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Unfrazzle: The Easy Way To Reclaim Your Calm
How's life treating you? Would you like to feel less frazzled, and more rested? Do you need a chance to catch up with yourself? Do you want to rediscover the true, calmer you, without adding another thing to your to-do list? If you’d like to feel more in charge of your brain and your life, this book is for you. You’ll learn how to reclaim genuine calm through personal stories, facts, quizzes and a six-step plan that fits into your real life, not around it. You'll discover the lowdown on stress, how YOU have the power to change your relationship with it, and real-world exercises to give you back your true self, every day of your Find your frazzle status – and learn how to cope in a crisis. Work through the ultimate toolkit to manage your smartphone use. Explore a super-simple method for your best night’s sleep yet. Reclaim headspace and time out just for you. Read how people survive the challenges of immigration detention, using the same methods you’ll learn about here. Get the latest neuroscience to help you rewire your stress response. Frazzled? Then discover the a tale of hope and a step-by-step plan to recover your true self and reclaim your calm. Unfrazzle is your manual for thriving in a twenty-first century life. "Indispensable" - Sarah Rayner, author of Making Friends With Anxiety "Wonderful and practical" - Kate Harrison, author of The 5:2 Books "Fascinating and much-needed" - Siobhan Curham, author of Something A Spiritual Misfit's Search For Meaning "Heartfelt and compelling" - The Book Trail
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 19, 2020
6 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Stephanie Lam
18 books24 followersStephanie Lam is a novelist, teacher and wellbeing journalist. She writes the popular Everyday Escape back page column for Breathe magazine on real-world ways to
achieve headspace and happiness, and for twenty years has also worked as a teacher alongside highly-stressed people held in immigration detention.
In 2015 a crisis transformed her life and forced her to rethink everything she thought she knew. From being a super-frazzled perfectionist who thought being busy was her special skill, she then became an expert on stress and how to escape it. She went on to devise Unfrazzle, an easy six-step plan to help everyone, no matter what their frazzle status, reclaim true calm within everyday life.
achieve headspace and happiness, and for twenty years has also worked as a teacher alongside highly-stressed people held in immigration detention.
In 2015 a crisis transformed her life and forced her to rethink everything she thought she knew. From being a super-frazzled perfectionist who thought being busy was her special skill, she then became an expert on stress and how to escape it. She went on to devise Unfrazzle, an easy six-step plan to help everyone, no matter what their frazzle status, reclaim true calm within everyday life.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 5, 2021
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
I was perfectly placed to review this book, as I have been in an extended state of extreme frazzle for as long as I can remember now, so was ready and receptive to anything that might help me unfrazzle.
In this self-help book, the author draws on her experiences as a stressed, overwhelmed human and of working in an Immigrant Detention Centre. The book has two core principles, which the author then clarifies, explains and illustrates with anecdotes: embrace imperfection; do less stuff.
What this means in practical terms is things like cutting down technology usage, giving your brain ‘blank’ times to rest and practising mindfulness through connecting with your senses and your body. These all sound fairly straightforward in theory, but the author nails it when she says that it can be harder than we think to let go of such deeply ingrained habits and ways of thinking.
I took the plunge and went all in with this one, taking all of the author’s tips and implementing them in my own life, so I can state with absolute confidence that this advice DOES work! I felt far less frazzled and my husband and best friend actually commented on the visible differences in my appearance and mood. I can’t say I managed to make all of the changes stick, but they were so effective that I did retain the ideas behind them and am now able to tweak my routines whenever I feel my frazzle levels creeping back up.
I will just note that if you object to the words ‘frazzle’ and/or ‘unfrazzle’ for describing stress/burnout symptoms and a calmer mindset then this is not the mindfulness book for you, as those two words (understandably) crop up frequently throughout.
Personally, I would recommend this book to anyone who is finding life a bit too much and struggling to find ways to detox their mind. I have already recommended it to friends and family, and will continue to dip in and out myself whenever I feel myself beginning to re-frazz.
'Let’s not wait until our stress becomes so extreme we can no longer cope. The more work we can put in place before our crises hit, the better able we’ll be to cope with them when and if they come. And if we’re lucky enough never to go through a crisis, dialling down our frazzle is fundamental to being able to thrive in an imperfect world.
Therefore, if you feel the same way I once did, for whatever reason: stressed, overwhelmed, time-poor, fatigued, phone-addicted – or just simply with the feeling that Life isn’t right and I don’t know why – join all of us in this journey to thriving in the real world.'
– Stephanie Lam, Unfrazzle
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
I was perfectly placed to review this book, as I have been in an extended state of extreme frazzle for as long as I can remember now, so was ready and receptive to anything that might help me unfrazzle.
In this self-help book, the author draws on her experiences as a stressed, overwhelmed human and of working in an Immigrant Detention Centre. The book has two core principles, which the author then clarifies, explains and illustrates with anecdotes: embrace imperfection; do less stuff.
What this means in practical terms is things like cutting down technology usage, giving your brain ‘blank’ times to rest and practising mindfulness through connecting with your senses and your body. These all sound fairly straightforward in theory, but the author nails it when she says that it can be harder than we think to let go of such deeply ingrained habits and ways of thinking.
I took the plunge and went all in with this one, taking all of the author’s tips and implementing them in my own life, so I can state with absolute confidence that this advice DOES work! I felt far less frazzled and my husband and best friend actually commented on the visible differences in my appearance and mood. I can’t say I managed to make all of the changes stick, but they were so effective that I did retain the ideas behind them and am now able to tweak my routines whenever I feel my frazzle levels creeping back up.
