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Unstressed: How Somatic Awareness Can Transform Your Body's Stress Response and Build Emotional Resilience
In the midst of daily stress and turmoil, this book exposes the power of our emotions to heal us—and offers new hope for reclaiming contentment, connection, and a greater sense of well-being.
Do you feel stressed out during the day and lie awake at night worrying? You’re not alone. In today’s hectic, fast-paced world, stress and anxiety have become a default way of being—as natural to us as breathing air. And because stress is an inevitable part of life, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to learn how to manage and heal it.
This book offers proven ways to help you counter the negative effects that stress has on the body and mind. You’ll also discover practical skills and clinically proven strategies grounded in mindfulness, neurobiology, and positive psychology to help you cultivate deep sense of emotional resilience.
Using the author’s innovative HEART tools (Heartful Engagement And Re-focusing Training), you’ll learn to manage stress by harnessing the power of positive emotions—such as gratitude, compassion, empathy, and hope—leading to a feeling of expansiveness and possibility, and a lived sense of calm, happiness, and vitality.
Do you feel stressed out during the day and lie awake at night worrying? You’re not alone. In today’s hectic, fast-paced world, stress and anxiety have become a default way of being—as natural to us as breathing air. And because stress is an inevitable part of life, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is to learn how to manage and heal it.
This book offers proven ways to help you counter the negative effects that stress has on the body and mind. You’ll also discover practical skills and clinically proven strategies grounded in mindfulness, neurobiology, and positive psychology to help you cultivate deep sense of emotional resilience.
Using the author’s innovative HEART tools (Heartful Engagement And Re-focusing Training), you’ll learn to manage stress by harnessing the power of positive emotions—such as gratitude, compassion, empathy, and hope—leading to a feeling of expansiveness and possibility, and a lived sense of calm, happiness, and vitality.
216 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2019
26 people are currently reading
1269 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 16, 2025
Decent basic overview of material covered better and in more depth in many other texts. Terribly repetitive - every idea is reiterated a dozen times in mildly different ways. We also keep being told what we will learn for the first 100 pages but are offered only journal prompts and self-reflection.
March 13, 2023
I was initially skeptical about this book considering the massive information dump in the beginning. There’s so much detail about psychology methodologies, analogies, and metaphors that I couldn’t understand what was happening. At times, details were oversimplified, that I found myself scoffing aloud at how easy she made it all sound. Despite all of that, I’m glad I stuck it out and finished the book because once I got past those chapters, I found the information I could make sense of.
The actionable steps included are easy to understand, practice, and take part of my daily life. Some of the information before this began to make more sense once pieced together with the writing “homework” as well. I will say that these steps are not easy if you’re not at a point of being honest with yourself. You have to be vulnerable with yourself and your journaling (using the prompts provided). You have to be able to be compassionate and kind towards yourself to make these steps work. And if you're not there yet, it might be challenging to do but not impossible because it takes time to reach that point of being unconditionally empathetic to you.
The journal prompts, and stream of consciousness exercises are designed to help you get to the root of your trauma so that your body no longer reacts to perceived similar situations. Our bodies tend to get stuck in a loop of reactions when triggered by even the slightest hint of a past traumatic experience. Hence, the need to take the time to figure out what is causing it through these prompts/exercises. Once you figure it out, you can take the following action steps the author lists to look at it from another perspective after you’ve taken time to get out of your panic response (also included in the book). There’s more to this, but I will leave you intrigued and hopefully wanting to find out for yourself.
I want to add that the journal prompt to write your obituary as someone who knows you had me thinking about how I’d like others to see me. It changed how I see myself, without even writing a single word, just thinking about my answers. I have not been living my life the way I’d like others to think of me when I’m gone fondly, but I’m on my way there. (Part of the reason I'm writing more reviews has to do with this because I've been a ghost in most aspects of my and other’s lives that I care for. Talk about being honest and vulnerable with myself.😊)
This book is thought-provoking, insightful, and helpful in healing your body’s trauma responses and seeing yourself and others from a different point of view. If you’re looking for some or all of these things, I would suggest giving this book a try.
