Poor Ash’s Almanack > Learning Journeys
Stress is tough – I get it. I’ve dealt with a lot of it in my life. Thankfully, there are a few simple steps you can take that will meaningfully reduce your stress.
Feel free to go in any order – read the models first, then the books, or vice versa, or switch back and forth.
The models we’ll be working with are:
cognition / intuition / habit / stress
marginal utility
Here’s your reading list of books. You don’t have to read all of them – just pick and choose the ones that sound interesting.
10% Happier ( 10H review + notes)
Cognitive Behavior Therapy ( CBT review + notes).
The Up Side of Down ( UpD review + notes).
Before Happiness ( BH review + notes).
The Happiness Advantage ( THA review + notes).
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People ( 7H review + notes).
Now for the questions and action items to ponder:
– think about contrast bias and framing. how could you find a new “contrast” against which to frame your life or stressors in a way that gives them meaning, as Achor suggests?
– what are your biggest sources of stress? what are the easiest ones to solve via structural problem solving or margin of safety? what’s the venn diagram overlap between the two?
– are there any vicious feedback cycles in your life? how could you escape them?