In this hyper-anxious age, how are we to live happy, healthy and satisfying lives?

On top of the usual challenges, we now face cascading social, political and environmental crises the likes of which humanity has never seen before. And the stress waves keep rolling in. Like ocean swells, as one stress wave crashes over us, the next forms.

Psychologists can no longer satisfy the need for mental health services. In response to this challenge Dr Wayne Somerville, clinical psychologist, has written his empowering book, The Art of Riding Stress Waves: Self-help psychology for an anxious age.

Drawing on 40 years of experience as a trauma specialist, Dr Somerville offers readers the knowledge and skills they need to ride stress waves effectively and with style and joy. His book is a practical, accessible, down-to-earth guide for dealing with all of life’s threats and challenges, from the everyday to the lethally dangerous.

Practising the art of riding stress waves is not about just managing stress; the goal is to use the power of stress to improve our lives.

This book has three parts.

Part 1 sets out what we need to know in order to practise the art of riding stress waves. In a unique formulation, Dr Somerville explains how anxiety is an important component of ancient, evolved strategies that the human psyche draws upon to deal with stress.

Anxiety is not a symptom; it’s a protective emotion that alerts us to danger. When we know how to use them, even fear, anxiety, anger, guilt and depression can help us to ride stress waves.

Dr Somerville argues strongly against the medicalisation of mental health problems, and he explains why many stress responses, including posttraumatic stress (PTSD), are not a sign that there’s anything wrong with an affected person’s mind. In reality, many so-called ‘mental disorders’ are natural and healthy, though less than optimal, responses to stress. