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The Art of Taking It Easy: How to Cope with Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life's Stressors
From a psychologist and stand-up comedian comes a practical, yet laugh-out-loud guide to embracing humor to reduce stress and live a happier, fuller life.
Dr. Brian King got a degree in psychology before becoming a world-touring comic and the host of humor therapy seminars attended by more than ten thousand people each year. In this brilliant guide he presents hands-on techniques for managing stress by rewiring our brains to approach potentially difficult situations through a lens of positivity. To do so, Dr. King explores what stress is, where it comes from, and what it does to our bodies and brains. He delves deep into how to address everyday stress—as well as anxiety, insecurities, repression, and negativity—and gives insight into resulting ailments such as anxiety disorders, depression, hypertension, obesity, substance abuse disorders, and more. Dr. King’s techniques are chemical and cost free, and embrace humor, resilience, relaxation, optimism, gratitude, and acceptance. Instead of a dry medical approach to dealing with stress, this unique volume is filled with life-changing tips and instructions presented with humor and a wealth of memorable, smile-inducing anecdotes.
Dr. Brian King got a degree in psychology before becoming a world-touring comic and the host of humor therapy seminars attended by more than ten thousand people each year. In this brilliant guide he presents hands-on techniques for managing stress by rewiring our brains to approach potentially difficult situations through a lens of positivity. To do so, Dr. King explores what stress is, where it comes from, and what it does to our bodies and brains. He delves deep into how to address everyday stress—as well as anxiety, insecurities, repression, and negativity—and gives insight into resulting ailments such as anxiety disorders, depression, hypertension, obesity, substance abuse disorders, and more. Dr. King’s techniques are chemical and cost free, and embrace humor, resilience, relaxation, optimism, gratitude, and acceptance. Instead of a dry medical approach to dealing with stress, this unique volume is filled with life-changing tips and instructions presented with humor and a wealth of memorable, smile-inducing anecdotes.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2019
2825 people are currently reading
5181 people want to read
About the author
Brian King
5 books67 followersDr. Brian King trained as a neuroscientist and psychologist and for the past decade has traveled the world as a comedian and public speaker. By day he conducts seminars, presented nationwide and attended by thousands of people each year, on positive psychology, the health benefits of humor, and stress management. By night he practices what he teaches in comedy clubs. Dr. Brian began performing stand-up comedy in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2009, and has performed hundreds of shows around the world. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas, a master's degree from the University of New Orleans, and a PhD from Bowling Green State University, and is the author of The Laughing Cure. Dr. Brian hails from New York City and today spends his life on the road, traveling regularly with his partner, Sarah, and their young daughter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews
April 28, 2020
This book is so good, it's as if I wrote it myself!
April 22, 2021
I picked this up because it was being promoted in Libby. I stopped reading after the first two chapters (around 41% through the book, according to Libby) despite giving it an honest try. On one level, this book just didn't click with me personally. I think I would've enjoyed the conversational style more if this were a podcast or a video series.
However, my bigger problem with the book is that the author doesn't seem to understand how to reach the target audience. The actual information about human physiology is interspersed with lengthy personal anecdotes. That's fine for entertainment value, but over and over, the author says in this sort of bemused way that he's never gotten particularly stressed out, or he didn't know why a person in his life got so stressed out. It comes across as very dismissive.
He offers caveats early on about how the book is intended for people who just get stressed out about small things for no reason, not people with diagnosable depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The thing is that due to woefully inadequate mental healthcare coverage, a lot of people with those illnesses don't know that they have them. They don't understand why they're suffering so much and they feel deeply ashamed about overreacting to everyday life things. Reading this sort of advice only reinforces the shame without giving them tools to break free from the cycle.
The number of pages devoted to laughing at other people's road rage is exhausting. For a more practical and compassionate book on managing one's own stress responses and not being so high-strung all the time, I'd recommend Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle or Exercise for Mood and Anxiety: Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-Being.
However, my bigger problem with the book is that the author doesn't seem to understand how to reach the target audience. The actual information about human physiology is interspersed with lengthy personal anecdotes. That's fine for entertainment value, but over and over, the author says in this sort of bemused way that he's never gotten particularly stressed out, or he didn't know why a person in his life got so stressed out. It comes across as very dismissive.
