Okay, so I am in the middle of rummaging through my notes about what could possibly be worse in the various stories creeping up on all of us across the land. Is it the sex for grades story, the story of the kidnap in Kure area council in Abuja, the P& ID story or the fact that teenage girls are raped and kept in slavery after they fall pregnant and their babies are sold to the highest bidder. These stories befuddle, confuse and bother anyone who is still a human being around the world. For others, it is normal in the world in which they live in, if they are kidnappers, none of the stories means anything, if they are traffickers, it is just like eating breakfast and these are all small stories. For the rest of us on the sideline or families directly involved, all these stories can have a negative impact on our psyche and stress us out. For younger people, it is information overload and borders on Armageddon. They wonder if the world is coming to an end and if they will survive it. It affects their mood and their childhood and makes them distrustful of people and also makes them anxiety-ridden. This means they cannot enjoy the small pleasures of life and are over processing all the bad news all around them. When you add this to puberty, TV shows about money and sex, a near absent father and a mum who is always shouting, young people, are having a hard time today. Their disruptive behaviour is sometimes as a result of too much disturbance in what they are familiar with and too much bad news. But I already mentioned, this does not only affect young persons but many adults now go through panic attacks as a result of all the negative news heard and are now afraid to sleep with both eyes. It is time to manage our anxiety and address our stress levels. Today, I am sharing five books to help keep you on an even keel in the face of stress-related anxieties.
1) Retrain your brain, cognitive behavioural therapy by Seith Gillian. This is a useful book if you are struggling with depression and anxiety. It’s a workbook that teaches you to be your own therapist in seven weeks and gives you a new vista in behavioural change to enable you to overcome a lot of the things that trigger your depression. A lot of people worry over things they cannot do anything about and sometimes bad news can deepen the cycle of overthinking. If you are in that zone get involved with cognitive behavioural therapy used by most professional psychiatrists all over the world to change your mind-set.
2) Under Pressure, confronting the epidemic of stress and anxiety in girls by Lisa Daimour . This is a book that gives girls enough tips to help them clear their mind and think good thoughts. Girls are different from boys in the things that trigger stress and anxiety. And because puberty in girls is very complex, girls need to be specially addressed in the field and treated in their own right. The issues go from menstrual period management to dealing with acne, to dealing with relationships and managing betrayals. This book, authored by a professional in dealing with girl’s anxieties, provides solid tips on how you can help your daughters at this time. Please note that boys in puberty also suffer a different kind of anxiety and must also be looked out for.
3) When worries get too big by Kari Bunn Buron. This is a relaxation book for children who are prone to being anxious. In fact, for children like this, everything is scary and like a sponge, they soak up all the bad news around them and become largely anti-social. Mental anxiety is the most frequent disorders in children. This book is easy to read and well-illustrated, providing all the assurances a child needs that they are not alone and things will always get better. It helps them manage their moods and emotions and makes them less frustrated.
4) Isabelle Allende’s most hilarious book, Aphrodite. This book is about food and the senses. It is my go-to book when I am stressed. Written in such easy language it brings up the stories of what foods arouse our senses and which ones from centuries of old are aphrodisiacs. It also contains historical and mythical facts about lovers and foods and lovers and deaths through scents and smells. It has the icing on the cake, recipes by Isabel’s mum and her own favourite foods. When I grow up, I am going to write a book like this that brings me to an amazing heap of laughter each time. A good book for when you are feeling out of your depth to bring you to mirthful dollops of happiness. I love this book.
5) The feeling good handbook by David Burns. After his ground-breaking book on drug-free treatment for depression, “Feeling good, the new mood therapy” Burns much anticipated book is a gem for all those seeking drug-free therapy for their anxiety and stress-related mental illness. He gives a step by step guide to a new and powerful technique that helps you cope with the full range of everyday problems.
Bonus book:
Declutter your mind, how to stop worrying, relieve anxiety and eliminate negative thinking. This book addresses your feeling of being overwhelmed by your thoughts. Written by Barrie Davenport, S.J Scott and Steve Scott, it teaches you to stop worrying about life and teaches you habits and actions and mindsets that can help you clear your mind. It also assists in undoing personal stress and gives you the many things that clutter your mind so you can avoid them.
Carol Sandberg’s Option A for growing resilience like a muscle in the face of challenges and adversity.
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