The Stress Solution: The 4 Steps to Reset Your Body, Mind, Relationships and Purpose

by Rangan Chatterjee

**From the author of the Sunday Times bestselling The 4 Pillar Plan ** "Small changes make a big difference - we can all benefit from reading this" - Jamie Oliver "Dr Chatterjee tackles stress through clear explanations and immediately actionable advice" - Matthew Walker, bestselling author of Why We Sleep "It's thought that between 70 and 90% of GP consultations are related to stress" This has to change. Dr Rangan Chatterjee knows this better than anyone. As a practising GP he's seen first-hand how stress affects his patients and has found simple but effective methods to help them. Now he's on a mission to show that combatting stress is easier than you think. He shows how a small change in the way you approach your BODY
MIND
RELATIONSHIPS
PURPOSE can help you lead a more fulfilled, calmer life. In The Stress Solution , Rangan offers simple and achievable interventions to help you re-set your life, offering simple tools for how to cope with modern-life, · How to design your morning routine effectively
· How to keep a touch diary
· How to mute your digital world and make maoi mates
· How to eat the alphabet Packed with personal accounts and patient cases, this book will become your blueprint on how to live stress-free in the modern world. "Life's constant pressures can get to much. This book will help you stay calm and sane in this chaotic, busy world" - Amelia Freer, author of Cook. Nourish. Glow

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Personal Development, Audiobook, Mental Health

272 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2019

About the author

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee is regarded as one of the most influential doctors in the UK and wants to change how medicine will be practised in years to come. He has been called a pioneer and is changing the way that we look at illness. He is known for finding the root cause of people's problems and he highlighted his methods in the ground-breaking BBC television show, Doctor in the House, which has been shown in over 70 countries around the world. In 2017, he was placed 8th in the Pulse Power 50 list for influential GPs.

He is the author of the international best-seller, The Four Pillar Plan which has already become one of the top 10 selling Health titles of the past 5 years.

He has co-created the brand new RCGP accredited Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine course which was delivered to 200 GPs and specialists for the first time in January 2018 providing doctors with a framework to apply Lifestyle Medicine principles in clinical practice.

He regularly features on BBC news channels and has given an inspirational TED talk on making diseases disappear. He writes for The Huffington Post, Mind Body Green and has a monthly column on lifestyle medicine in Top Santé.

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been trying to get a handle on my stress levels and learn how to lower them. I’m tackling my diet and now my mind and emotions!
A certain amount of stress is good for us but the pressure I’ve been under the last eight years has now taken a toll on me.

I’m a carer for husband and daughter plus I’m disabled myself. We have a Solicitor who has brought a discrimination claim against our Housing Association. And we are living in unsuitable dwellings and lack of repair.

It’s been a nightmare plus horrible neighbors next to us (everyone else is nice).

So this book gives a few tips I’ve taken on board on how to handle myself handling whatever life throws at me. Trying to deal with ME even if I cannot solve situations.

So I found this book quite helpful.

If you’re struggling in ways like this it’s not a miracle book and neither is his advice unique yet we all need a reminder.

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t usually read 'self-help' books, but since I had been given Dr Chatterjee’s books, I thought I’d give it a go. Well, as it happens, this tome was full of common sense advice. The author focuses on 4 areas - Purpose, Relationships, Body and Mind - with several points of focus, and ‘techniques’, for each. Some might speak to you more than others, and indeed you can pick what you feel will work for you. A lot of them reminded me of Eastern/Asian schools of thought actually. I already ‘do’ quite a few of the recommended tips, to help me deal with anxiety and depression, and I have added a couple more. We’ll see :O)

[Shiny5711 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know there is a lot of good information in this book, but...like, he says to get up earlier and shows how he spends his morning getting up & having a cuppa & meditating & walking in the garden...Um, I have to get up at 0400 - feed animals and get out and to work by 0600. It's a little early for a cuppa much less a stroll in the garden! I know what he's saying and I'm not saying there's no tweaking his ideas to my life, but like many self-help works the reality of the life of the person offering the information and my life are sometimes worlds apart.

That said, I think it's worth the read. You never know what bit of advise might spring-board you forward. -- my daughter loves him and like I said he has good points. Give him a try. What do you have to lose? :)

[Iona Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another excellent book by the esteemed Dr Chatterjee.

