Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress

by Joyce Meyer

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Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Christian, Inspirational, Audiobook, Psychology, Christian Living

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2016

About the author

Joyce Meyer is one of the world's leading practical Bible teachers. A New York Times bestselling author, Joyce’s books have helped millions of people find hope and restoration through Jesus Christ. Through Joyce Meyer Ministries, Joyce teaches on a number of topics with a particular focus on how the Word of God applies to our everyday lives. Her candid communication style allows her to share openly and practically about her experiences so others can apply what she has learned to their lives.

Joyce’s programs, Enjoying Everyday Life and Everyday Answers with Joyce Meyer, can be seen around the world through television, radio, and the Internet. Joyce has authored more than 100 books, which have been translated into more than 100 languages and over 65 million of her books have been distributed worldwide. She teaches in cities across America as well as internationally. Joyce Meyer Ministries has offices in nine countries.

Joyce’s passion to help hurting people is foundational to the vision of Hand of Hope, the missions arm of Joyce Meyer Ministries. Hand of Hope provides worldwide humanitarian outreaches such as feeding programs, medical care, orphanages, disaster response, human trafficking intervention and rehabilitation, and much more – always sharing the love and Gospel of Christ.

Her latest book, LIVING A LIFE YOU LOVE, releases Spring 2018.

Hachette Book Group has sold over 30 million copies of Joyce Meyer's books.

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't my favorite book by this author, but I still liked it. She offered some useful information in powering down the stress. This was mostly common sense, but I liked the scriptural support. I read a different book by this author yesterday, and I think I could have enjoyed this one more if I had spaced them out. I have one more by her in my possession, but I think I will save it for the new year.

[Kathleen (Kat) Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't believe that there is one person alive who has never dealt with or felt the effects of stress in their life. For a teen it might be a project or homework assignment that feels like more than they can handle especially when a deadline is looming and perhaps they have put it off thinking they'd have more time. For adults, the list is ever longer from work related stress issues, financial, health, marriage, parenting, you name it and at times it can seem like we simply have too much on our plate. We know it is something we must deal with, but how? Why can't we simply pull the plug when our lives feel like we have hit the "overload" level?

Joyce Meyers brilliantly tackles this subject with humor, grace, some motherly advice and of course, tempered with biblical scripture to guide us on this journey in her book, Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress. Most of us understand how stress can manifest in physically harmful ways from putting added pressure on our body and its vital organs. She offers some great advice in each section from understanding what stress is, how it impacts us, what we can do, what does the Bible offer and so much more. Some great take away's I found in this book are the Things to Remember that sums up each chapter like, "one of the biggest cause of stress is focusing on the negative things that are happening around us. What you think about - what you focus on - is going to affect how you see life. When we look at the positive things that God has placed in our lives, it gives us a sense of perspective, stability, thankfulness and balance. Psalm 103 instructs us to "forget not" God's benefits and then gives us an entire list of benefits that are ours as children of God." (pg 87).

Joyce uses her own stories of how she dealt with stress along with some great examples you are not likely to forget to change how we view what we choose to "stress about." We all understand that stress like worry is like a rocking chair, it moves us but we go nowhere. We simply need to remember that God is not going to let you sink. He is in control and He is going to see you safely to the other side. I forget how much like the apostles we are, when things in our life seem to spin out of control, we think God has somehow forgotten about us, like when they found themselves adrift in the sea and a storm came up unexpectedly, they panicked even though they had Jesus aboard and who was simply sleeping through it all. Ever wonder how He could sleep through a storm? Because He trusted in God, the Father, who would see Him safely to the other side. We simply fail to place all our trust in God to get us to the other side and often give up before we are almost there.

I received Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress by Joyce Meyer compliments of Faith Words, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation, aside from a free copy of this book, in exchange for my personal and honest evaluation. This book arrived just when I was dealing with my own multi-level stresses of my own with my husband and I both enduring heart and health issues as well as trying to keep our family going and acting as a buffer through all of that. I only wish I picked it up and read through it before I had a complete meltdown because I would have realized how little we really do think we can control and the rest we simply have to trust God to get us the rest of the way through things. I believe my favorite quote from the entire book, and believe me, there are tons of them is, "If you'll do what you can do, God will do what you cannot." This one is truly a keeper for me and one I will be referring to quite a bit more but with more confidence in God when stress happens. I need to keep my eye off the storm and on God instead. Well worth all 5 out of 5 stars!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyce Meyer has written a winner. Having gone through some of the most stressful situations in my life and with some left to go, I was really happy to see this available for review at Netgalley. Meyer writes Biblically based advice in an easy to apply manner for those suffering at the hands of anxiety, dread and fear. There are many useful and must memorize verses as well as stress reducing tips for day to day life. I'm planning on sharing with my daughter and Christian friends and family.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is another great one from Meyer. It is filled with biblical wisdom and practical suggestions. Even if stress is not a major issue you face, this book has so much good material it is well worth reading.

Meyer shares her own experience and the transformation that unfolded when she began to make God-directed daily decisions. She includes what she has learned about God's promises, His instruction, and suggestions for steps to take.

I like Meyer's take on the subject because she was stubborn and refused to slow down. When her doctor told her she needed to make some changes, she argued that she was just busy. But she realized her stress was also affecting her spiritual life. She was being robbed of God's best for her life.

Meyer includes practical suggestions on topics from budgeting time to eating well. She writes about our prayer life and changing our perspective in worship. She recognizes that we cannot control our situation but we can control how we face it and respond to it. She emphasizes the choices we can make in our attitude and what we focus on. She gives other suggestions, such as laughing more, changing our perspective and the words we speak. And that is just some of what she covers.

Some of her suggestions surprised me. Who would have thought serving and blessing others would be a cure for stress?

Her book is so encouraging. “No matter what the circumstances may say,” she writes, “God is by your side, and He is going to see you through.” (160) A summary of Things to Remember is listed at the end of each chapter to help us remember the main points.

Whether you are battling stress or not, this is a good book to read. Meyer makes such an emphasis of putting God first and trusting Him with our life, the book is a spiritual challenge for each of us.

Food for thought: “Don't stress out. God is in control.”

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of an independent and honest review.

[Sunshine Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her book "Overload". Joyce Meyer has a lot to say about handling stress and defeating daily stress. She fills the pages with Biblical references, inspirational quotes and personal stories. Joyce opens up each chapter with a cute saying like, "Keep Calm and De-Stress" or "Keep Calm and Choose to Trust" or "Keep Calm and Make a Change." There is a 'Things to Remember' section that shares bullet point facts and a 'Did you know?' section after every chapter regarding stress. In Chapter Two, the author challenges the reader with 'The Control Quiz' to see whether you are depending on God or on yourself. Joyce shares simple ways to de-stress. In chapter Six, the author lists benefits for being a Child of God. She shares five steps to staying calm and making good choices, like asking God for direction and reducing your options and seeking advice. She explains the medical benefits of laughter and talks about how to increase your joy. Chapter Nine is about the stress of comparison and how to have security and freedom from comparison. Chapter Twelve is all about facing stress head-on. Joyce Meyer talks about how to love God, love yourself and love others. A great book! I highly recommend!!

[Madelyn Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. I won it a few months ago from a Goodreads giveaway, so that was awesome! Anyway, this book was pretty much a self-help book used to help people stay calm, relieve stress, and essentially enjoy life.

Joyce Meyer shows great ways to cope with stresses of life. She uses humor, reasoning, the acts of God, and so many other methods that I can't figure out how to put into words. What I really like about this book is how Meyer uses her personal experiences to help the reader recover from the stresses of life.

This book helps people know what they should really worry about and stress about in life. The book was well written, short but precise, and well researched.

I would recommend this book for anyone dealing with the stresses of life or just in case you would like a "self-help" book. Overall, a good read. Happy Reading!

-Madelyn

[Kareh Wiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

OVERLOAD: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself From The Pressure Of Stress by Joyce Meyer is a multifaceted book aimed at helping the reader deal with stress. There is literally something for everyone in this book!

You won't be disappointed in Joyce Meyer's newest book, Overload. In this extremely well organized publication to be released tomorrow, Joyce identifies stress as "an indiscriminate thief that will take whatever it can from whomever it can....health, peace, rest, relationships, laughter...stress wants to take it all away!" She doesn't stop with assisting the reader in identifying areas of tension in their life, but goes a step farther by providing very concise direction for how to deal with those areas of your life that are creating havoc and stealing your peace.

The selling attribute for the book, Overload, is not that there is a large volume of new information being presented, but that the knowledge is presented all together in one place in a very easy reading fashion. The highlighted gray boxes throughout the pages, as well as the "Things to Remember" list at the end of each chapter are a very effective tool for improving retention. Joyce sufficiently covers the effects, common causes, frequent triggers & poor responses of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual stress. In addition she delivers tangible instruction on how to decrease the presence of stress in one's life and deal better with those situations that are unavoidable.

Joyce Meyer (www.joycemeyer.org) has focused her entire ministry on teaching the Bible, so it is little surprise that the guidance she presents is backed up with scriptural references. She reminds the reader that they have a choice to make each day...they can trust themselves or they can put their trust in God referencing:

Psalm 37:3(NIV) Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

In a very detailed breakdown of practical solutions, Joyce addresses: confidence in the Lord, making necessary changes in our lives to decrease stress, doing our part to respond to uncontrollable stress in a Godly manner, remembering that God is good, simplifying our lives when possible, laughing more, choosing to live in the security of Christ, monitoring our speech, enjoying the life we have been given, adjusting our perspective and choosing to become more outward focused by blessing others with acts of service. The book is a catalyst that promotes personal reflection and serves to assist the reader in discovering those areas in their life that might be a hindrance to living a stress free life.

