The thesis of this book is that the dominant ideas about how to reduce stress are ineffective because they are irrational. They hardly provide any short- or long-term relief.
Reason is the only workable method to relieve stress permanently, a method that requires work and dedication, but provides excellent results. This book presents many real-life examples that will show you how to eliminate stress in tense situations, bring peace of mind to your life, make choices that enhance your self-reliance, avoid nerve-wrecking inconsistencies, and lead a good life based on reason.
The principles presented in this book are supported by extensive historical evidence, logical arguments, and workable strategies. If you are serious about reducing the stress in your life, this book is for you.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. The key skill for overcoming negative stress
What to do when problems begin to accumulate
Don't let difficult people get you down
How should you deal with unfairness?
Living happily despite rejection and negative criticism
The essential element for sleeping well

2. No more stress from financial difficulties
Breaking out of a stressful lifestyle
Raising yourself from disaster
Don't make this major mistake if you can avoid it
What you shouldn't do if you value your time
Here is a recipe proven by experience

3. A structured approach for reducing stress
The characteristics of effective remedies
Facing rapid changes and excessive pressure
An unusual method that produces wonderful results
How to reduce your tension by improving your routines
The temptation to do things you don't need to

4. The straightforward way to eliminate conflicts
The man who painted himself into a corner
When situations get out of control
Surviving and thriving in the face of conflict
Long hours don't necessarily lead to success
The most dangerous threat you can encounter

5. Get rid of anger definitively
Don't let this popular nonsense mislead you
Understanding where negative emotions come from
The drop that makes the glass overflow
Eight powerful strategies for reducing anger

6. Learning to overcome discouragement
Don't adopt these counter-productive strategies
How to stay afloat during difficult times
Coming out a winner despite severe adversity
A great formula for leaving discouragement behind

7. How to become immune to sadness
A challenge that millions of people continue to face
The main reason why people feel stressed
Breaking out of pessimism once and for all
Discarding ineffective emotional reactions

8. The end of worry and preoccupation
Serenity amidst poverty and sickness
How to reduce your exposure to emotional fallout
Practical techniques for getting rid of worry
Learning to be optimistic

9. The type of lifestyle that minimizes stress
Do you want to function better?
Here is a lifestyle worth imitating
Overcoming your constraints in a clever way
Never be embarrassed to do the right thing

10. The escape from stressful routines
How to put your dissatisfaction to good use
Bold steps can create exciting possibilities
If you are tired of boredom, here is some advice
The adoption of effective practices

11. Advice for seemingly insoluble problems
When no solutions are in sight
An advantage that you can always create for yourself
Stay away from defeatism and resignation
The critical skill for surmounting daunting obstacles

12. Keeping a clear mind in the face of prejudice
What to do in the face of overwhelming social pressure
Stay alert and don't overlook these threats
Are you inadvertently following a terrible example?
A safe method for navigating dangerous waters
About the Author: JOHN VESPASIAN writes about rational philosophy and personal development. He is the author of the books When Everything Fails, Try This (2009), Rationality is the Way to Happiness (2009), The Philosophy of Builders (2010), The 10 Principles of Rational Living (2012), Rational Living, Rational Working (2013), and Consistency: The key to permanent stress relief (2014)

EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 1

The French businessman Peter Waldo (1150-1216 AD) was the prototype of the sensitive man who feels stressed by the unfairness of the world. Thanks to his industriousness, he had succeeded in accumulating a fortune, and becoming one of the most influential citizens of Lyons. Yet, wealth did not prevent Waldo from feeling stressed by the world's unfairness. Day after day, Waldo asked himself how he could solve the problem. Eventually, he turned to studying the Bible, hoping to find in it some insight that would allow him to regain his peace of mind.

It didn't take long for Waldo to find the answer he was looking for, since the Gospels are very clear in this respect. If Waldo wanted to reduce the world's unfairness and regain his peace of mind, said the Gospels, he had to distribute his wealth amongst the poor, and become a preacher.

Of course, Waldo hesitated before putting such a demanding advice into practice, and turned to consulting a priest on the matter. Should one take the Gospels' recommendation literally, asked Waldo the priest. "By all means, Waldo," replied the priest. "Go ahead and get rid of your wealth, since the only way to find relief from stress is to join the ranks of the dispossessed."

Reassured by the priest's answer, Waldo returned home and began to put the Gospels' recommendation into practice. During the early months of 1176, he gave away everything he possessed, keeping only a linen robe and a pair of sandals for himself.

Subsequently, Waldo hit the road and began to wander from village to village, preaching against the unfairness of the world. He walked from valley to valley, talking to peasants in their houses or in the open air. And after visiting dozens of villages in southern France, he crossed the Pyrenees and went to Spain.

He recruited disciples everywhere he went, and his literal interpretation of the Gospels began to spread like wildfire in southern Europe. By the turn of 1180, he had attracted five hundred followers, and three years later, the number had grown to five thousand.