*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: 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 won’t need to have a daily meditation practice. You won’t even need to buy a scented candle. Instead, 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 life:
- 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 solution: 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.
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.
– Stephanie Lam, Unfrazzle
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.
Find more from Stephanie Lam at her website here, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Unfrazzle is available on Amazon right now!
Bookshine And Readbows 