He offers caveats early on about how the book is intended for people who just get stressed out about small things for no reason, not people with diagnosable depression, anxiety, and PTSD. The thing is that due to woefully inadequate mental healthcare coverage, a lot of people with those illnesses don't know that they have them. They don't understand why they're suffering so much and they feel deeply ashamed about overreacting to everyday life things. Reading this sort of advice only reinforces the shame without giving them tools to break free from the cycle.
The number of pages devoted to laughing at other people's road rage is exhausting. For a more practical and compassionate book on managing one's own stress responses and not being so high-strung all the time, I'd recommend Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle or Exercise for Mood and Anxiety: Proven Strategies for Overcoming Depression and Enhancing Well-Being.
April 15, 2021
**Big Library Read for April, 2021.** Brian King is both a doctor of psychology and a stand-up comedian. Weird combination, right? But his comedic ability allows him to speak and write with humor about some of life's problems. This is a fun and informative read with an emphasis on being optimistic, resilient and a problem solver. As they used to say in my youth, 'Go with the flow.'
April 15, 2021
I read this for the Big Library Read of April 2021. I think that's important to note since I'm a hard sell on self-help books, so take my review with the appropriate amount of salt.
A little bit on my background with stress, resilience, and happiness. I have a high stress job which involves dealing with angry people, potential loss of life, and urgent deadlines. I interact with hundreds of people every day. I have a high debt-to-income ratio, I'm the primary earner for my household, and I generally consider myself a high strung Type A person. For those who are into astrology, I'm a Capricorn.
Because of this I have spent a lot of time managing stress. I have a relatively large number of things in common with the author. I'm the child of an Air Force enlisted officer and the first generation in my family not to enlist since we immigrated to the US. I grew up in a middle-class family, I'm white and able-bodied, I haven't had kids at the age of 30, and have spent a decent amount of time traveling with my family.
I cannot say I would recommend this book to my friends who seem really stressed. The reason is that this author's perspective is limited by his privilege, and the majority of people I know have more "bears" in their life than "traffic" to use the author's way of framing things. The author uses bears to describe serious things that are actual threats, and traffic to describe things that generally won't cause you harm.
The first portion of the book is dedicated to addressing this "bears vs traffic" and also introduces some concepts about how your brain functions. After explaining how to sort stressors/threats into things that are serious concerns and things that aren't, the author tells you to then ask what you can do about it. I would like to point out that this is literally a "worry matrix" or an "Eisenhower matrix." I learned about this from Air Force officers and I'm sure the author did as well.
The next portion of the book addresses ways you can manage stress by developing your problem solving behaviors and focusing on the positive. All of this is addressed in Dale Carnegie's 1944 book "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living." The primary difference between King's work and Carnegie's is that King inserts some humor into his writing. However, I would not necessarily consider this a positive, since a lot of the humor is either based on current events or is typical Boomer Humor. Think "ha ha wife bad" type jokes, although the author clearly loves his wife, it doesn't stop him from making these jokes about his mother or friends' wives. The current event jokes (Marvel, The Emoji Movie, and Facebook are all mentioned) are already outdated references and this book was published less than a year ago.
Finally, the author addresses some common stressors that people experience, notably bad health and financial worries. The author's advice is "eat less and exercise more" and "just stop being poor" respectively. Not only is this incredibly dismissive of struggles, but very much comes from a place of privilege. It is nice that the author has the ability to just go to a doctor when he is sick. Amusingly, the author, after saying he recommends eating less and exercising more to lose weight, found that one of the reasons he struggled with his own weight is that he had sleep apnea and there was an underlying medical condition that once addressed, reduced his weight. So, in this arena, the author is preaching things he does not practice. I will add that the general attitude regarding weight is quite fatphobic and operates on the assumption that thin = healthy, so if you have a history of an eating disorder I would absolutely steer clear of this book.
In summary, this may help someone but it did not help me, and I think all of the valuable wisdom in this book has been covered by the likes of Eisenhower and Carnegie.
A little bit on my background with stress, resilience, and happiness. I have a high stress job which involves dealing with angry people, potential loss of life, and urgent deadlines. I interact with hundreds of people every day. I have a high debt-to-income ratio, I'm the primary earner for my household, and I generally consider myself a high strung Type A person. For those who are into astrology, I'm a Capricorn.
