Cooling Down Stress

Cameron Johnston

“Unprecedented times”; “crazy times”; “unusual times we’re living in;” these words have become a standard refrain. And here in Melbourne, where we’re wearing masks and are under a nightly curfew, a lot of people are feeling a bit… anxious. Add to that job uncertainty or loss, trying to teach kids while working from home—yourself and being cut off from loved ones—and you’ve got a lot of extra stress. No matter where you are and whether you’re in a hotspot now, 2020 has been a doozy.

It’s just so happened that, over the past few months, I’ve been working on a couple books about dealing with stress. I’ve found myself dipping into these books for my own wellbeing and to help out some of my friends too. Cooling Down Stress and Cooling Down Teen Stress (coming soon) are new and updated editions of books that have influenced thousands of people in the US, Canada, and Australia over the past 20 years.

Unusual for health books, both are written in the form of stories. Cooling Down Stress is written by now-retired pastor and lifestyle consultant Cameron Johnston and follows successful entrepreneur Chris Brooks and his wife, Jessica, as they attend a series of wellness seminars after the sudden death of Chris’ 30-year-old sales manager. Written by Cameron’s daughter, Delight Johnston Chandler, Cooling Down Teen Stress is about final-year high school student Derisa Moore and deals with various issues, including study stress, technology misuse, relationships, and mental and physical illnesses.

The stories are complemented by practical tools for evaluating stress and improving wellbeing. These both include and go beyond NEWSTART principles, ranging from simple tips like deep-breathing and keeping handy some things that make you laugh to strategies for forgiveness and grieving. The latter are new to this edition of Cooling Down Stress, and I found them particularly eye-opening. Read these books yourself or buy copies to share with friends and family. They are easy, enjoyable reads that are suited to both Adventists and non-Adventists alike. We all need a bit of help to deal with stress in these crazy times.

Cooling Down Stress is available from Adventist bookstores in Australia and New Zealand, or online.

This article was originally published on the website of Adventist Record