There is a tandem workbook with Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself From the Pressure of Stress that will be available for purchase in May 2016. I would like to go through this workbook with a group of friends or within a Bible Study setting. I think it would provide a beautiful opportunity to connect on an extremely transparent level with a community of believers. This subject matter presented in a Biblical workbook format could be life changing. In the meantime, I plan to reread and apply the advice in this book, one chapter at a time. Yes....it's that good!!

I would like to thank FaithWords Publishing for this review copy of OVERLOAD: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself From the Pressure of Stress by Joyce Meyer. I received this complimentary copy in exchange for reading this book in it's entirety and giving an honest review.

[Mary Kenyon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I usually love Joyce Meyer's books, and this one was no exception for the first half, and then the book lost steam. It seemed like she was saying the same thing over and over, in different ways. I still got some good nuggets of inspiration, but this wasn't her best book.

[ECKane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Written for a second or third grade level audience, this book makes light of stress, anxiety, and the many issues faced by humans today. Joyce claims to know God so well that “He” tells her to make her husband a fruit salad. Or, her astute advice for encouraging laughter in your life is to go and read funny birthday cards at the grocery store. Just because she quotes the Bible, readers buy into her BS! And it is BS, all of it. And yet she keeps writing it and ignorant people keep buying into it, and Joyce continues to make more and more $$$.

[Shyla Colt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an incredibly helpful, insightful, and salt of the earth kind of book. The situations, pitfalls, and steps to move away from unhelpful behaviors were things everyone could relate to and try. I

t served as a reminder that our lives aren't meant ot be so busy stress filled that we lose our joy. It was a great reminder to slow down, prioritize, and look at our lives objectively and figure out what's working and what's not.

It was the book I needed at just the right time.

[Jay DeMoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A lot of this was really just common sense, but I appreciated the scriptural support to reinforce the information.

[Peti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Povzbudzujúce a praktické. 🙌🏻

[Julie D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book addresses a problem that most of us have and that is the overload of stress. It seems no matter how hard we try to de-stress our lives, it's more and more difficult. We have the stress of never being away from our phones or the internet and social media. Add to that our every day family lives, work, and the commitments we may have at church, and most of us are just stressed out beyond what we can endure.

In this book, Joyce shows us how we can make better choices so we don't inadvertently add even more stress into our lives than we need to. She shares how stress has made her life more difficult and the effects on our body, mind and soul of this stress.

Each chapter has a "Things To Remember" section at the end that I especially found helpful. Here are some of my favorite things I learned:

• Too much of a good thing can actually be a bad thing
• Trust God in the midst of trying times. He knows what you're going through. He hasn't left
you - He has a plan for your life.
• With God's help you can become a person whose first response is faith not fear, joy not
sorrow.

The main theme of this book is trusting God and relying on Jesus in our lives. There are wonderful Scriptures that I found so helpful and highlighted. In fact, a lot of my book is highlighted!

If you're finding you have more stress in your life but you don't know how to handle it, this is definitely the book for you. It is also a great book for those of us who don't want to get stressed out in the first place by teaching us how to make better choices, where we can, so as not to add more stress in our life. I really enjoyed this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by Hachette Book Group

[Sherri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book caught my attention due to several things. The author, Joyce Meyer, I've recently started enjoying listening to on my Roku, then the cover of the book caught my attention. The red cover with the bold text immediately said "PICK ME UP!". Then the content had me intrigued even further.

Overload is essentially about how are lives are filled with stress and how we are so overloaded with things happening in our lives, that we take no time out for God. We find other things of more importance, that we focus on the things, than Him.

The synopsis from the publisher essentially describes it as technology increases with accessibility, it becomes harder to mute the background of your life and receive God's guidance.

I really did enjoy reading this book. There are a lot of things that you've heard before, but for some reason, the way she wrote it and laid it out within the pages just made sense. I felt inspired to do more in my life to cut out the needless clutter that keeps me from focusing on God.
She focuses alot on stress, and with good reason. We all are covered up to our ears with stress, and the interesting part is, we really don't have to be. For some reason, so many of us can't say no, and because of that the stress increases. You want control over a situation, stress increases. You over commit, stress increases.

As I mentioned before, I enjoyed this book and will definitely hang onto it to read again in the future, especially when I find myself losing my way and need a nudge back into the right direction. Definitely an easy book to read, and you won't find yourself bogged down with information that goes beyond your interest.