I will just note that if you object to the words ‘frazzle’ and/or ‘unfrazzle’ for describing stress/burnout symptoms and a calmer mindset then this is not the mindfulness book for you, as those two words (understandably) crop up frequently throughout.
Personally, I would recommend this book to anyone who is finding life a bit too much and struggling to find ways to detox their mind. I have already recommended it to friends and family, and will continue to dip in and out myself whenever I feel myself beginning to re-frazz.
'Let’s not wait until our stress becomes so extreme we can no longer cope. The more work we can put in place before our crises hit, the better able we’ll be to cope with them when and if they come. And if we’re lucky enough never to go through a crisis, dialling down our frazzle is fundamental to being able to thrive in an imperfect world.
Therefore, if you feel the same way I once did, for whatever reason: stressed, overwhelmed, time-poor, fatigued, phone-addicted – or just simply with the feeling that Life isn’t right and I don’t know why – join all of us in this journey to thriving in the real world.'
– Stephanie Lam, Unfrazzle
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
April 9, 2020
The quizzes and activities in this book are very beneficial; as well as the advice that is given. I would most likely be one of those people who find it difficult to focus on detail - which is elaborated a little bit on in Chapter 5. To get everything out that this book has to give - this is the sort that a person can go back to a few times.
I got a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I got a copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 13, 2020
Fascinating, Different Self-Help Book
I have read a number of self-help and self-motivational books, and this is one of the most unusual ones that I have seen—and that is saying something! It is intensely personal and could only have been written by this author; I love books like that. She has had a unique life that makes her approach to trying to get one’s life back and being calm as unique as she is. The book has her personal experiences, but she also wants you to join her on the journey and assess the ways you are personally frazzled. To this end, she has a number of quizzes that you can take to see how you are doing in a particular area and in general. Some topics she covers include being addicted to your phone, sleep, taking time for yourself, and reconnecting (which is about mindset). She actually talks about a fair amount of science, which I found surprising, as many self-help books skirt the actual science of stress and anxiety. I found this to be a far more fascinating read than I expected it to be. If you have an interest in self-help books, especially those told from the very personal experience of the author (while still managing to relate to you, the reader) you may very well find this very different book is right up your alley.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
I have read a number of self-help and self-motivational books, and this is one of the most unusual ones that I have seen—and that is saying something! It is intensely personal and could only have been written by this author; I love books like that. She has had a unique life that makes her approach to trying to get one’s life back and being calm as unique as she is. The book has her personal experiences, but she also wants you to join her on the journey and assess the ways you are personally frazzled. To this end, she has a number of quizzes that you can take to see how you are doing in a particular area and in general. Some topics she covers include being addicted to your phone, sleep, taking time for yourself, and reconnecting (which is about mindset). She actually talks about a fair amount of science, which I found surprising, as many self-help books skirt the actual science of stress and anxiety. I found this to be a far more fascinating read than I expected it to be. If you have an interest in self-help books, especially those told from the very personal experience of the author (while still managing to relate to you, the reader) you may very well find this very different book is right up your alley.
I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.
My book blog: https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com
March 29, 2020
This book has been a gift for me in any sense. Firstly because it has been unexpectedly gifted to me. Secondly because any true and human experience, if shared, becomes a gift for others. The author wanted to unveil her own experience and gift it to her fellow humans so that her precious learning would be fruitful for us too. I have always asked myself if our generation is actually prepared to deal with the radical changes in the society, habits, relationships, connections, etc. The bad news is that the growing anxiety in myself and the people around me clearly testifies that no, we are not that prepared. The good news is that we are not weird. In this fast and demanding reality we need to take back control via a consolidate self awareness. But how? Unfrazzle arrived in my hands unexpectedly when I needed the most. Very easy to read, full of examples, experiences and pragmatic tips, Unfrazzle guided me to a journey to start re-engaging with my true self to take back control of my life, my choices and my brain.
Since the lock down I have a lot of time at home (as never before!) and this book is a fantastic help for introducing good and healthy habits back into my life! It’s not just a book to read and put back on a dusty shelf. Instead it’s a good companion to open over and over again. Definitely recommended!
Since the lock down I have a lot of time at home (as never before!) and this book is a fantastic help for introducing good and healthy habits back into my life! It’s not just a book to read and put back on a dusty shelf. Instead it’s a good companion to open over and over again. Definitely recommended!
March 13, 2020
Interesting and informative with lots of exercises to work through. I didn't love-love it, but it certainly gave me some things to think about and some ideas for stuff to implement in my life
July 3, 2020
Unfrazzle is a wonderful book. It shows the journey of a learner and fighter. Steph does an amazing job of bringing her experiences and research together in one book to teach the reader about stress in everyday life and how to handle it. The strategies and ideas in this book come from a variety of well known techniques, including mindfulness, and I liked the grounding in non-fiction literature which is already out there. The chapter on screen use and the effects of the phone on our brain was an eye-opening chapter for me and it inspired me to look deeper at not only my usage, but also the other routines in my life, such as my regular blogging habits.
This book is a well thought out workbook with lots of strategies to try out. I also liked the index at the end on which parts of the book to refer to when I am feeling frazzled and stressed. The quizzes were quick and helpful, though at times I felt they could have been broader and incorporated a larger variety of options or scenarios.
Since this book combines information from and about multiple resources to help bring calmness back into our lives, I would highly recommend it. It's different from others I have read and I liked it. Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a well thought out workbook with lots of strategies to try out. I also liked the index at the end on which parts of the book to refer to when I am feeling frazzled and stressed. The quizzes were quick and helpful, though at times I felt they could have been broader and incorporated a larger variety of options or scenarios.
Since this book combines information from and about multiple resources to help bring calmness back into our lives, I would highly recommend it. It's different from others I have read and I liked it. Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews