Most of us, at some time in our lives, experience stress. We know that often times the business of our daily lives—working, caring for children, finding time for our significant other—can create a level stress that is not healthy for us. If you are looking for some excellent ideas to decrease the stress in your life and increase your peace and sense of well-being, then Stress Down and Lift Up by Renee Wiggins is the book for you.

Wiggins’ book is more than just a book—it is a thirty-day plan to change your lifestyle and refocus your energies on truly taking care of yourself. Just reading the plan itself causes you to take stock of where you are compared with where you’d like to be. Wiggins infuses her experience in nutrition and fitness with a spiritual insight that provides wellness solutions for the spirit, mind and body.

The book begins with an identification of what stress is, as well as some of its causes and reactions in our body. Especially helpful is a listing of conditions which can result from stress. We often don’t realize we have health issues because of our reactions to the stressors in our lives. Wiggins follows up her explanation of stress results with a prolific collection of “stress-busters”—that is—easy to apply ideas to greatly decrease the stress in our lives. Her stress busting ideas include simple but definite steps such as “Learning to Say No,” “Keep a journal of your thoughts” and my personal favorite “Make it a point to laugh on a daily basis.”

What I find truly wonderful about this book is that not only is it written to help the reader understand the stress triggers in her life, but it provides a roadmap to actually dealing with this issue. Many of us know that we are stressed out, but it’s actually making changes that can be difficult and often causes more stress, if we’re not careful. The book offers simple but strategic ways to make the necessary changes in our lives.

The entire book is filled with prayers, affirmations and jokes that help the reader’s spiritual focus and also help you laugh out loud. Additionally, a variety of how-to pictures assist in providing a visual reference for many of the exercises detailed in the book.

Stress Down and Lift Up concludes with worksheets which help you manage your day more effectively as well as more detailed information on journal writing.