The actionable steps included are easy to understand, practice, and take part of my daily life. Some of the information before this began to make more sense once pieced together with the writing “homework” as well. I will say that these steps are not easy if you’re not at a point of being honest with yourself. You have to be vulnerable with yourself and your journaling (using the prompts provided). You have to be able to be compassionate and kind towards yourself to make these steps work. And if you're not there yet, it might be challenging to do but not impossible because it takes time to reach that point of being unconditionally empathetic to you.
The journal prompts, and stream of consciousness exercises are designed to help you get to the root of your trauma so that your body no longer reacts to perceived similar situations. Our bodies tend to get stuck in a loop of reactions when triggered by even the slightest hint of a past traumatic experience. Hence, the need to take the time to figure out what is causing it through these prompts/exercises. Once you figure it out, you can take the following action steps the author lists to look at it from another perspective after you’ve taken time to get out of your panic response (also included in the book). There’s more to this, but I will leave you intrigued and hopefully wanting to find out for yourself.
I want to add that the journal prompt to write your obituary as someone who knows you had me thinking about how I’d like others to see me. It changed how I see myself, without even writing a single word, just thinking about my answers. I have not been living my life the way I’d like others to think of me when I’m gone fondly, but I’m on my way there. (Part of the reason I'm writing more reviews has to do with this because I've been a ghost in most aspects of my and other’s lives that I care for. Talk about being honest and vulnerable with myself.😊)
This book is thought-provoking, insightful, and helpful in healing your body’s trauma responses and seeing yourself and others from a different point of view. If you’re looking for some or all of these things, I would suggest giving this book a try.
January 31, 2021
You know you’ve encountered a snake oil salesman when literally halfway through the book you’re still hearing how transformative these strategies will be for your life, but you are still waiting to hear the strategies. Then, the subtle mention of workshops she leads around the country and how this on woman was able to blah blah blah with what she learned in the workshop. This book is clearly the tool to sell you into her workshops. No, thank you. No.
June 25, 2021
For some reason this book rubbed me the wrong way; I didn’t really enjoy her writing style and felt that a lot of it was fluff. I also think the majority of the book was spent talking about how transformative somatic awareness is, but very little was done in providing actual real-life ways to incorporate this - and most of the exercises revolved around journaling an experience. It was also quite repetitive - the book could have been half as long and twice as good. While some exercises could be helpful and she put forth one or two new ideas, this book was very basic and pulled on a lot of work that others have done (and who have written better books). Could be helpful to some who are very unfamiliar with getting in touch with their bodies and are just getting their feet wet in somatic awareness I suppose.
February 10, 2020
Alane Daugherty has written a book for all of us and the world we live in. This book is relevant and will help all of us understand the overstressed nature of our lives. Although the book covers a difficult topic, it is easy to read and Alane Daugherty brilliantly explains the effects of stress on our brain and body.
She describes what life could be like and invites the reader to take a journey into a new way. The practices she outlines here help to make real and lasting change. This book is a tool we all need in our toolboxes!
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts
She describes what life could be like and invites the reader to take a journey into a new way. The practices she outlines here help to make real and lasting change. This book is a tool we all need in our toolboxes!
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts
December 30, 2019
Somatic awareness aka gratitude practice is pretty well covered in many areas, and to be honest, this book is a good primer, but it's not groundbreaking. If you need to start somewhere, this would be a good place to start, but offers less to advanced gratitude and mindfulness work, in my opinion.
Still, a worthwhile primer if you're looking for a good basis for gratitude, but I do think 'somatic awareness' is pretty much going to be offputting, and possibly should be labelled 'gratitude' for those looking for a no-nonsense guide.
Still, a worthwhile primer if you're looking for a good basis for gratitude, but I do think 'somatic awareness' is pretty much going to be offputting, and possibly should be labelled 'gratitude' for those looking for a no-nonsense guide.
