The Stress Prescription: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease

The Seven-Day Prescription

by Elissa Epel

“A preeminent expert sheds light on how to handle the daily hassles of life. It’s not just a manual for managing stress—it’s a toolkit for preventing it.” —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again

From world-renowned psychologist and New York Times–bestselling author Dr. Elissa Epel, a simple yet powerful plan to turn your stress into your strength in just seven days

We can’t avoid stress. But we can embrace it and transform it.

Whether we’re facing deadlines, difficulties with family or friends, personal crises, or just the uncertainty of the world—stress is the ocean we swim in. Even our negative thoughts can trigger our body’s stress response so we rarely experience periods of ease and deep restoration.

In The Stress Prescription, Dr. Epel distills decades of research, infused with wisdom, into a practical yet transformative seven-day plan of science-based techniques that can help you harness stress through more positive challenge and purpose.

The seven-day prescription will lead you through these

Day 1: Things Will Go Wrong . . . And That’s All Right
Day 2: Control What You Can . . . And Put Down the Rest
Day 3: Be the Lion
Day 4: Train for Resilience
Day 5: Let Nature Do the Work
Day 6: Don’t Just Relax . . . Restore
Day 7: Start Full, End Full

Dr. Epel shows us how we can “stress better”—by training our minds and bodies to shift towards a flexible, beneficial stress response that can actually enhance health. You will develop a more robust mindset, build the resources you need to turn stress into strength, and fill your days with more joy, connection, and ease.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF which contains all the Today's Practice exercises, the Mind States graph, the Your Stress Mindset test, the My Core Values list, the Stress Prescription chart, and the Further Reading and Resources list from the book.

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

Audible Audio

Published December 27, 2022

About the author

Elissa Sarah Epel is an American health psychologist and author. She is the daughter of David Epel.
Epel is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, director of UCSF’s Aging, Metabolism, and Emotion Center, and associate director of the Center for Health and Community.

Reviews

[Natalie Park · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. Great basic information about positive and negative stress and concrete ways on how to incorporate simple practices into daily life.

[Christopher Cagle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Simply explained with just enough sciencey stuff to let you know the author has receipts. Practical tips most anyone could put to use immediately. I might suggest practicing each chapter across a whole week rather than just one day before moving on to the next “resilience habit.” Other than that, great.

[Bahareh Mostafazadeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got better suggestions for stress management from this book than from my therapist!

[Andy]

DNF. This book increased my stress level. Not my cup of Sleepy Time tea.
In addition to obvious advice no one needs a book for, like take a breath or take a walk, the reader is subjected to tons of annoying personal anecdotes and irrelevant data from animal experiments and molecular biology. I expected a PhD "world expert" on stress reduction, writing a book literally called "The Stress Prescription", would be showing the rigorous clinical evidence for how her specific advice helps people. I was disappointed.

[Martin]

I came across Elissa Epel in a podcast, where she came off as extremely kind and very thoughtful. This impression carries over also into the book. You really do feel she is this very kind and wise mentor trying to help you out with your stress ridden lives.
I do have reservations when it comes to this piece - The split into seven chapters does not make a huge sense, and while there is some effort to make it into a workbook, the book could have more impact if this was done more extensively, even at the expense of existing content (which does get bit repetitive).
On the flip side, the book is obviously very well researched and referenced (she is a prof and this is her topic in the end :D) and includes some relatable personal experiences and details.

Reading the book will be interesting to anyone, but I reckon that only those actually seriously committing to the exercises therein will derive any meaningful benefit. Doing so wont be easy (as described above) because lot of the exercises are regular practices - its up to reader to devise strategies to stick to them.