Because of this I have spent a lot of time managing stress. I have a relatively large number of things in common with the author. I'm the child of an Air Force enlisted officer and the first generation in my family not to enlist since we immigrated to the US. I grew up in a middle-class family, I'm white and able-bodied, I haven't had kids at the age of 30, and have spent a decent amount of time traveling with my family.
I cannot say I would recommend this book to my friends who seem really stressed. The reason is that this author's perspective is limited by his privilege, and the majority of people I know have more "bears" in their life than "traffic" to use the author's way of framing things. The author uses bears to describe serious things that are actual threats, and traffic to describe things that generally won't cause you harm.
The first portion of the book is dedicated to addressing this "bears vs traffic" and also introduces some concepts about how your brain functions. After explaining how to sort stressors/threats into things that are serious concerns and things that aren't, the author tells you to then ask what you can do about it. I would like to point out that this is literally a "worry matrix" or an "Eisenhower matrix." I learned about this from Air Force officers and I'm sure the author did as well.
The next portion of the book addresses ways you can manage stress by developing your problem solving behaviors and focusing on the positive. All of this is addressed in Dale Carnegie's 1944 book "How to Stop Worrying and Start Living." The primary difference between King's work and Carnegie's is that King inserts some humor into his writing. However, I would not necessarily consider this a positive, since a lot of the humor is either based on current events or is typical Boomer Humor. Think "ha ha wife bad" type jokes, although the author clearly loves his wife, it doesn't stop him from making these jokes about his mother or friends' wives. The current event jokes (Marvel, The Emoji Movie, and Facebook are all mentioned) are already outdated references and this book was published less than a year ago.
Finally, the author addresses some common stressors that people experience, notably bad health and financial worries. The author's advice is "eat less and exercise more" and "just stop being poor" respectively. Not only is this incredibly dismissive of struggles, but very much comes from a place of privilege. It is nice that the author has the ability to just go to a doctor when he is sick. Amusingly, the author, after saying he recommends eating less and exercising more to lose weight, found that one of the reasons he struggled with his own weight is that he had sleep apnea and there was an underlying medical condition that once addressed, reduced his weight. So, in this arena, the author is preaching things he does not practice. I will add that the general attitude regarding weight is quite fatphobic and operates on the assumption that thin = healthy, so if you have a history of an eating disorder I would absolutely steer clear of this book.
In summary, this may help someone but it did not help me, and I think all of the valuable wisdom in this book has been covered by the likes of Eisenhower and Carnegie.
November 17, 2019
I recommend this book for anyone that suffers from negative or worrisome feelings (I think that's everyone, because that's just life). The book has given me tools/concepts that are changing the way I think and make me a better contributor in this complicated world that seems to thrive on those negative feelings. The advice is simple to follow and apply even though it's not really written like a "self help" book.
I have already used the concepts to help myself and my kids in situations that we normally might call "stressful." I can look at a problem as a challenge instead of a threatening situation, and remind myself I'm a master problem solver (because of my life-battle scars...). Often I find the problem isn't a problem at all.
You have to read the book to articulate your OWN meaning . There are other great tidbits too and lots of resources cited so you can branch off in more depth on specific topics if you want. Also, I laughed out loud a few times :)
In summary I hope you read this book to help yourself and help others.
I have already used the concepts to help myself and my kids in situations that we normally might call "stressful." I can look at a problem as a challenge instead of a threatening situation, and remind myself I'm a master problem solver (because of my life-battle scars...). Often I find the problem isn't a problem at all.
You have to read the book to articulate your OWN meaning . There are other great tidbits too and lots of resources cited so you can branch off in more depth on specific topics if you want. Also, I laughed out loud a few times :)
In summary I hope you read this book to help yourself and help others.
April 8, 2021
Picked up as this year's Big Library Read.
Not my usual jam, I found it neither funny nor self-helpful.
Do people really need to be told this stuff? Does it change their lives? It's basic stuff. Don't stress about traffic, you're not going to die from it and you can't change it. The end.
Not my usual jam, I found it neither funny nor self-helpful.
Do people really need to be told this stuff? Does it change their lives? It's basic stuff. Don't stress about traffic, you're not going to die from it and you can't change it. The end.
March 28, 2021
Do not read this book.