December 22, 2019
Dr Alane's book shows us how we can make incremental changes and, like a small rudder on a large ship, chart a new course to a healthier, more fulfilling place. Too often in our everyday lives, our brain initiates a 'fight or flight' response before we are even able to recognize that a fear response to a perceived stressful situation is unwarranted. Dr Alane teaches us how to recognize these situations and the unhealthy physiological responses that result. Her exercises take us from 'mindful awareness to heartful engagement', by asking us to pause, release our negative reactivity, and instead, choose to react out of gratitude, empathy, compassion, hope and finally, love. Through practice and repetition, we rewire how we react to everyday situations in a way that allows us to live in a more calm and connected state. The more time we spend in this state, the healthier and happier we become. Through her exercises and our practice, we are given the 'gift of shift' and are able to transform our lives. UNSTRESSED could help you change your life.
July 8, 2021
This book was fair in my perspective for many reasons:
1) Due to my previous reading & studying of somatic methods for healing, majority of this information was stuff I already knew and learned w/ a different language applied to it
2) As a therapist in private practice who works mostly with LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and people of other marginalized and/or intersectional identities, the exercises & reflections offered in the book are inaccessible for a variety of reasons and don't come from an explicitly stated trauma-informed perspective (not saying the author had to fit that perspective, but the info is largely unhelpful for me & my clients in that way)
3) It read like a lengthy literature review of information around stress, neuroscience, and somatics (albeit, the somatic aspect being limited IMO)
But, that's all to say that I gave it 2 stars because I believe this book could be helpful for the audience it is being targeted at - which seems to me to a more privileged audience w/ high accessibility and those who haven't read much self-help/self-growth related material.
1) Due to my previous reading & studying of somatic methods for healing, majority of this information was stuff I already knew and learned w/ a different language applied to it
2) As a therapist in private practice who works mostly with LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and people of other marginalized and/or intersectional identities, the exercises & reflections offered in the book are inaccessible for a variety of reasons and don't come from an explicitly stated trauma-informed perspective (not saying the author had to fit that perspective, but the info is largely unhelpful for me & my clients in that way)
3) It read like a lengthy literature review of information around stress, neuroscience, and somatics (albeit, the somatic aspect being limited IMO)
But, that's all to say that I gave it 2 stars because I believe this book could be helpful for the audience it is being targeted at - which seems to me to a more privileged audience w/ high accessibility and those who haven't read much self-help/self-growth related material.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2023
This book revolves around Daugherty's work with somatic healing and her HEART (Heartful Engagement and Re-focusing Training) technique, which helps people to better manage their stress levels using things like gratitude and empathy.
I think this book could be helpful for someone who has zero background with trauma or somatic work. For someone like me, many of the points were re-hashing's of things I've already learned. The way the book was structured was also pretty frustrating. A lot of time is spent reiterating what was just talked about or setting up what is going to be covered in each chapter. It felt like there was a word count that needed to be met. Additionally, the way sources were cited felt distracting (instead of just using footnotes or an appendix at the end).
I'm sure Daugherty has helped a lot of people in her workshops (it is something she seems to mention quite a bit in the book), but this wasn't something that was very eye-opening or helpful to me as a whole.
*Free copy provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I think this book could be helpful for someone who has zero background with trauma or somatic work. For someone like me, many of the points were re-hashing's of things I've already learned. The way the book was structured was also pretty frustrating. A lot of time is spent reiterating what was just talked about or setting up what is going to be covered in each chapter. It felt like there was a word count that needed to be met. Additionally, the way sources were cited felt distracting (instead of just using footnotes or an appendix at the end).
I'm sure Daugherty has helped a lot of people in her workshops (it is something she seems to mention quite a bit in the book), but this wasn't something that was very eye-opening or helpful to me as a whole.
*Free copy provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
January 18, 2020
A very focused and practice oriented book that will allow you to define and address the root causes of your stress and approaches to deal with it.
The author a Phd and researcher into the topic goes into great detail relating from her own experiences.
There is a lot here to examine for sure and those willing to take the time and effort would certainly gain insights and possibly solutions. I found the book rather hard to follow as it is laced with a lot of psychological jargon and at times dry discussion on the topic.