Some personal lessons:
* Monotasking facilitates rest. Observation (nature, art, performance, ...) facilitates monotasking.
* Anticipating problems isn’t helpful - you suffer twice.
* Uncertainty is the defining condition of our lives. Don't avoid it, embrace it and work towards living with it comfortably. It is only though uncertainty that we can open doors to awe, gratitude, surprise and joy. Yes its stressful that you cannot predict what will happen, but what if it is something amazing? Isn't it worth it?
* Reframe anticipatory stress as excitement.
* If you are in stressful situation that you cannot change, fully accept it.
* Chronic stress does have measurable negative influence on our biology
* Breathing exercises and meditation should not be a luxury, but a part of daily routine. Starting small is ok.
* In the morning, focus on what you are looking forward to and what are you excited about. In the evening, recall what you are grateful for and what brought you joy.
* The less time we have in our lives, the more we shift towards emotionally meaningful goals and orient toward others.
* Acute physical stress (exercise, cold/heat exposure, holding breath, ...) builds resilience against unexpected stressors. In those moments, don't fight the stress, relax into your body and enjoy.
* Nature is a powerful destressing aid. People who lack exposure to nature fare worse mentally and physically. -> Use opportunities to be outside and make time for a larger yearly nature escape.
* Put "experience awe" on your to-do list. Remind yourself: "If this is not beautiful, what is?". Look for awe in daily life and relax agenda to allow for it.
* Floating in water measurably reduces anxiety.
* Inhalation of some essential oils does lead to reduction of feelings of stress and anxiety.
* We are breathing 2-3 times faster than would be good for relaxation. Include slow breathing sessions daily and regularly
* Rest is a social justice issue - see it as your responsibility to encourage it, especially among those who may have reduced access to it.
* Focus on joy and positive emotions to increase stress resilience. Build positive emotions around your help to and experiences with others. DO this through small acts of kindness - remind yourself that you cannot predict an impact of a small act on someone else life - it can be both nearly meaningless as well as propagate to something thoroughly life changing.
* It's normal to feel blues after a great weekend or vacation - look back on the experience with gratitude to bridge the gap.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this so helpful! It’s filled with practical tips to reduce stress and scientific data to back it all up.

[Chloe Evelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't expect to enjoy this book as much as I have. It has given me new tools to deal with stress and lean into low levels of stress, find excitement in things that can be stressors and how to relax when the stress gets too much. A really helpful and handy book to have. I learnt a lot in this.

[Herz auf der Zunge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das fand ich richtig gut, mit klugen und hilfreichen Impulsen

[Klaudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 bardzo dobra, przystępna, podaje konkretne sposoby, które są bardziej lub mniej oczywiste, ale lektura była bardzo przyjemna

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started this on audio and was enjoying it so much bought the book to follow along and go back and reread passages and take notes. Great daily practices.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hea lihtne raamat teemal, millest küll vist kõigil oleks kasulik rohkem teada - kuidas stressiga käituda, et elu oleks meeldivam. Muidugi tulevad kuskilt piirid ette, kus vaja professionaali abi, ja muidugi, võiks veel teaduslikumalt, aga see on just selline, et pole hirmus keeruline, loed ja äkki midagi jääb meelde ja elu saab parem.

[Meagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written guide to removing stress from your life and replacing it with more joy and overall happiness. Epel uses examples from scientific studies and psychology to support each of the seven major lessons taught throughout the book. The practices recommended are accessible to everyone, though not every practice needs to be encorporated to receive long-term benefits. I appreciated that Epel addresses this directly, and also recommends that readers start off slowly and take things at their own pace. I would highly recommend this book to anyone dealing with stress... which is all of us!

As a bonus, Epel is the reader for her audio book as well. She has a soothing voice that radiates positivity.

[Tim Verbergt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and actionable with enough resources to further your understanding and practice of these principles.

I did exactly as the book was intended: a chapter and a practice every day for a week. I feel an enormous difference but of course there's still work to be done.

Thank you Elissa for this amazing book!

[Ruxandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm usually trying to not give 5 stars easily.. but this book is really well structured and well written and straight to the point, with very actionable advice. I'd say it's good to hold on to it and reference it often especially as we drift off the path and feel like stress is getting out of control.. No, you won't fix it in 7 days, but you will definitely stay afloat and get some no fluff strategies to manage stress better.

