Slow Down and Lighten Up - 2nd Edition by Bob Van Oosterhout (Paperback)

About the Book

What would it be like to be stress-free? Learn how to restore balance to body, mind and emotions by applying three principles that are consistently effective in preventing stress and solving problems. You'll understand how it works in clear, simple terms and enjoy reading stories and personal experiences from 40 years of counseling and teaching.

Book Synopsis

What if you could see stress coming and knew how to stop it from interfering with your work, rest, and relationships?

What if you could effectively respond rather than impulsively react to pressure and loss?

What if you could see where your thoughts are leading you and redirect them to where you really want to go?

These are not distant fantasies but practical things you can accomplish by reading "Slow Down and Lighten Up." You will gain a clear understanding of how body, mind, emotion interact, what goes wrong, and what you can do about it. You will learn how to restore and maintain physical, mental, and emotional balance and how to apply three simple principles that prevent stress and solve problems. Slow Down and Lighten Up explains how all this works in clear, simple terms using stories and metaphors based on the experience of the author and thousands of students, workshop participants, clients, and patients who made significant improvements in their lives by applying what is described in this text.

Review Quotes

"Excellent resource for Anxiety/panic disorders! - If you find yourself lacking in patience as well as time like me, you will find this book a gift from above. Bob Van Oosterhout has given all the tools you need, from understanding stress, how to restore and maintain balance, and dealing with day-to-day situations. The entire book is rich in content and very well written. It will get you moving toward success right away." "I feel more at ease and I am able to let go of tension before it builds up. I find it easier to concentrate on tasks I am doing rather than thinking of all the other things I am supposed to be doing. It has been wonderful." "I am less stressed. I feel like I have more time now than I did before, but I really don't. I'm just not as pressured. I feel like I am gaining control of my life." "I am keeping my cool a lot more in situations where I normally tend to lose it. I am enjoying more of the day and it has helped me get along better with my husband." "I feel more peaceful, relaxed, and cheerful. I don't get annoyed as easily. It seems that I keep my sense of humor and keep the big picture in my mind rather than letting small things get me frazzled." "Sweet relief - I find myself being much more conscious of tension and stress than I used to be. I find when I notice it begin to build up; I can stop it in its tracks."

About the Author

Bob Van Oosterhout is a Masters level Psychologist, Social Worker and college professor who began teaching and counseling in the early 1970's. He developed a habit of seeking regular feedback and reflecting on what worked while searching for underlying principles and strategies that were consistently helpful to the thousands of students, workshop participants, clients, and patients who made significant improvements in their lives by learning how to restore and maintain physical, mental, and emotional balance. Bob has a Masters Degree from Michigan State University, completed four years of postgraduate clinical training through the Michigan Society for Bioenergetic Analysis and is a Limited Licensed Psychologist (LLP) and Licensed Masters Social Worker (LMSW) through the State of Michigan. He has provided training for schools, corporations, small businesses, hospitals, health care clinics, professional organizations, as well as government and non-profit agencies. Bob recently retired from counseling at a Federally Qualified Health Center in rural northern Michigan. He has had a daily meditation practice since 1972. Bob was asked to develop a course in Stress Management for the Health Careers Department at Lansing Community College in 1981 and has been teaching it since that time. He has taught online since 2001.