It is possible to move through life with minimal struggle. Your outward action in harmony with the inner voice that guides you, doing the right thing for the right reason, with a feeling of the wind at your back, effortless. Think for a moment about how you would answer the next two questions. What would it feel like to spend most of the time, most days, living in peace? And what is preventing it?
The Art of Struggle Reduction provides a foundation for viewing life through a different lens. The concepts are easy to understand but can be challenging to implement. The reason is that the human mind is complicated, and The Art of Struggle Reduction is simple, very simple. One school of thought is that if you are not busy doing something and staying on top of things, you will lose your edge and your effectiveness. This attitude can create an over-active mind, prone to excessive worry and stress. The Art of Struggle Reduction takes a different approach. Moving through life with minimal worry, stress, and struggle makes one more effective, not less. Imagine walking straight through an empty room to the other side instead of winding your way through piles of clutter. The heart of Struggle Reduction is less clutter. A mind that is settled and clear is at peace. Understanding replaces knowledge.
This book is for doctors, nurses, social workers, mental health counselors, and anyone looking to live a more calm and peaceful life. The methods we will discuss have been shown to be effective in helping to manage anger and stress and helping to prevent relapse for those with substance use disorders and other mental health issues. The Art of Struggle Reduction’s origin, dates back to 1980, the year I first read the book “Think on These Things” by J. Krishnamurti. There are profound discussions of peace and struggle throughout the book, which helped shape my future views and guided me to the practice of meditation. Now, fast forward to 1994. While working as an Addictions counselor at a treatment center in Nashville, I continually noticed the negative impact that feelings of anxiety and stress were having on our recovering clients. Those that did not learn how to manage and cope with anxiety and stress often relapsed, returning to the maladaptive pattern of self-medicating those uncomfortable feelings. There is a clear link among anxiety, stress, and relapse that is even more prevalent today than it was in 1994.
The Art of Struggle Reduction evolved from a blend of styles that included cognitive behavior therapy, 12 step recovery concepts, and my long-held views on peace, struggle, and mindfulness. Within several years we had formed the company Relaxation for Anxiety and began mixing sounds of nature, guided relaxations and original music in our studio. From then until now, we’ve been teaching guided relaxation and meditation, teaching anger and stress management, providing counseling for those with substance use and co-occurring disorders, and producing relaxation CDs and downloads. It is the culmination of these efforts that has brought The Art of Struggle Reduction to life.
The Art of Struggle Reduction teaches the listener to observe his or her thoughts, identify areas of internal struggle, and utilize a few simple strategies—to allow the struggle to be reduced. The benefits are many: reducedanxiety, reduced frequency and intensity of panic attacks, less difficulty falling asleep at night, and a calmer lifestyle when awake. For the discussion of recovery from addiction, Struggle Reduction can be used to manage stress and anger which helps to prevent relapse. Regularly reaching a deep state of calm can help with overall health problems, such as lowering high blood pressure, and reducing the risk of stroke. These changes can potentially add years to your life. The bottom line isliving a more calm, peaceful, relaxed life is good for your health.