[Shafira Indika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sebenernya baca ini udah dari berbulan-bulan lalu terus pas nyisa 1 chapter malah ga dilanjutin entah kenapa wkwkwkwk (sepertinya saat itu lagi mood baca fiksi jadi bacaan2 nonfiksi aku anggurin dulu) alhasil baru selesai sekarang.

Meskipun demikian, buku ini RECOMMENDED BANGET! Penyampaiannya enak parah, mengalir, ada tips2 praktikal yang bisa kita lakuin. Bakalan reread lagi kalo merasa butuh!

Wajib baca!!!!!

[Malery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perspective shifting exercises for living a more joyful life while embracing stress.

[Muna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very beneficial read, learnt a lot from it.

[Elizabeth Dawe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with lots of interesting insights! I would highly recommend listening to it on audiobook, especially for the guided exercises.

[Laina Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the prescription series and I have also read the other books about sleep and love and I recommend all of them. The parallels between sleep and stress are particularly striking.

[Maren · Rating 5 out of 5]

2023 was a year of rebuilding my resilience and I want to keep growing in 2024. I love this book and all of the practices it has for taking care of yourself and building resilience. Breath work, connecting with nature, cold or heat therapy, and gratitude practices plus more. The emerging science around stress and resilience is fascinating to me. I really like the author's advice. The science is in its infancy, so do your own experiments. Be curious and connected and see what works for you.

[Mabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

📚 Book 13/52 of 2024 📚
⭐️ 5/5 stars!

GENRE: nonfiction, self-help, personal development
SUMMARY: Part of "The Seven Day Prescription" series

It’s been a while since I’ve resonated with some of the nonfiction that I’ve picked up, so this was a really nice approachable read! Can’t quite pick out anything I’d change about the book at this time, so just peaches for today’s review!

**🍑 PEACHES (likes) 🍑**

- inclusion of research study results and further reading materials suggested if you’d like to dive deeper —> probably will take them up on pursuing further reading, esp. surrounding wim hof, 4-6-8 breathing, and forest bathing
- relatively simple and tangible to-dos - it’s a good reminder of things that are helpful for us to do to support ourselves in a stressful world
- breakdown of chapters into 7 “days/weeks” of new ideas to digest was nice and approachable (I didn’t really follow this, but the chunking was really nice)
- inclusion, acknowledgement, and validation of socioeconomic factors and existing impacts and barriers faced by marginalized communities
- I feel like I’m leaving this book feeling like I’m brimming with inspiration and gusto to make some changes (and have several tangible ideas of how to incorporate manageable change) - rare for me with the self-help genre
- aligns really well with my lens & how I practice in my day job, so I imagine this was helpful for me professionally as well

✏️ ANNOTATIONS & SPARKLE TEXT ✏️ 

> “Expectations rule out the possibility of being present. Because you’re projecting into the future, you are no longer here right now.”

> “If a problem is fixable, if a situation is such that you can do something about it, then there is no need to worry. If it’s not fixable, then there is no help in worrying.”

> “Our distress lies in that friction between what we believe should be possible and what is possible.”

> “I am enough. I have enough. I do enough.”

> “Rest is a social justice issue.”

> “We go through life as if we’re in a little boat. Our boat is out in the ocean, travelling over the waves. And it floats! It only sinks when the water gets in. If your little boat is sinking, the problem isn’t the water itself. Water simply exists. The problem is that it’s gotten *in.*”

> “Happiness is a wonderful salve for stress, but you can’t go out there seeking it.” “You cannot look directly at the sun, but you can absorb its rays.”

> “We begin our day alone, honouring this life with all its potentials and possibilities.
We begin our day with hope, knowing the day can hold love, kindenss, forgiveness, and justice.
May we make room for the unexpected. May we find wisdom and life in the unexpected.”

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've lost count of the number of books on stress management that I've read, and I can't remember a single one that I would recommend to anyone else. But this one seems different.

