SPRINGBOARD

A self-help guide for rethinking stress.

Heiss, an academic and keynote speaker, offers readers a unique approach to reframing stress in this optimistic book. After finding out that her sister-in-law had an inoperable brain tumor, the author “blew up [her] entire life” and quit her job, divorced her husband, and sold her home. This experience inspired Heiss to reimagine stress as “energy to be molded and shaped for your own utility.” According to the author, stress is to be embraced, not banished. Her three-pronged approach begins with “The Tiger” stage, in which readers learn to recognize that stressors are rarely as threatening as they seem. In the second stage, “The FEAR[less] Transfer,” readers are encouraged to think about how the challenge might become an adventure. The third stage, “The Springboard,” requires taking action. Heiss advises “inviting the tiger in for tea,” or leaning into stressors to retrain the brain to tolerate discomfort (for example, complimenting a stranger or asking to borrow someone’s phone). Though physiology will sound the alarm—through a pounding heart, dry mouth, or excessive sweating—the goal is to acknowledge these sensations and ride them out rather than fight them. The author discusses how acting “as if” with enthusiastic body language can trick the mind, turning anxiety into excitement. She advises assessing where one is playing it safe, taking small steps into the unknown, and celebrating wins. Heiss also describes the “Stress SpringLoad,” the pile-up of stressors that make people “feel disordered and like we’re going to battle every day.” (Sharing these loads with others can foster a sense of community, per the author.) The work also explores post-traumatic growth and the cultivation of hope.

The book combines a friendly tone, accessible language, and clever phrases like “run to the roar” to cement key concepts in readers’ brains. Heiss supports her FEAR[less] Stress Formula with a study in which the Perceived Stress Scale scores and heart rate variability of participants were measured; after 30 days, Heiss reports that 85% of participants showed a reduction in their Perceived Stress Scale scores and that 40% reported an increase in their heart rate variability (which indicates a more adaptive stress response). The author helpfully supplements her framework with other research-based concepts like the Yerkes-Dodson curve, which suggests that an intermediate level of stress is key to peak performance. Visual elements, including a graph about emotions that shows “pleasure/displeasure” on the X axis, “high arousal/low arousal” on the Y axis, and emotions associated with these states in each quadrant, further illustrate the author’s concepts. The book also includes QR codes throughout to encourage further engagement with the material. At times, Heiss blurs the distinction between everyday stress and profound trauma, as when she brands her “Stress SpringLoad” concept as “the new PTSD.” Similarly, some insensitive examples imply that trauma is beneficial for people; the author frames her best friend’s cancer diagnosis as one of the “most profound experiences of [her] life” and credits it for bringing her friend group closer together. Still, this inspiring guide effectively teaches readers how to accept stress as part of the human experience, channel that energy in a positive and productive way, and connect with others in the process.

An empowering tool for transforming stress that downplays the devastating effects of trauma.