It’s a nest of positive psychology wasps. Half-truths, shallow generalizations, empty anecdotes based on little to no research as well as admitted-to exaggerations “for effect” ready to sting you with judgemental and superstitious remarks.
Safe to say, I am greatly disappointed with this work. To say the least.
Will not read his other book “The Laughing Cure”. If you are looking for ideas on living a more satisfying life, go elsewhere than this lengthy piece of platitudes that screams “ignorance is bliss” while insulting its readers.
It’s a nest of positive psychology wasps. Half-truths, shallow generalizations, empty anecdotes based on little to no research as well as admitted-to exaggerations “for effect” ready to sting you with judgemental and superstitious remarks.
Safe to say, I am greatly disappointed with this work. To say the least.
Will not read his other book “The Laughing Cure”. If you are looking for ideas on living a more satisfying life, go elsewhere than this lengthy piece of platitudes that screams “ignorance is bliss” while insulting its readers.
April 26, 2021
If you took a shot everytime this book mentions bears, you'd die.
I picked up this book as Libby were promoting it for the Big Read and gave up around the 50% mark. This wasn't for me at all. It read like the authors' diary, rather than a self-help book, and when it comes to the important details (the helping part) the author skips them. A lot. Yet he talks about bears and his own life in great detail.
Too many bears, not enough advice.
I picked up this book as Libby were promoting it for the Big Read and gave up around the 50% mark. This wasn't for me at all. It read like the authors' diary, rather than a self-help book, and when it comes to the important details (the helping part) the author skips them. A lot. Yet he talks about bears and his own life in great detail.
Too many bears, not enough advice.
April 13, 2021
I read this book because it was the Big Read for the Seattle Public Library. The author seems strangely oblivious to the shallowness of the "stressors" he cites. He seems think his serene mindset stems primarily from his personal positive attitude, rather than from a mix of historical and demographic advantages. While, of course, a positive attitude can help de-escalate small irritants, it's not going to help anyone sail through major obstacles. The author's most devastating life event appears to have been a flooded condo, and he sounds way too much like Norman Vincent Peale for my taste. The book's message seems especially tone-deaf in the context of Covid and the massive social inequalities it has exposed.
I gave it two (rather than one) stars because the science parts were interesting.
I gave it two (rather than one) stars because the science parts were interesting.
January 28, 2020
As a young 25 year old I can’t relate to the parenting methods of this book but being from the Canadian Rockies I am 100% aware of the stressors bears bring to my life. This book has taught me to take a deep breath and live in the moment
April 28, 2021
This was April 2021's Big Library Read on Overdrive. I snagged it on a whim and it was boring. But at least it didn't stress me out! Ha. Yeah, King was trying too hard to be funny. He pegs himself a comedian but I didn't find him all that humorous. I also didn't find much in this book helpful in dealing with stress or anxiety or worry. Just because there's no "reason" doesn't mean you're going to stop. Thinking logically about why you're stressed/anxious/worried or thinking about what I can or can't do about it will not stop me from worrying that my husband will crash when he's flying solo in a plane (He's a private pilot). It's in our nature to worry about the people and things we love. But I am not a stressed, anxious, or worried person all the time so maybe other people will get more out of this than I did. I just couldn't connect with King. Might've been better on audio, which is how I like my nonfiction and especially self-help anyway but that was not available.
April 15, 2021
- A lot of food for thoughts about how we handle stress, what are it’s effects and what are the alternatives, excellent reminder on why it’s important to not stress over small things
- Interesting to read a book written from a stand up comedian: it’s like reading stand up comedy - it takes a couple of chapters to get used to it
- Really smart and funny, made me laugh out loud
- sometimes and especially in the first half of the book the examples were kept to a few different ones and it made it difficult for me to generalize the topic to other situations
- would recommend for anyone who’s looking for an easy entertaining read
- Interesting to read a book written from a stand up comedian: it’s like reading stand up comedy - it takes a couple of chapters to get used to it
- Really smart and funny, made me laugh out loud
- sometimes and especially in the first half of the book the examples were kept to a few different ones and it made it difficult for me to generalize the topic to other situations
- would recommend for anyone who’s looking for an easy entertaining read
April 22, 2021
This was an okay read. Not nearly as humorous as I anticipated. There was a bit of, "I've figured this out naturally, but here's research that supports why I'm fine." Little thin on actual coping techniques.
I think Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers is a better read for the topic.
I think Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers is a better read for the topic.
April 23, 2021
OverDrive's Big Library Read April 2021. Looked to be so many of my favorite things. Not for me. It felt condescending and not funny. I was angry by the end of the preface and done after chapter one.
October 18, 2023
This book started off really intriguing, but as I read on, it felt like the author ran out of ideas and was just trying to fill the pages. It seemed to me like the author had this amazing concept for the book, but then couldn't figure out how to keep it going.
October 3, 2020
Começo por agradecer à editora Pergaminho por gentilmente me ter cedido um exemplar deste livrinho de forma a partilhar convosco a minha opinião.
Tal como aconteceu com o autor, desde cedo sempre me disseram que eu era uma pessoa calma, ou pelo menos aparentava isso, e acabei até por escolher uma actividade profissional muito stressante, sem que isso, até agora, tenha elevado os meus níveis de stress a ponto de influenciar negativamente a minha vida. No entanto, há sempre alguns triggers mais difíceis de gerir e quando vi este livro, além da capa me ter captado a atenção, a sinopse conquistou-me, tinha de o ler. Por um lado, queria saber se ando a gerir o meu stresse da forma certa e, por outro, queria descobrir novas ferramentas adaptativas. O facto do autor ser psicólogo e propor-se a explicar o stresse com base na ciência e na psicologia confere a este livro uma maior credibilidade face à imensidão de livros de auto-ajuda que por aí andam e que muitas vezes carecem de fundamento (para seguir conselhos de famosos creio que dou conta do recado sozinha!).
O que podem esperar desta leitura? Podem contar com um tempo muito bem passado na companhia de um comediante, que enquanto vos explica a ciência por detrás do stresse vos arranca uma ou outra gargalhada. A vossa cultura geral ficará, certamente, também mais rica.
No fundo encaramos pequenas ameaças como se de um ataque de um urso se tratasse e activamos mecanismos que nos deixam exaustos e stressados sem necessidade. Este livro tem conselhos práticos para identificarmos os verdadeiros ursos da nossa vida e minimizarmos os ataques de pequenos ursos de pelúcia inofensivos. O stress nem sempre é uma coisa má (quem nunca acabou um trabalho com muita eficácia porque estava mesmo em cima do prazo?), mas é prejudicial quando influencia negativamente a nossa vida, quando estamos sempre stressados sem um motivo válido.
O optimismo, a resiliência, a capacidade de solucionar problemas, a sensação de termos o controlo e o poder do riso parecem influenciar positivamente a nossa capacidade de lidar com o stresse, o autor debruça-se de forma cuidada nestas temáticas sobre as quais gostei muito de ler. Fiquei contente porque já diariamente usava alguns truques que Brian King partilha com o leitor e vou com certeza aproveitar outros! As explicações não são enfadonhas e parece mesmo que estamos numa conversa, a aprender, e a ouvir as histórias caricatas de um amigo próximo.
Recomendo! Não sendo uma cura milagrosa para o stresse, nem para outras patologias que ele desencadeia, é uma óptima leitura para reflectirmos e melhorarmos.
Tal como aconteceu com o autor, desde cedo sempre me disseram que eu era uma pessoa calma, ou pelo menos aparentava isso, e acabei até por escolher uma actividade profissional muito stressante, sem que isso, até agora, tenha elevado os meus níveis de stress a ponto de influenciar negativamente a minha vida. No entanto, há sempre alguns triggers mais difíceis de gerir e quando vi este livro, além da capa me ter captado a atenção, a sinopse conquistou-me, tinha de o ler. Por um lado, queria saber se ando a gerir o meu stresse da forma certa e, por outro, queria descobrir novas ferramentas adaptativas. O facto do autor ser psicólogo e propor-se a explicar o stresse com base na ciência e na psicologia confere a este livro uma maior credibilidade face à imensidão de livros de auto-ajuda que por aí andam e que muitas vezes carecem de fundamento (para seguir conselhos de famosos creio que dou conta do recado sozinha!).
O que podem esperar desta leitura? Podem contar com um tempo muito bem passado na companhia de um comediante, que enquanto vos explica a ciência por detrás do stresse vos arranca uma ou outra gargalhada. A vossa cultura geral ficará, certamente, também mais rica.
No fundo encaramos pequenas ameaças como se de um ataque de um urso se tratasse e activamos mecanismos que nos deixam exaustos e stressados sem necessidade. Este livro tem conselhos práticos para identificarmos os verdadeiros ursos da nossa vida e minimizarmos os ataques de pequenos ursos de pelúcia inofensivos. O stress nem sempre é uma coisa má (quem nunca acabou um trabalho com muita eficácia porque estava mesmo em cima do prazo?), mas é prejudicial quando influencia negativamente a nossa vida, quando estamos sempre stressados sem um motivo válido.
O optimismo, a resiliência, a capacidade de solucionar problemas, a sensação de termos o controlo e o poder do riso parecem influenciar positivamente a nossa capacidade de lidar com o stresse, o autor debruça-se de forma cuidada nestas temáticas sobre as quais gostei muito de ler. Fiquei contente porque já diariamente usava alguns truques que Brian King partilha com o leitor e vou com certeza aproveitar outros! As explicações não são enfadonhas e parece mesmo que estamos numa conversa, a aprender, e a ouvir as histórias caricatas de um amigo próximo.
Recomendo! Não sendo uma cura milagrosa para o stresse, nem para outras patologias que ele desencadeia, é uma óptima leitura para reflectirmos e melhorarmos.
June 30, 2021
Psychologists who moonlight as stand-up comedians? Yes please! While funny, the book makes some really excellent points about managing stress without claiming to be a cure-all. In fact, Dr. Brian King strongly advocates for seeking professional help if your stress is bigger than can be handled with little strategies like those in this book. I so admire people who write books to help others but recognize the limitations of the help available from a book.
May 19, 2021
Brian King is a psychologist and comedian in his forties and a fairly new dad. He is an admittedly happy and optimistic guy. This is his guide on what stress is and how to deal with it. If we are in a stressful situation, is there anyone we can do about it? If not, let it go. He also gives strategies to deal with stress like keeping your brain stimulated/distracted with puzzles and games, having goals and making plans, exercising to get rid of negative energy, not being a helicopter parent so your children can develop resilience and know how to figure things out for themselves, positive thinking, faking it 'til you make it with smiling, and more.
I liked the conversational writing style ... throughout the book he included personal stories. It was interesting and informative without being too scientific and amusing at times. In each chapter, there are summaries which he amusingly refers to as info for the "skimmers". As a head's up, there is swearing.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2021/05...
I liked the conversational writing style ... throughout the book he included personal stories. It was interesting and informative without being too scientific and amusing at times. In each chapter, there are summaries which he amusingly refers to as info for the "skimmers". As a head's up, there is swearing.
Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2021/05...
Read
April 13, 2021This is, I think, my first time participating in the #BigLibraryRead. I imagine that any author would be thrilled to have people all over the world reading their book and sharing their opinions on it. Or, maybe that would be stressful.
I really enjoyed how Brian (he says Dr. King is already taken and if you don’t know who, you must have skipped school in February) talked about the science of stress, happiness, resilience in plain language.
He incorporates a lot of white boy humor in the book, where women are the butt of the joke.
While I did learn a lot and enjoyed this book, it was very white. And, often as I read, I wanted to have suggestions for dealing with the daily race influenced microaggressions and other stress inducing situations that many BIPOC encounter.
Throughout this book, I wondered whether a BIPOC has written a similar book that would be more useful.
I’m aware that Brian was writing this book for a more general audience. I’m also aware that most of the time, general audience means white.
There’s this one part where he talks about how he was homeless in college and he was thinking that he could sleep in the 24hr study something or other and use the showers at the gym. He said as long as he looked like a college student, he should be fine right?
And, that made me tweet “...Tell that to Lolade Siyonbola who fell asleep in the common area: https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/09/us/yal...”
And, when he was talking about travel and airports, I thought about how early I go to the airport because I am often “randomly picked” for the extra scrutiny. And, how often I am made to go through twice.
But, Black people have had the pigs called on them for playing in the park with a toy gun. Yes, the person who called said it might be a toy gun. Rest in peace, Tamir Rice.
Black people have had the pigs called on them for sitting in their car in their driveway because that’s “so suspicious.” Some were murdered by the pigs.
Black people have had the pigs called on them for reading a book while sitting in a car because that’s “so suspicious.”
Just Google “police called on Black person for” and add any random ordinary activity and I am sure you will get a few hits.
I want to know how to handle the stress of living my normal and very ordinary life. Such as how to not have a panic attack every time an officer sees me then puts their hand on their gun. To date, deep breathing alone is not sufficient.
Like, I have already turned off autoplay on social media, so I won’t be traumatized by the extrajudicial murders of Black men.
For my own peace of mind, I have not been following the Chauvin trial.
Maybe there is no book like the one I would like already written. If there is comment the title(s) below (look at me optimistically thinking there’s more than one lol).
I really enjoyed how Brian (he says Dr. King is already taken and if you don’t know who, you must have skipped school in February) talked about the science of stress, happiness, resilience in plain language.
He incorporates a lot of white boy humor in the book, where women are the butt of the joke.
While I did learn a lot and enjoyed this book, it was very white. And, often as I read, I wanted to have suggestions for dealing with the daily race influenced microaggressions and other stress inducing situations that many BIPOC encounter.
Throughout this book, I wondered whether a BIPOC has written a similar book that would be more useful.
I’m aware that Brian was writing this book for a more general audience. I’m also aware that most of the time, general audience means white.
There’s this one part where he talks about how he was homeless in college and he was thinking that he could sleep in the 24hr study something or other and use the showers at the gym. He said as long as he looked like a college student, he should be fine right?
And, that made me tweet “...Tell that to Lolade Siyonbola who fell asleep in the common area: https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/09/us/yal...”
And, when he was talking about travel and airports, I thought about how early I go to the airport because I am often “randomly picked” for the extra scrutiny. And, how often I am made to go through twice.
But, Black people have had the pigs called on them for playing in the park with a toy gun. Yes, the person who called said it might be a toy gun. Rest in peace, Tamir Rice.
Black people have had the pigs called on them for sitting in their car in their driveway because that’s “so suspicious.” Some were murdered by the pigs.
Black people have had the pigs called on them for reading a book while sitting in a car because that’s “so suspicious.”
Just Google “police called on Black person for” and add any random ordinary activity and I am sure you will get a few hits.
I want to know how to handle the stress of living my normal and very ordinary life. Such as how to not have a panic attack every time an officer sees me then puts their hand on their gun. To date, deep breathing alone is not sufficient.
Like, I have already turned off autoplay on social media, so I won’t be traumatized by the extrajudicial murders of Black men.
For my own peace of mind, I have not been following the Chauvin trial.
Maybe there is no book like the one I would like already written. If there is comment the title(s) below (look at me optimistically thinking there’s more than one lol).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 18, 2021
The Art of Taking It Easy: How to Cope with Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life's Stressors is a humorous self-help book written by Brian King, and is the Big Library Read via the Toronto Public Library book for the April 5–April 19, 2021 period. Psychologist and comedian King explores the science behind stress in this witty, informed guide.
King uses a bevy of running jokes and punch lines to enliven technical explanations for how and why people experience stress. His metaphors of coming across a bear in the wild as well as being stuck in traffic are also used to great effect to explain a variety of stress responses, such as perceiving a threat and feelings of powerlessness. Reframing thoughts plays a large role in King's advice and also provides breathing exercises, plans for maintaining physical health, and useful advice for setting attainable goals.
The Art of Taking It Easy: How to Cope with Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life's Stressors is written rather well. While the advice that King gives is hardly revolutionary or new, it is done in such a manner that seems fresh and humorous, using his talents in both a psychologist and comedian with great success. As a person that suffers from stress and anxiety, some of his techniques seem interesting to try – not sure if they would work, but I am willing to try.
All in all, The Art of Taking It Easy: How to Cope with Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life's Stressors is an enjoyable guide to living with less stress and hopefully would be of some measure of help to any anxious reader.
King uses a bevy of running jokes and punch lines to enliven technical explanations for how and why people experience stress. His metaphors of coming across a bear in the wild as well as being stuck in traffic are also used to great effect to explain a variety of stress responses, such as perceiving a threat and feelings of powerlessness. Reframing thoughts plays a large role in King's advice and also provides breathing exercises, plans for maintaining physical health, and useful advice for setting attainable goals.
The Art of Taking It Easy: How to Cope with Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life's Stressors is written rather well. While the advice that King gives is hardly revolutionary or new, it is done in such a manner that seems fresh and humorous, using his talents in both a psychologist and comedian with great success. As a person that suffers from stress and anxiety, some of his techniques seem interesting to try – not sure if they would work, but I am willing to try.
All in all, The Art of Taking It Easy: How to Cope with Bears, Traffic, and the Rest of Life's Stressors is an enjoyable guide to living with less stress and hopefully would be of some measure of help to any anxious reader.
May 3, 2021
It was nice and easy reading. Even though I already knew most of the things the author spoke about, it was really refreshing to read it through fresh perspective King offers. He somehow found the right words that made me accept some of the simple truths about worry and stress and apply some stress management strategies like redirecting the thoughts and using humor.
My favorite quotes:
“Some of us enjoy worrying. Yes, worry relieves boredom. And I believe this is why most worrying occurs.”
“That is, we feel stress when there is no real external threat to us, only some challenged belief, value, or expectation of ours. In other words, a thought.”
“Most of our stress is from percieved threats, not clear and present threats”
“Tell the difference between an actual threatening situation and one that is just annoying or inconvenient.”
My favorite quotes:
“Some of us enjoy worrying. Yes, worry relieves boredom. And I believe this is why most worrying occurs.”
“That is, we feel stress when there is no real external threat to us, only some challenged belief, value, or expectation of ours. In other words, a thought.”
“Most of our stress is from percieved threats, not clear and present threats”
“Tell the difference between an actual threatening situation and one that is just annoying or inconvenient.”
August 6, 2020
The author is an unusual blend of comedian and neurologist/psychologist, which makes this both based on a real understanding of how the brain works and how people think but also guided along by humor that makes it refreshing and easy to read. I was really impressed by the stress management tips, and how he simplifies handling stress and explains why that's critical for our health. We all need to learn to take it a bit easier! I now embrace his tips on a daily basis and I can say candidly that they've helped my life, especially in such stressful times. This was a great find. Don't get loss in the world of other books on the subject-I've read them and they're dry-this is the one you want.
April 26, 2021
Full disclosure I did not get all the way to the end but made it ~75% through before it was returned to the e-library so I’m rounding up bc I’ve DNFed many other books this year. Great title (reason I picked it up in the first place) & some fun insights on leading a stress free life, but it just didn’t do it for me. The comedic asides and personal anecdotes didn’t resonate.
February 3, 2020
Love this book, only got it a few days ago and it makes me laugh and has real advice!!
July 13, 2021
I was nervous that this was going to be repetitive, and it was in terms of the brand he's sticking to that involves bears and traffic, but there are so many useful tidbits and reminders in this book nevertheless. I also laughed out loud a TON all throughout the book. The guy's sarcasm is unmatched. Reading this gave me the motivation to start journaling and expressing gratitude again. It has also helped shift my mindset when it comes to little things I stress over for no reason. I'm glad I decided to pick this one up on a whim!
September 1, 2022
It’s quirky and brilliant. It took me a little while to get in the swing of his humor but I found myself laughing out loud by the end.
I’m a trauma therapist in an elementary school and I really appreciate the simple language he used to explain really intimidating concepts. This book gave me tools to apply to my clients and also tools to apply for my own growth
I’m a trauma therapist in an elementary school and I really appreciate the simple language he used to explain really intimidating concepts. This book gave me tools to apply to my clients and also tools to apply for my own growth
April 12, 2021
I really liked this book, it wasn’t as preachy as other self help books. I will also use the bears vs traffic logic in my daily life.
April 18, 2021
Enjoyed the message he tried to share. I felt the writing style was almost written in a way to be read out loud by the author. There were some squirrel moments I felt bothered by, but I was able to bear those and keep going.
April 20, 2021
This was ok. There were some very interesting explanations of the brain science, but there was a lot of stuff that felt like filler.
April 25, 2021
Practical and funny, easy-to-follow book on stress and how do we deal with it. Really enjoyed the little anecdotes and interviews sprinkled throughout the book, and the call outs for skimmers. This is also the only book that I'll read the references for.
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