I received this book from the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Joann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stress has a way of coming into our lives whether we are prepared for it or not. For some, it is a matter of one situation (not getting the job you wanted or getting a negative review, etc.) while for others, it is the compound effect of many smaller seemingly insignificant things (being late for work, spilling coffee on your white shirt, forgetting your lunch at home, getting stuck in traffic, etc.). In her new book "Overload," Best-Selling Author and World-Renowned Speaker Joyce Meyer takes STRESS on. Sharing from her vault of personal experiences and combining them with scriptural teachings, stories, interesting facts, and more, Joyce peels back the layers of stress that attempt to steal our joy.

Fueled by her desire that people everywhere "Enjoy Everyday Life," Joyce tackles the very elements that prevent us from doing just that. Her book is a perfect mix of humour, honesty, and practical insight. Packed with pearls of wisdom, "Overload" will help willing folks stress less and enjoy life more. If you finding yourself overwhelmed by your circumstances, more stressed than blessed, and wondering what to do next, (in the spirit of each of the chapter titles) Keep Calm and Read Overload.

And instead of being controlled by stress, you may find yourself Stressing less and Enjoying Everyday Life more.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overload by Joyce Meyer is a book on how to handle stress. In fifteen chapters, Meyer discusses:
- what stress is and what causes it;
- how putting God in charge of life eases stress;
- how to handle unavoidable stressful situations;
- how to control thoughts to minimize stress;
- advice about decision-making;
- how humor can ease stress;
- warnings against stress-producing activities like comparing ourselves with others, speaking negatively, and tolerating constant low-level dread. The book ends with several chapters of practical advice for how to deal with and eliminate stress from our lives.

Overload is easy to understand and encouraging. If you've listened to or watched Meyer's Enjoying Everyday Life show, you'll recognize her no-nonsense, with-God-you-can-do-it tone coming through the written word.

I like how Meyer includes lots of examples from her life and concludes each chapter with a brief summary of the points made and an interesting fact about stress. Typical of all of her teaching, Meyer emphasizes the spiritual aspect of stress management.

If you're at a place where life is too busy, overwhelming, and stressful to be enjoyed, give this book a read!

I received Overload as a gift from the publisher for the purpose of writing a review.

[Janet Arroyo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to thank Joyce Meyer and Goodreads First Reads for my free copy of " Over Load: How to Unplug, Unwind, and Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress " in exchange for an honest review. Joyce Meyer is one of my favorite authors. I love how this book is so easy to understand and put into practise. One of my favorite quotes from Joyce is "It may seem like a little thing, but laughter is vitally important in the battle against stress, anxiety, fear, and worry ". Sometimes I get so caught up in everyday living that I forget to laugh. I loose my joy but it is so important. Her writings are scripture based. An important lesson that I learned was to evaluate what was influencing me such as people, books, music, daily events, entertainment choices, the list can go on. She asks us to question whether that influence is making our life more stressful or less stress. She advises that " the answer to those two questions go a long way in determining the life you are going to live". She also gives suggestions on ways to de-sress your life. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have even bought a CD copy for a friend. I recommend this book to anyone that needs less stress in their life. Really, who doesn't need less stress in today's society!

[pianogal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I kinda go in and out with Joyce books. Some I feel like are written at Kindergarteners and some are more for me. This one is definitely one of the later. I loved this book. I think I should go get a copy and reread it every month. Totally spoke to me where I am RIGHT NOW.

Thank you Joyce. I need that.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyce writes in a conversational tone that invites you in and lets you relax while she opens up her heart to you. Sharing both personal and historical stories, she shares where she made life more difficult than it needed to be and how God helped her turn it all around. Much of her advice is biblical, simple, and down-to-earth which makes it easily applicable.

[Debbie Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the informational and inspirational book on practical advice on how to let go of our stress in our busy lives through God's word. I recommend this wonderfully written book by the fabulous author Joyce Meyer. I received an ARC through Faith Words and NetGalley for an honest review.

[Raine · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual Joyce is quite clear about the importance of God in your life. I find that I can read these helpful books several times and each time find something that I had overlooked before they are jam packed with great words of wisdom and guidance.

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring and very educational book that brought me closer to God!

Wow! Joyce Meyer has inspired in how to live my life in victory. She has shared with me how to live a stress free life with practical examples. A must read book for Christians worldwide.

[Merle Dunson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joyce Meyer writes books that are easy to read. I always find that she is writing about something I need personal help with. Good practical book that is inspirational at the same time. Highly recommend to anyone dealing with alot of stress in their life!

[Chelsea DeVries · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of Joyce's best. Absolutely encouraged by this book and actually found the right mindsets in order to de-stress.

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

FTC Disclosure: I received this book free from Goodreads hoping I would review it.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of practical advice and biblical wisdom.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Gives practical ways to help deal with the overload and stress that comes in our lives.

[Brenda Leonard gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. It was released right when I needed help.

[Ellen I. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book from one of my most favorite, inspirational authors.

[Michelle Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

as usual, very very good