow cognitive restructuring model in the sixth edition) to help readers deal with fear and avoidance (including a fear hierarchy, prediction log, and evaluation tool to examine the outcome).

Unique and Compelling
RSR is a New Harbinger classic. The latest revisions bring it up-to-date, removing outdated techniques and adding cutting edge techniques for dealing with stress, all the while keeping it streamlined and easy to use.