I listen to his podcast interview every week and am dismayed that I have been unable to see his amazing Doctor in the House series, because our limited Danish TV companies refuse to buy it, though it has been transmitted to many, many European countries, as far as I have heard.

Dr Chatterjee, understanding that we are all far too busy these days, has identified stress as being our number one problem, and in this book suggests various solutions by which to relieve it.

He is himself extremely busy and prone to stress so he knows the problem, and in the book refers to various aspects of his own life, and introduces us to his family.

He provides us with the term “micro stress doses” or MSDs and shows us how our lives are overloaded with these small stressful events.

The first pillar of the book deals with meaning and purpose, the second deals with relationships, the third deals with stress as it manifests in the body, including poor diet, the wrong kind of exercise and unhelpful daily routines, while the fourth pillar looks at our mind.

We are recommended to do affirmations, which, enjoined by his mother-in-law, he does himself. Wow, a doctor who does affirmations and a man that listens to his mother-in-law – I love him!

We learn the value of reframing – seeing the positive in your situation, and having a daily practice of gratitude.

It is helpful to schedule our time - ´do `time - and make a start to do something we haven’t previously felt we had time for that gives us joy, such as taking up a new sport or hobby, or something that involves movement or exercise.

We need me-time every single day: we should listen to relaxing music or meditate with an app such as Calm.

Rangan informs us of the value of “zoning-in” in the morning instead of diving in to our stressful life with full force.

By “zoning-in” he means carrying out a morning routine for “sending rivers of thrive information into your brain and body”. This routine should include short interventions from what he calls “the three M’s” – Mindfulness, Movement and Mindset.

Mindfulness can consist of doing one of the breathing exercises he recommends, being in nature or meditation.

Movement can be skipping, t’ai chi or yoga.

Mindset can be gratitude, affirmations or loving-kindness meditation.

In a chapter about how to live more, we are encouraged to find our ikigai.

This should meet the following four criteria: 1) doing something you love 2) doing something you’re good at 3) doing something the world needs and 4) doing something you can make money from.

Rangan reminds us of the vital importance of human touch – it is a biological necessity.

Affectionate human touch lowers the heart rate, lowers blood pressure, reduces cortisol levels, raises levels of natural killer cells (which defend against infection) and increases parasympathetic tone, which puts us into thrive state.

Those in marital-type relationships need to focus on intimacy, which doesn’t necessarily mean sex.

It has several components:

1) Trust
2) Feeling like two members of a team
3) Being present with each other
4) A deep level of care for the other person
5) Sharing profound information with each other you wouldn’t share with anyone else.

There’s a chapter on nurturing our friendships.

In the Body section we learn about the importance of our microbiome. Diversity in our diet and thus in our microbiome is crucial.

He encourages us to “eat the alphabet” and aim to eat 26 different plant foods a month.

Look for new foods to buy. Skip a meal now and again. Eat fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut or kefir. Avoid artificial sweeteners.

There’s a chapter on how exercise fights stress; Rangan suggests indoor climbing, open-water swimming. T’ai chi, skipping, a run in nature, Nordic walking (walking with poles) and Bikram yoga, which combats depression.

He enlightens us about heart rate variability. A young doctor recently scared the life out of me when she informed me that my heart rate was absolutely regular since I’d just learnt about heart-rate variability and how if your heart-rate becomes completely regular you will die in the next second or two. One’s heart-rate variability (HRV) should be as high as possible. With a high HRV the time between each heartbeat is constantly changing. Low HRV indicates that our body is in a stress state and not thriving..
You can get an app that monitors your HRV. Consuming alcohol and watching Gordon Ramsay on TV lowers your HRV!

There’s a chapter on resetting our rhythm. Rangan suggests the use of red light bulbs as nightlights. Amber glasses that block blue light are suggested for evening use to help you sleep better.

Time-restricted eating (eating within a twelve-hour window each day) helps with weight loss, blood-sugar control, general stress levels and digestive disturbances.

There’s a useful and informative chapter about sleep, including tips for night shift workers.

In the final section on mind, Rangan discusses technology overload and strongly suggests taking a digital holiday. There’s even a small part on Facebook Brain!

He introduces us to various valuable breathing techniques, including the 3-4-5 breath, box breathing and alternative-nostril breathing.

In the 3-4-5 breath, breathe in for three seconds, hold for four seconds and breathe out for five seconds. This is effective for patients prone to anxiety or stress.

One of the things I appreciate about the book is that the author does not insist we try to do everything, or even a whole lot. He suggests an hour of this, or 5 minutes of that, and before we know it, we’re in the process of transforming our lives.

This is a beautiful book. Rangan’s first book was absolutely great but in this one he excels himself: everyone can benefit from reading it. This is a stressful world and Rangan presents a myriad of valuable suggestions, the implementation of only some of which may well transform our life.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome! Will be recommending to everyone, it's a manual for life.

Finally a book with actual scientifically backed up practical and clear tips and memorable real-life examples and not just theory. Doesn't shy away from alternatives. Starts with purpose!!! And even though I've head about/ tried a lot of it, it really puts things into context and explains the why in a way you'll look and try things differently. Moreover, it's designed & written in a very non-stressful, calming, clear & beautiful way.

I wouldn't call these my "reservations" as much as "additions":
- affirmations need to be true to work, as supported by research.
- reframing - again, true only. And don't accept the unacceptable.

I sure won't put it better than Dr Chatterjee, but just so I don't forget the main points for me (contains spoilers):

Give the right information to your brain to feel safe:

1. Purpose: schedule quiet time incl. affirmations, exercise, breathing/ meditation incl. gratitude. Focus on love.intent.vision.engagement (LIVE)

2. Relationships: use all senses more, schedule intimacy & friend time, become a regular, letters

3. Body: good & varied food (eat the alphabet each month & try new things, eat within 12 hrs, limit snacks, skip a meal every now & then, eat probiotics, avoid antibiotics & non-essential meds), right exercise (many good ideas! and balance, according to HRV), sleep (many good ideas in this & next part), release stress (1min of intense activity, deep tissue massage, 2min od deep breathing, cry, laugh, yoga, scream, reflexology?), reset your rhythm (regularity, bright natural light in morning etc.)

4. Mind: reframe (write it down, 3rd person, focus on cause), solitude, digital time off (incl. turn off notifications, schedule tech free time, fake emails for silly things, notes & diary on paper, track usage...), nature bathing (many good suggestions!), declutter (both physical & digital world), breathe (6 breaths/ min, 3-4-5, box, nadi shodhan, kapalabhati), meditation, break it down

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as accessible as his first book, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one just the same. This is one that I will have to return to more often, as there are mini suggestion checklists for minimising stress in all areas dotted throughout. As always a beautifully put together book with real practical advice. I'm a fan!

[Steven · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dr. Rangan Chatterjee has some useful insights on health in this book (second half), but there are some sections of this book that are extremely cringe-worthy.

For example, he dedicates and entire chapter to air his grievances about touch. He writes that "a lack of touch from others could be at the root of some of society's biggest problems" and that “we’ve gone too far”.

“These days, I’m extremely nervous about making even the slightest physical contact in my clinic. Simple touch is now seen as crossing a personal boundary.”

Rather than having the reader understand consent or listening to what others need, he writes “it is important to remember that not everyone appreciates being touched… an unwanted touch, however innocent, can be perceived as threatening by another person.”

However innocent… doesn’t matter. An unwanted touch should not be happening in the first place. Period. (See Larry Nassar)

To this, Dr. Chatterjee recommends writing a “touch diary” to record all of the moments you’ve touched someone, and to double and triple it in the coming weeks. Again, no mention of consent or listening to what others need anywhere.

I went into this book with the best of intentions, but could not look away from the completely ignorant and unaware writing, especially from his chapter on touch.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read all of Doctor Chatterjee's other books so I thought I would round it off with this book. This book is all about dealing with stress and how to manage stress in ways you can actually complete. This was especially useful during these times of great stress. 

This book is very linked to his other books so there is quite a lot of information which is not repeated as such, because he talks far more about affirmations and meditations and goes into greater detail about why they were so useful and how we can adjust them for our lifestyle. He talks about connection and human touch, which does explain a lot about why people are more stressed now in this period of social isolation, and how we can do things to adjust to our changing circumstances. He also talked about micro stresses and how they can build up so we are far less able to handle larger stresses, or micro stresses further on in the day.

I liked reading about how things we didn't even think as stresses, like checking social media or the news, can build up until we can't deal with something we would normally handle easily. It is something we know but we don't fully absorb throughout our daily life. I liked this and I would recommend it, but probably before Doctor Chatterjee's other books. 

4 stars! 

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stress Solution is the third book by Rangan Chatterjee that I have read in the space of a few months. Again, it’s another cracking book, with a lot of constructive and pragmatic advice for improving one’s own wellbeing, with a view to getting stress to work for you, not against you. Even though there is significant overlap with his other books, I think this is an excellent starting point for anybody looking to revaluate their life and identify areas of their life which are unwittingly causing them stress. Granted: the information is for the most part nothing new; but it doesn’t pretend to be. Instead it is a carefully constructed synthesis of the author’s own experiences as a GP, innovations in science and a good dash of common sense to boot.
I do have criticisms of the books – the sometimes too convenient case studies and the endless filler images - but I do think this is worthy of 5 stars. In fact, content-wise this is probably the densest of all the book and contains quite a lot of easy actionable steps. I would thoroughly recommend.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now, I have never been one for self help books but I have been attempting it lately with stress and anxiety being out of control the past few months for me. This book was very thought provoking and gave some actual helpful tips to manage life. It offers insights on how to move from a stress state to a thrive state. I think all of us want to move to the latter one there. I like it was easy to follow and I am going to attempt some of the suggestions and see how they work out.

I also love how the text felt like a friend telling you how to rearrange your life. It was more comforting than some of the self help books I've tried in the past where it is just so technical and feels distant in a way.

I recommend this one!

4 how to thrive stars.

[Marina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having enjoyed his previous book , and knowing I was facing a challenging time ahead, I hoped The Stress Solution would help me find positive coping strategies.
Unfortunately, it seems to be a cobbling together of some hackneyed well-being concepts, with a focus on acronyms and mnemonics such as LIVE and the Three Ps. (I’m afraid mnemonics don’t work with me, as I can’t remember what either of these stand for!)
Although well meaning, it doesn’t seem to hang together well, and while I don’t rule out dipping back into this book in the future, for now, I’m putting it aside.

[Ell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this a very enjoyable and informative read. The Stress Solution also made me realise just how much modern society is corrupting our health and our happiness, and has given me a new perspective on how to spend my time.☀️

[Henrik Haapala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course a fantastic book in the field of stress management

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book begins with the statistic that 60-80% of GP consultations are related to stress. This is worrying, but empowering at the same time. Dr Chatterjee has created an easy-to-read (and visually pleasant) guide to managing and reducing stress. Like others, I did find some of the advice overwhelming and as if I now have even more things to do in life. Overall, though,
My favourite tips are:
- find your life's purpose (this was a key point in another book I read recently, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle): must be something you love; are good at; helps the world; makes money for you/sustains
- say an (effective) affirmation aloud daily
- practise gratitude
- plan your day
- enjoy (make the most of/appreciate) periods of solitude
- zone in daily (I think this is the same as finding time for meditation)
- find things/activities that reawaken the enthusiasm you had as a child
- nourish relationships
- give hugs/ touch arms/ pat backs
- massage/reflexology/haircuts
- avoid emulsifiers (in food)
- eat fibre (lots)
- 12 hours without food daily (ie eat evening meal early)
- exercise the right amount for you (there is such a thing as over-exercise)
- go outside in the morning (blue light); dim the lights in the evening (red light)
- delayed gratification (learn language/instrument/new sport/chess/card haves/dance patterns)
- old school iPod
- spend time in nature
- declutter
- control breathing

Sleep (good) and alcohol (not s good) are in there, too, but they're not too problematic for me.

[Natasha Svobodina · Rating 5 out of 5]

В целом никаких уникальных знаний и новых теорий для меня в книге не было. Но я ставлю ей 5 звезд, потому что это самое лучшее руководство по борьбе со стрессом из всех, что я раньше видела. Без воды, книга собирает инструменты, покрывающие все сферы жизни, и дает конкретные рекомендации, что можно улучшить прямо сейчас.

