The Stress Mastery Method

In my post-graduate neuroscience research I examined the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction for work-related stress.

While there were some methodological shortcomings in the existing literature at the time, 18 studies confirmed the effectiveness of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programs in reducing work-related stress and general symptoms of stress.

Great!

Except, it doesn't work for everyone.

Now don't get me wrong, mindfulness is a very effective tool. But it's not a panacea.

And it's certainly not the only way to manage stress.

When I dug deeper into how stress had been conceptualized I realized that...

...stress arises when we perceive a situation as demanding more than the resources we believe we have to handle it.

This is known as the cognitive appraisal theory of stress, which emphasizes that our brain’s interpretation of the situation and our available internal resources—rather than the situation itself—determines our stress response.

Now that doesn't mean that stress is all in our head.

Feelings of uncertainty or lack of control over our circumstances. Worrying about the future. Feeling like we can't handle problems as well as we used to. Having strong emotional reactions. They all have very real physiological responses, which can lead to chronic stress.

And chronic stress is linked to a wide range of health problems, including:

• Cognitive impairments (eg. memory and attention)
• Mental health disorders (eg. depression, anxiety)
• Cardiovascular diseases (eg. hypertension, heart attacks)
• Obesity and metabolic syndrome
• Weakened immune system
• Gastrointestinal problems (eg. GERD, gastritis)
• Endocrine disorders (eg. diabetes)
• Skin conditions (eg. acne, psoriasis)
• Reproductive issues
• Sleep disturbances
• Numerous brain-related issues

And while not all stress is bad—and some types of stress can increase performance—chronic stress generally makes life worse. So it's clear that we need a way to change our response to situations that cause us stress.

In the years since my investigation into stress I developed a transformative approach to change, grounded in neuroconstruction theory, that helps us shift unhelpful psychological states.

Applying this approach to stress, I created... The Stress Mastery Method!

In this training, you'll learn:

• The hidden dangers and costs of leaving stress unmanaged.
• The basic science of stress and the factors that contribute to feeling stressed.
• Simple techniques to change how the brain responds to stressful or worrying situations.
• How to identify the unique "ingredients" the brain uses to construct stress responses.
• How to shift unhelpful thoughts or feelings that cause stress, overwhelm, uncertainty or doubt.

Put simply, I'm going to teach you the tools you need to help your clients master stress.

To your success,

Ramon David
Founder, BrainFirst Inc.