Dial Down: Holistic Strategies to Move from Chaos to Calm

by Raquel Durden, Tracey Koach (Editor), Tara Huck (Editor)

Dial Holistic Strategies to Move from Chaos to Calm is a practical guide focused on holistic wellness techniques to help individuals manage stress and find calmness in their lives. The book integrates evidence-based wellness practices with personal stories and poems aimed at offering readers actionable tools for transformation. Drawing from her work with women veterans and first responders, Raquel demonstrates how holistic strategies can be powerful tools for finding peace and balance. Raquel emphasizes connection—both to oneself and to others. With its blend of holistic practices, real-life stories, and creative exercises, Dial Down is a comprehensive roadmap to personal well-being. The book is full of nurturing both body, mind, and spirit.

176 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 2, 2025

Reviews

[Raquel Durden]

Dear Readers,
This isn't just another self-help book, it's a transformational guide for real life when chaos knocks at your door (...and it always does). In Dial Down: Holistic Strategies to Move from Chaos to Calm, I share evidence-based strategies, personal stories, and practical tools to show that chaos isn't something to fix. Chaos is something to navigate.

Writing this book felt like sitting down with a friend, offering easy to apply tools and gentle nudges to breathe, reset, and try again. Whether you're a veteran, a first responder, a caregiver, a leader, or simply someone who craves balance in the middle of everyday busyness, I believe you'll find strategies here that actually work.

If you enjoy books that explore:
~Practical wellness tools you can use right away
~Stories from real heroes in the military, healthcare, and public safety who face chaos regularly
~Mindful movement and breathwork made simple
~How nature, food, journaling, and prayer restore balance
...then Dial Down may be exactly what you're looking for to find inner calmness.

I invite you to weave wellness and connection into your life!

[Char Pachniak]

Dial Down by Raqel Durden. Raquel shares techniques I have used as I work with students that have suffered trauma. This reinforced the work we do mentoring teens at Horizons4Girls as well as giving me some additional techniques and tools to use with at risk teen students. The steps to make this work a doable exercise are extremely beneficial. Time spent with students equals successes.

[Katherine Lorio]

Raquel Durden’s Dial Down: Holistic Strategies to Move from Chaos to Calm reads like an invitation to breathe again.

The book flows beautifully, moving gently from the reality of chaotic moments into practices that help restore steadiness. What stayed with me most were the personal stories—real moments of overwhelm that were slowly transformed through grounding anchors and simple personal mantras. Those stories make the journey from chaos to calm feel possible for anyone.

Durden thoughtfully expands the idea of what “calming down” can look like. Meditation and breathwork are here, but so are yoga, time in nature, whole foods plant-based eating, journaling, prayer, and the healing power of social connection. The practices feel less like instructions and more like pathways—different ways we can return to ourselves.

What makes this book shine is its gentle wisdom. It reminds us that calm isn’t something we stumble upon by accident; it is something we cultivate through small, intentional choices each day.

This book is perfect for anyone feeling overwhelmed, overworked, or simply seeking balance—whether you’re navigating work, parenting, or the challenges of modern life. If you want practical tools delivered with warmth and insight, Dial Down will guide you back to your own calm center.

[Amy Kay]

This is a book that everyone could benefit from reading. In a world where being busy has become a badge of honor, being reminded of the importance to slow down and dial down is critical. The vignettes and stories of individuals experiencing their own level of chaos and then calm are engaging, and there is applicable information throughout the book that can be woven into my life to improve my wellness. The author does an exceptional job of sharing information and making it available, but I didn’t feel any guilt while reading this book about things I haven’t done or may not do. Additionally, I found this a book that is easy for me to share with others, particularly those who are faced with the challenge of cancer. Whether cancer has created the chaos or just life in general, as is my case, I do believe there’s something for everyone to gain from this book.

[Courtney]

Raquel was a stranger to me when I was introduced to her but she fit in fast. The trust was there and the interview followed. She’s authentic and her writing reflects it all while keeping the words true to the storyteller. As a near 30 year law enforcement veteran, Dial Down by Raquel Durden is a refreshing break sprinkled with humor that gives you skills to take into the squad car. We can all picture the KitKat story by Tom and probably have similar stories which still make you laugh hard. The laugh is followed by a sense of focus and recognizing moments where individual peace is found. Profoundly appreciated and recommend the well crafted skills weaved into true story narration penned in Dial Down.

[Carol Ann]

The minute I met Raquel I knew she was a kindred spirit. Reading her book was much of the same.

Raquel is a Yoga Instructor and owns a non-profit serving women who serve. This book embodies a sense of calm while providing practical advice to actually attain more of it for your own life. Opening up with true stories from other veterans, I was instantly hooked. I loved this concept of creating an anchor and a mantra to return to in addition to other ideas to help stay grounded.

Her own story is compelling without overtaking the theme of the book. I finished the book feeling like I knew Raquel more deeply and with a curiosity to look deeper within myself.

[DPD]

This book is an excellent resource you can repeatedly return to as a touchstone for support or to refine your own journey to Dialing Down the noise. Re-read the remarkable stories so effectively woven throughout the book for inspiration and companionship in your walk through the chaos. I highly recommend this book to those returning from deployment or other high intensity life event or individuals navigating the constant noise and chaos of today’s modern world. There is a golden nugget for everyone in this book.

[Jessie]

Any type of First Responder is going to face secondary trauma and stress on the job-it comes with the calling. You will deal with it one way or another. Dial Down offers healthy, holistic approaches to processing that stress and taking care of yourself, so you can continue to serve others while still living your best life. A thoughtful and practical read for anyone in the field.

[amy m. stevens]

Life is hectic. Its easy to forget about self care. Raquel offers some simple strategies with real life voices to help figure out what might work for you. This is a whole person approach. Worth your time.
It was an easy read with chapters so you could come back at your leisure. There are spots for self reflection. Take time out for yourself to check out this book.

[Carol Grout]

This book connected with me in several ways, especially in guiding me to stress reduction through techniques that can calm the nervous system. Many of us live in high-pressure environments, and these ideas are so practical and natural to use in our daily routines. For those feeling chaotic and overwhelmed, “Dial Down” will be a fantastic guide for you!

[Pamela Normam]

Very Helpful! Learning the steps to cultivate calmness in my life has given me tools that I can use every day to relax and focus on things that matter most. The mindfulness and wellness practices have been key for me during this eye opening journey. Having the opportunity to be interviewed and being a friend of the author is what drew me to this book.

[Lori Mauldin]

This is such an easy, informative, great read for ideas on how to weave wellness into your daily routines. Highly recommend!

[Tara Huck]

Raquel’s book is an accessible resource that delivers on its promise to provide tools that can easily help you to weave wellness into your existing schedule. Regardless of the circumstances of your stress, in Dial Down: Holistic Strategies to Move from Chaos to Calm we learn to turn our chaos into calm as Raquel skillfully navigates the reader through a menu of evidence-based offerings to choose from.

As a retired combat veteran, Raquel has been sharing healing strategies within the military community by founding the nonprofit, Humble Warriors Wellness & Yoga. As a practitioner and promoter of wellness, she met with and helped to lead veterans and other first responders and health care professionals to experience calm.

However, this book is much more than a researched guide to improve your health—mental and physical. It is also a beautiful statement on the resilience of the human spirit to be able to journey toward improved health regardless of present chaos.

The stories of resilience are shared from real individuals who have had the opportunity to work with Raquel. These are not just testimonials; they are beautifully told human stories from people who have experienced horrendous chaos. For those of us who are not in dangerous careers it provides a glimpse into the frightening and harrowing situations our military, first responders, and health care professionals live through regularly.

This book is a great resource for anyone who is looking for insight to help manage stressors from work and military service, family and social life, health of self or health of loved ones or any other source of chaos.

I keep coming back to the summary statement Raquel makes: “. . . chaos is not something to fix, avoid, or fear, it’s something to navigate.” Raquel’s work fills a void with hope that each of us can journey towards a calmer way of life.

Note: I was one of the editors on this project.