Learn to Relax: Proven Techniques for Reducing Stress, Tension, and Anxiety--and Promoting Peak Performance

by C. Eugene Walker

Effective techniques and step-by-step exercises for mental and physical relaxationDr. C. Eugene Walker’s relaxation techniques have helped thousands of people find relief from tension and stress. In this updated edition of his bestselling Learn to Relax, Walker explains how creative problem-solving and decision-making can keep you from feeling overwhelmed and improve your ability to cope with everyday worries. Inside, you’ll find specific techniques–many of them new–that have proven successful in conquering anxiety. Also new to this edition are over 40 stress management exercises to help you better understand the concepts and apply them to your own needs–whether your periods of stress are brief and mild or you suffer from more severe, long-lasting bouts of anxiety. Fast, simple, and effective, Learn to Relax lets you beat stress and gain control of your life. Praise for the First Edition: "A very clear and well-written book on anxiety that briefly and authoritatively presents many techniques that can be helpful to almost any reader."–Albert Ellis, PhD, bestselling author of How to Make Yourself Happy: And Remarkably Less Disturbable

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Psychology

234 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1975

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could tell that this was originally written awhile ago by some of the references that were cited, but most of the advice and techniques for stress reduction included in Learn to Relax are timeless. It's a fairly solid self help title for someone who is dealing with generalized anxiety and wants to develop some effective coping mechanisms.

If you are looking for more books/audiobooks like this one, I'd recommend Overcoming Fears by Louise Hay, Meditation for Optimum Health by Andrew Weil, and Relax Rx by Steven Gurgevich.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was at times very informative and helpful and other times, I felt like I could have written it as I suffer from anxiety. I would highly recommend it to others, children and adults alike, to read and gain insight from this book. We don't have to live in an anxious world.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a scientific approach to analyzing/locating sources of tension and utilizing relaxation techniques to reduce the stress.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of techniques you can use to address stress and anxiety. Many or most are ones I have learned or been exposed to previously but they were still a good review. It talks about causes of stress and anxiety and includes example exercises you can do to help alleviate the effects. It is well written and includes easy to understand concepts and exercises.

[Seham]

تعلم فن الاسترخاء عوضا عن الركض خلف الحيوات المسالمة، تعلم الصدق عوض التلافيق التي اعتدت صياغتها منذ سنين، تعلم التعود على ان هناك خلق غيرك في الكون، ان الله لم يجعلك تستأثر به وحدك، تعود ان تسمع وان تحترم وان تعرف متى وكيف تستخدم ما وهبك اياه في خيرك وخير البشر. لست وحدك تعلم معنى حقيقة كلمة التسامح مع الاخرين، الا تمل من طمس حقيقة ان الأخرين هم فعلا مسالمون؟؟.

[R0gue13 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quick Summary........Get Professional Help.

[Karina Reyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick read on mostly known info about relaxation. But it's worth being reminded.

[Alesia · Rating 4 out of 5]

a lil more technical than I was looking for but got great information both for myself n my project

[Salem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book especially for derealztion and depersonalization

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, the book has some great (but dated) introductory advice for managing anxiety (assertion practice, systematic desensitization, realistic goal management, relaxation exercises).

[Ronda Morelock · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audio reader sounds robotic. I feel like a drone is trying to teach emotion. Sci-fi stuff. Helpful information. Some good relaxation information.

[Starbubbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personally, I really liked this book. I liked that it has instructional guidance as well as background knowledge.

[Hewitt Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

The relaxing technique described in the book is very effective.

[Brooke Steffen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great CBT- based information on handling stress!

[Shaima hamada · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب جميل ومثري جدا💗
باختصار هو مكون من 14 فصل تندرج تحت عناوين رئيسيه في طرق خفض التوتر والقلق
وفي آخر كل فصل يوجد تطبيق للطريقه إلى تم شرحها
مناسب حتى لغير المتخصصين، طرق سهله وبسيطه
..

[Karen JEC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. Female voice, mostly even tone, suitable for x2 speed (except on a busy subway).

I liked the overall ideas presented. It gives voice to a lot of advice that you may have already picked up over the years but need to hear again ever once in a while to stay on track and keep calm. Take it to heart! You'll live a longer, healthier, happier life.

Favourite quotes:

"If you can't fight or flee, flow."

"Work will expand or contract to fill the time that one has to perform it." ~ C.N. Parkinson

"Things take longer than they do."

"We do what we do at the expense of something else we might have done."

"It is often possible to take a wild idea and tame it, making it a very creative and valuable solution to a problem."

[Josh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio book.

I tried to see this book as average and give it no rating, arguing that it cd be useful for a youth dealing with anxiety for the first time. And that I don't disagree w most of it. But I can't do it. It's so trivial and full of clichés and common knowledge laid out linearly. And it doesn't even encourage or give relatable stories. It's like the book is trying not to help you with anxiety and living with it, but to explain what everybody says about what anxiety is like and the general ideas around the topic of relieving it. For me it's a 1 out of 5, but objectively it cd be useful to someone, so it's a meh-3. So my final rating is 2.

[Cmadler · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very superficial look at common techniques for coping with anxiety. Not at all what I was expecting, and even if that's what I was looking for, it didn't seem particularly helpful. You could get the information contained in this book from about 20 minutes of browsing Wikipedia and a medical website or two. Not terrible for what it is, but clearly a book whose time has passed...about 10 years ago.

[LemontreeLime · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually quite a sneaky book. Short, looks like a simple relaxation how-to.... and inside there are some serious psychological slap downs and has the effect of a crowbar on the brain. Will be keeping this one.

[Tisha · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book has been overcome by the Internet. It was like listening to the wikipedia pages for meditation, hypnosis, and every possible mental health professional. Not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this.

[Miss Kelly]

Great audiobook. Hands on activities and mediation activities to decrease anxiety and stress. I wouldn't mind owning this book. I found it very helpful book filled with helpful suggestion s and actions to alleviate stress and anxiety.

[Susan B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightfully short and chock-full of relaxation advice.

[David Landry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting material.

[Alexi M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook. Oversimplified. But I did find some of the information helpful.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt it was pretty generic and I didn't learn too much. Maybe I was looking at it too much from a medical perspective. It talks about some different techniques, but I wasn't impressed.

[Crystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and to the point. Great relaxation techniques.