The tone of the author is very gentle and understanding, while also being encouraging and suggesting mostly small changes that seem doable. This is not a book about managing stress by increasing productivity. Each of the 7 days discusses a either different way of thinking about stress or a habit that can help lower stress levels, and each day comes with suggestions for concrete things that someone can do to put that day's message into practice. Most likely, none of the days' messages will be new to you (at least not if you are familiar with a few other books on stress), but the way the messages are packaged is what I think makes this book different.

The takeaway messages that I got from the 7 days are:
1) Expect the unexpected, loosen expectations
2) Control what you can, and put down the rest
3) Stress can be a strength and ally
4) Exercise
5) Spend time in nature
6) Breathing exercises help to calm the body
7) Find moments of joy and purpose

This is a very superficial summary, and there's a lot more in here that will take more than 7 days to digest. To anyone that thinks they might be experiencing high levels of chronic stress, the book is easy to read and has many small suggestions and exercises for reframing and managing stress, so I think it's worth a skim at the very least to see if any of the 7 messages resonate with you.

[Girlinthebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

To popularnonaukowo - poradnikowa pozycja, która w holistycznym ujęciu omawia tematykę stresu.

Dowiesz się z niej:

- Czym jest stres, jakie są jego rodzaje i jak się objawia?
- Jak poczucie kontroli wpływa na stres?
- Jak oddech i postawa ciała mogą kontrolować stres?
- Czy obcowanie z naturą może wpływać na poziom stresu?

Łączy teorię ze skutecznymi, praktycznymi wskazówkami. Stanowi część serii 7 dni i wyróżnia się przejrzystą strukturą, dzięki której każdy dzień tygodnia poświęcony jest innemu aspektowi pracy nad stresem.

Największym atutem książki jest jej przystępność – autorka przekazuje solidną wiedzę bez zbędnego naukowego żargonu, co sprawia, że jest dostępny dla szerokiego grona odbiorców.

Każdy rozdział zawiera krótkie wprowadzenie teoretyczne, poparte zróżnicowanymi przykładami z życia codziennego, co pozwala każdemu czytelnikowi odnieść treści do własnych doświadczeń i jest to z mojej perspektywy duża zaleta tego tytułu.

Dodatkowo książka oferuje konkretne ćwiczenia i zadania, które można wykonywać zarówno podczas lektury, jak i po jej zakończeniu, co zdecydowanie czyni ją praktycznym narzędziem do codziennego zarządzania stresem.

Gorąco polecam! Jasny przekaz, użyteczne wskazówki tworzą tu spójną całość.
Dobra propozycja dla każdego, kto chętnie sięga po popularnonaukowe pozycje w tematyce zdrowia i chce świadomie pracować nad zarządzaniem stresem.

[Oleg Gavryliuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to prevent burnout and overcome the burdens of stress

This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to prevent burnout and overcome the burdens of stress.
With each page, you'll uncover valuable insights that will revolutionize your perspective on stress management. Dr. Epel's guidance will equip you with the tools to face uncertainty head-on, transform threats into exciting challenges, and regain control over your life. Good book of intelligent scientists with a lot of experience and studies of stress. It book a lot of philosophy of stress, mostly from stoicism, Buddhism and a lot of practical physiological advices. Recommend this book for all who wish to prevent burnout and stress overload.
Before reading the book I recommend listening to the podcast with Elissa Epel and Andrew Huberman.
My key takeaways:

Expect Unexpected: Accept Uncertainty
Swap Threat to Challenge: Be the Lion
Focus on Control: Accept and Adapt.
Lissen expectations.

[Heidi Dumke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m very grateful I found this book! I listened to it as an audiobook and challenged myself to listen to each day (chapters are split into seven days) over the course of eight days… one day of rest 😊 This was about 50-60 minutes of content each day. Wow!

As someone who is very curious about these topics for my own life and as a teacher, this book serves as an incomparable go-to on stress, resilience, joy, sustainable happiness, rest, hope, and more since it has a great balance of research and practical tips. Practices are also enhanced with more ideas and even differentiated for those of us with higher levels of anxiety and/or depression. It’s guiding and gentle at the same time; Dr. Epel’s work is incredibly accessible. I feel compelled to also get a hard copy since I know I’ll be coming back to this a lot!

Oh, and I am even taking cold showers most mornings now 😂 Honestly, I never thought I’d say that before this book—my husband is also not over this development. Yup, it does in fact make me feel great! Just one example of many research-backed ideas.

[R. P. Student · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book at a time while I was dealing with a stressful portion of my work life.

The simple suggestions were great, but for me some were a bit hit and miss.

I learned plenty of concepts that worked in reducing my stress levels, like reframing a stressful situation as a challenge, looking out for awe in nature, accepting the unchangeable, keeping a limited worry window, writing down worst case scenarios to see they're not as bad as it is in the mind, and making sure I keep time for rest as a necessity.

Maybe it's my personality, but the breathing exercises, meditation, and mantra, and the "letting go of stress" just kind of didn't work. In fact I am out of shape and anxiety prone so the breathing exercises were more challenging than relaxing.

Some of the anecdotes of the people she interviewed were also... not that interesting to me, unfortunately. I like that she gave her own stressful experiences as a scientist though, since my work is similar and I can relate.

Overall, I think it's quite a good book.

[Bonnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heard of this book from a book club and decided to give it a try. It was short and direct, which I liked. I read it slowly over a couple months during my commute which might have helped me digest the material better. I learned some useful tools on managing stress that I will keep in the back of my mind in the future. Even though I had already learned some of the techniques before, it's always a nice refresher to read it again. I'm going to list the key techniques here for future reference:

1. Embrace Uncertainty
(noting expectations and worries, and releasing)

2. Let go of what you can't control
(what can be deleted? what matters most? what can I accept?)

3. Find excitement in challenges (positive stress mindset, reaffirm values)

4. Metabolize Body Stress (HIIT workout, cold shower, sauna)

5. Immerse Yourself in Nature

6. Breathing Exercises

7. Start and End your day full of joy
(notice joy, understand daily purpose, express gratitude)

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciated the ~super digestable~ style, each chapter is focused on a topic and there's a small practice reminder at the end. I find there's simplifications of scientific things but I forgive it as part of the marketability/accessiblility of the reading.

I think this book is part of the wave of "how to feel better" and uses Buddhist or spiritual practices without the accountability that those spiritual practices also require. I appreciate the "helping others makes you feel better" or "purpose helps with stress management" but it's like an extra thing, do it to make us feel better... AKA western philosophy / behavioural science.

It's missing that philosophy of responsibility (like 5 precepts in Buddhism or reciprocity with nature like in indigenous philosophy).

Overall good read. It covered a lot of bases and provides good resources!

[Milena · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was recommended to me, and at first, I expected it to be just another self-help guide that explains what stress is - like so many others. but it’s not that kind of book.

its a knowledge base, a storytelling journey, and a how-to manual all in one, filled with practical tools and realistic ways to apply them in everyday life. every chapter offers simple yet powerful techniques that feel doable for anyone, no matter where you are on your path.

i didn’t just read this book - i worked with it. i annotated it, reflected on it, and found myself deeply engaged. each page offered insights that truly resonated with me, and i had countless aha-moments along the way.

it’s one of those rare books that will stay with me for life. i know I’ll return to it again and again; not only to reread, but to experience new layers of understanding each time!

[Sasa Soso · Rating 1 out of 5]

Expectations are lowered and focus only on what you can control,breath,rest,gratitude.



————
1-lower your expectations and focus on physical feelings .
2-relieve your expectations and focus on the present.
3-set down what you cant control.
4-shower in cold water .
5-Make relaxing in nature a regular practice.
6-Breathe, rest .(4-6-8 breathing for several minutes)
7-gratitude(Start your day on a positive note by taking five minutes to feel grateful. Try asking yourself questions like: What am I looking forward to today? What are three things I appreciate about my life right now? Who am I grateful to have in my life? Even on stressful days, search for something small to be grateful for like your cozy bed or a hot cup of coffee.)