The author keys much of her methodology to analyzing and dealing with her own acute stress level and an encounter that related to her father. The concepts may have value for those dedicated to finding the answers however it seemed to me that for some, like myself, though some understanding may be achieved in the reading; committing to the level of dedication and journaling required would probably not happen.
The author a Phd and researcher into the topic goes into great detail relating from her own experiences.
There is a lot here to examine for sure and those willing to take the time and effort would certainly gain insights and possibly solutions. I found the book rather hard to follow as it is laced with a lot of psychological jargon and at times dry discussion on the topic.
The author keys much of her methodology to analyzing and dealing with her own acute stress level and an encounter that related to her father. The concepts may have value for those dedicated to finding the answers however it seemed to me that for some, like myself, though some understanding may be achieved in the reading; committing to the level of dedication and journaling required would probably not happen.
October 8, 2019
I appreciate that Alane K. Daugherty, PhD, is able to explain the science behind stress and depression in such an accessible way. Her personal stories are relatable and add a lot of value to the book. The book features useful, thought-provoking exercises for dealing with stress. I was able to complete the exercises easily and found that they helped me deep-dive into difficult situations and discover possible solutions. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to develop resiliency and manage their daily stressors.
Thank you to New Harbinger Publications, Inc. and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced reader’s edition in exchange for an honest review.
Read-A-Likes: Own Your Anxiety by Julian Brass and The Little Book of Energy Healing Techniques by Karen Frazier.
Thank you to New Harbinger Publications, Inc. and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced reader’s edition in exchange for an honest review.
Read-A-Likes: Own Your Anxiety by Julian Brass and The Little Book of Energy Healing Techniques by Karen Frazier.
July 26, 2019
** Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review **
Me gusto el enfoque que tiene en el libro, ya que se enfoca, tanto en lo físico, como en lo psicológico del problema del estrés, pasa por la parte física, y por la emocional. Propone actividades practicas, que siempre ayudan a entender los conceptos, y ademas a trasladarlos a la realidad. Tiene una buena introducción, donde uno puede informarse exactamente de qué puede obtener de este material, que igualmente es un poco larga. La lectura del libro es fácil, y esta al alcance de cualquiera.
Me gusto el enfoque que tiene en el libro, ya que se enfoca, tanto en lo físico, como en lo psicológico del problema del estrés, pasa por la parte física, y por la emocional. Propone actividades practicas, que siempre ayudan a entender los conceptos, y ademas a trasladarlos a la realidad. Tiene una buena introducción, donde uno puede informarse exactamente de qué puede obtener de este material, que igualmente es un poco larga. La lectura del libro es fácil, y esta al alcance de cualquiera.
January 16, 2021
I don’t feel like I can fairly rate this book until I complete the exercises that are essential to the understanding of the process the author describes. I would love to have a partner or a group to hold me accountable to actually doing all of the writing and contemplation required. The process sounds reasonable - understand what triggers our fear response and then actively work to replace those negative emotions and memories with positive, energy building experiences that replenish.
August 9, 2023
Definitely the best of the books I've had to read for my continuing ed classes so far. There is still a lot of stuff here that I already knew, especially concerning the physiology of the stress response, but it also had a lot about personal connection and ways that it can help shape our stress response for the better.
January 1, 2020
This book has became another item in my toolbox in helping me deal with my lifelong battle with anxiety and stress. A compassionate and calmer way is possible. I'm grateful when an author takes the time to provide us with something we can use for a lifetime. Thank you!
June 23, 2020
This book has been a huge help for my stress management. After completing the book I have found it helpful to refer back to different exercises and passages when I am experiencing moments of stress. It is helpful to reread the passages and practice them regularly. Highly recommend!
August 1, 2019
Unstressed is a useful book with a lot of good information and advice. There isn't any new insights in this book that can't be found in dozens of others. Well written.
December 20, 2020
Not a bad premise or explaination, it's just boring.
March 19, 2021
Read this for a class; lots of helpful activities and suggestions
January 8, 2024
I read this book for a class I was taking. I thought it was very interesting and had good exercises to help with mindfulness and stress responses.
May 26, 2025
enjoyed the journal prompts
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews