The Worry Solution: Using Your Healing Mind to Turn Stress and Anxiety into Better Health and Happiness

by Martin L. Rossman, Andrew Weil (Foreword)

Based on cutting-edge brain science, Dr. Martin Rossman has developed a program to help you break the worry cycle—and transform worry into a positive force. Our brains are hardwired for worry. While our ancient ancestors had a legitimate use for the fight-or-flight instinct, today what was once a matter of survival has become the stuff of sleepless nights and anxiety-filled days. At its best, worry is a way for us to turn over and solve a problem in our minds. But for many, worry becomes a negative cycle of unnecessary suffering.In The Worry Solution, Dr. Rossman gives you an easy-to-follow plan for taking control of your reactions to stress and anxiety. Using proven clinical techniques that harness the very power of imagination that creates worry and stress, you will learn the five basic skills that will help you to clarify your worries, sort them into those you can and cannot do something about, and tap the wisdom buried deep within you to help solve problems creatively. At the heart of the program is the use of guided imagery and creative visualization, techniques that invigorate the emotional and intuitive parts of the brain to add to and enhance logical intelligence. Not only can you start to see a change in your stress levels immediately, but with regular practice, you may literally alter the worry pathways in your brain—and "hardwire" yourself for calmness and clarity. Grounded in cutting-edge science and wonderfully accessible, The Worry Solution is a powerful and practical guide to living your best life—healthier, happier, and free from unnecessary stress.

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

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Bill Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was decent, but I think I enjoyed watching his lectures/talks online much better.

[Janice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much of this book is a review of things I have already learned, but there are some pieces of new information that I find very helpful. There are also very specific guides for using progressive relaxation, and visualizations, with some new hints for how to make those more effective.

[Emily-louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was the most effective book for me to help with my worries. Firstly, I understood the book, it was written clearly and easily able to understand which some books are harder to understand. Brain neuroscience information very useful. Personally, I like strategies and tasks; and this book offers steps and strategies to help eliminate worries which I have started and noticing a change. It is structured in a way that isn’t just information for me to consume, it is information and strategies together with timelines to complete the strategies, also he gives evidence of WHY this works. I noticed you need to actually apply these strategies to help. In addition, I really like how he includes Brain Neuroscience information, which was extremely useful and interesting in how the brain works and why we act certain ways. To sum up, I found the book easy to understand, he covered brain science, the effects of positive imagery and how it effects your emotions, and proven strategies to help with worries and explanation as to why. I recommend it to anyone.

[Maggie]

Hey. I'm having a rough year, okay?

I am a sucker for all things gentle and in the self-improvement realm -- and I think the more a person thinks about neuroplasticity the better -- so this sort of thing is right up my alley, but I acknowledge it is not for everyone. For me it is just the right blend of pseudoscience and neurology. I read a lot of Buddhist texts and am not that resistant to the idea of thought-driven change.

[Meredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reading the subtitle, I assumed this book would be more cold, hard science. Instead, it was mostly about guided visualization exercises. Might be useful to some people, but it's not for me.

[Jmp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful accepting approach for worriers. I especially like categorizing the list of worries and what to do with them

[Heidi Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Punchline: meditate. Worrying is a useful tool to alert you to what is important, but not every thing needs to be such a stressor.

[Rajan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found some insight through this book hence the 4 stars.

[Moira Shepard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw author Martin Rossman take people through his Worry Solution process on a PBS special, and his work intrigued me, so I decided to read the book. Extensive neuroscience studies and keen intuition honed by 40 years as a doctor have made Rossman one of a kind in his field. His compassionate tone, thoughtful exercises and understated spiritual through-line made reading "The Worry Solution" an enchanting experience. This one is a keeper. I'll be going back to "The Worry Solution" to repeat the exercises again and again. Highly recommended!

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed that the book's basis was guided meditation, for which you either had to record yourself saying aloud or purchase off the authors website. I was hoping the book used a more hard science approach, which was the topic of a few portions of the book; however not the bulk of it. Didn't find anything overwhelmingly mind blowing in terms of dealing with anxiety. I wish he went more into how to be content in life and to stop worries before they begin. Not impressed and would not recommend.

[Lynne Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some helpful pointers, but nothing earth-shattering or particularly novel. However, some good reminders about things that can help reduce stress. I found the guided meditation exercises fine but not particularly for me.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful relaxation techniques that made my mind feel more refreshed than it has for years. At times a little more in depth than I wanted to know but definitely some very worthwhile (helpful) information in this book.

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non-fiction, self-help book on how to deal with worry. There were some good and well-researched ideas and suggestions, but also some that seemed less helpful. I read a physical book, and I think it would have been better to listen to as there were several guided "mediations" or visualizations.

[Mohammed Bahari · Rating 1 out of 5]

Could not finish it, so boring and monotonous. Sorry

[Cassandra]

Read it Forward - Book Prescriptions