Я жалею, что книга не попалась мне раньше, в ней есть ответы на моё самочувствие 3 и 4 года назад, и даже год. Хотя, возможно человеку в стрессе и в депрессивных настроениях сложно будет порекомендовать книгу, как способ решения проблем, например, вспоминаю себя. Но я бы рекомендовала её всем. Медленно читать и сразу применять.

Для меня было полезно её читать, ещё раз обратить внимание на мою жизнь и как важны самые простые её составляющие, которые у меня первыми вылетали под кучей дел. И удивиться, как на самом деле много стресса в моей жизни, и откуда он, хотя некоторые вещи я совсем не считала стрессом. Забираю с собой очень много.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divided into four main areas, this book focuses on stress and how it affects your purpose, relationships, body and mind and how to get stress under control. It’s very clear and well written and certainly a book I would dip back into when I want to restore calm back in my life.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to read, well written and simply explained methods to reduce stress. I’m putting some things Dr Chatterjee suggested into action already. Highly recommend reading this book, especially if you suffer from any kind of stress... that’s all of us I imagine!

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great reminder to start the year with as we tussle with our new year's resolutions and the disappointment that usually tags along after. Lots of anecdotal evidence as well as citations of studies to back up the recommendations here.

[Ken Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential reading for the modern age.

[Kseniya Starozhilova · Rating 5 out of 5]

Хожу на ДПТ (диалектико-поведенческая терапия) в этой книге можно найти множество советов и практик из ДПТ. Данные практики помогают профилактике стресса и выгорания. Рекомендую к прочтению

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great advice as always from the good Doctor. I do sometimes think all these 5 minute things we should be doing, start to add up to take up significant time - so the sooner they become habits the better! Key takeaways - hug more, breathe more, have purpose.

[Preili Pipar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mu lühikokkuvõtte oleks vähemalt 6 A4 formaadis lehte nõuannete ja näpunäidetega. Seega soovitan, et pigem lugege ise see raamat läbi. Olen täiesti veendunud, et igaüks leiab siit vähemalt ühe hea mõtte või idee kaasa, mis aitaks just temal stressi rohkem ohjata. Või ka arusaada, mis on stress ja mis seda peamiselt tekitavad.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought there were some useful concepts in this book. Although many of these build on ideas and concepts discussed in previous books, this could also easily be read as a stand a lone book.

[Terri-Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical. Inspirational. Highly recommended.

[Sayantani · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful book on how to combat stress and lead a happy, calmer life. Loved this book and some practical tips that are easy to follow.

[Ashwini Vijayakumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just can’t express how effortless Dr. Rangan makes us feel to be healthy and happy and manage the stress in our lives. He uses methods that are so basic and which we do everyday but take for granted or have forgotten about it like breathing and eating the alphabets and walking in nature. I have read all his books and all of them use methods which our ancestors used for being healthy, wealthy and wise and which our bodies are adaptable to, against all the modern medicine and so called technology which does us more harm than good in the long term.

[Ирина Дмитриева · Rating 2 out of 5]

Все и так понятно и знала: правильное питание да сон. Книга, наверное, будет интересна 18-летним..скучные постулаты жизни, хоть и основа основ.

[Rory · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book with lots of sensible advice. Stress seems to be all we hear about these days; and we can get lots of advice on how to deal with it. But companies don't act on that and it can be work that is a big stressor.

This is the sort of book you read several times and get something new from each time.

[Niels Philbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of books, that try to tackle a multifaceted topic ends up either to deep/complex in one area or very superficial. I expected to find this book in the latter category.

I was very pleasently surprised to learn, that Rangan manages to fit both specific knowledge about neurotransmitters, sleep stages, sex, social connections etc. into a book, that is also very approachable, if you know very little about stress and how the human body responds to it.

I know quite a bit about most of the areas, and I still learned things and got different ways of thinking about stress and how to manage it.

It is easily the best book about understanding stress, that I have read. Pragmatic approach and concrete advice. Highly recommended.

[Sharon Gausch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Chatterjee dives deeper into his four-pillar plan in this second book, while also exploring and explaining how we in modern Western society are relentlessly bombarded with stressors large and small. He discusses realistic ways to reduce our stress load across the pillars: purpose, relationships, body, and mind. This book is full of suggestions for concrete yet simple things we can implement to reduce our stress load and help to maintain ourselves in a thrive state. An excellent read and a beautiful book as well.