Table Of Content“In these challenging times, you’d be hard- pressed to find a book as
helpful as The Stress- Proof Brain. In this groundbreaking work, Melanie
Greenberg combines ancient mind- calming techniques with a modern-
day scientific understanding of how the brain works to teach you how to
transform your response to stress. The book is informative, backed by
research, and practical. It covers a range of subjects, from overcoming
trauma to taming your inner critic to improving your sleep. Each chapter
contains easy- to- learn practices to help you develop a stress- free brain.
This manual for finding peace and well- being gets my highest
recommendation.”
— Toni Bernhard, award- winning author of How to Be Sick, How to
Wake Up, and How to Live Well with Chronic Pain and Illness
“You can’t eliminate stress, but you can do a lot to control it. Start by
reading this book. This is one of those rare books that everyone should
have on their shelf. Buy one for yourself and one for a friend.”
— Frank Sonnenberg, award- winning author of six books,
consultant to Fortune 500 companies, and named one of
America’s Top 100 Thought Leaders by Trust Across America
“The Stress- Proof Brain is a brilliant book written to help overcome stress’s
debilitating effects that keep you from creating success in life, whether
personal or professional. You will transform feeling stressed into feeling
confident, resilient, in control, and energized. You will find that you can
literally rewire your brain! If you feel stress has held you back in any area,
then this book is written just for you.”
— Lori Shemek, PhD, CNC, author of How to Fight
FATflammation!, health contributor to Fox News, and named a
Top Health and Fitness Expert by The Huffington Post
“In our hyper- connected, fast- paced modern world, we are continually
confronted with threats and demands that trigger a cascade of unhealthy
biological responses known as stress. In The Stress- Proof Brain, Melanie
Greenberg not only provides readers with practical tools to identify their
past and current stressors, she teaches them about behavioral and psy-
chological practices, such as mindfulness meditation, that can short-
circuit unhealthy biological responses to stressors and increase resilience.
The book is packed with wisdom from decades of research on behavioral
and neurological aspects of stress, but is written in an accessible and
engaging style.”
— Stephen J. Lepore, PhD, professor and founding chair in the
department of social and behavioral science at Temple University
“If you are one of the many people who suffers from chronic stress, then
The Stress- Proof Brain is just what the doctor ordered. Melanie Greenberg
has put together an immensely readable combination of psychology and
neuroscience to understand why you are stressed, and evidence- based
tools to help you retrain yourself to live a happier and stress- free life.”
—A rt Markman, professor of psychology and marketing, as well as
director of the Human Dimensions of Organizations program at
the University of Texas at Austin; author of Smart Thinking, Smart
Change and coauthor of Brain Briefs; and cohost of the NPR radio
show Two Guys on Your Head
“This book provides clear guidelines on how to change the way we look
at the stress- producing events in our life. Melanie Greenberg reminds us
that stress is a fact of life and that it’s not going away; instead, she shows
us how to control the way our mind responds to it.”
—L aRae Quy, former undercover and counterintelligence FBI
agent, founder of the Mental Toughness Center, and author of
Secrets of a Strong Mind and Mental Toughness for Women Leaders
“This innovative book teaches you how to regain control of your stressors so
you can live your best life and be your best. If you want to transform your
stress into an opportunity for personal growth, this is the book for you.”
—E lizabeth Hamilton-G uarino, CEO of The Best Ever You Network,
and author of PERCOLATE
“Stress is a fact of life in today’s world, but it doesn’t need to run your life.
One of my favorite authors, psychologist Melanie Greenberg, has written a
wonderful new book filled with practical, easy- to- understand tips to rewire
your brain to become more resilient to stress and generate positivity. The
Stress- Proof Brain is a must- read for anyone who experiences stress. Come to
think of it, that’s all of us!”
— Jesse Lyn Stoner, founder of Seapoint Center for Collaborative
Leadership, and coauthor of Full Steam Ahead! and Leading at a
Higher Level
“The Stress- Proof Brain beautifully integrates research in mindfulness, brain
science, and positive psychology. Whether your stress relates to your work,
finances, relationships, or health, this book will help you learn the informa-
tion and tips you need to survive and thrive. The strategies the book teaches
are multipurpose so the reader will gain an efficient set of tools for calming
anxiety and maximizing resilience in a wide variety of life situations.”
— Alice Boyes, PhD, author of The Anxiety Toolkit, and emotions
expert for Women’s Health magazine (Australian edition)
“For people suffering from stress, this book is a godsend. Bringing in the
latest science on how to deal with stress while using clear, easily accessible
language, this book gives you the tools you need to live a more calm, peace-
ful, and stress- free life.”
— Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self- Compassion
The
St r e s s
-
Proof
Brain
Master Your Emotional Response to Stress
Using Mindfulness & Neuroplasticity
M E L A N I E G R E E N B E R G , Ph D
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in
regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the
publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other pro-
fessional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of a
competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2016 by Melanie Greenberg
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
“Practice: Mindfulness of Your Breath” is adapted from MINDSIGHT: THE NEW
SCIENCE OF PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION by Daniel J. Siegel, copyright ©
2010 by Mind Your Brain, Inc. Used by permission of Bantam Books, an imprint of
Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.
Cover design by Sara Christian; Acquired by Wendy Millstine;
Edited by Will DeRooy; Text design by Michele Waters-Kermes and Tracy Carlson
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Greenberg, Melanie, author.
Title: The stress-proof brain : master your emotional response to stress using
mindfulness and neuroplasticity / Melanie Greenberg.
Description: Oakland, CA : New Harbinger Publications, 2017. | Includes
bibliographical references.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016036013 (print) | LCCN 2016052428 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781626252660 (paperback) | ISBN 9781626252677 (pdf e-book) |
ISBN 9781626252684 (epub) | ISBN 9781626252677 (PDF e-book) |
ISBN 9781626252684 (ePub)
Subjects: LCSH: Stress (Psychology) | Emotions. | Stress management. | Neuro-
psychology. | BISAC: SELF-HELP / Stress Management. | PSYCHOLOGY /
Neuropsychology. | HEALTH & FITNESS / Healthy Living.
Classification: LCC BF575.S75 G6684 2017 (print) | LCC BF575.S75 (ebook) |
DDC 155.9/042--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016036013
To Brian and Sydney, who light up my life
Contents
Introduction 1
PART 1: Understanding Your Stress
1 Your Brain’s Stress Response 9
2 What Type of Stressor Are You Facing? 29
PART 2: Calming Your Amygdala
3 Staying Grounded in the Present Moment 57
4 Facing and Accepting Your Emotions 81
5 Gaining Control over Your Stress 101
6 Learning Self- Compassion 121
PART 3: Moving Forward with Your Prefrontal Cortex
7 Becoming Cognitively Flexible 141
8 Bringing in the Positive 163
9 Finding the Right Mind- Set 177
10 Living Healthy in the Face of Stress 189
Conclusion 209
Acknowledgments 211
Resources 213
References 215
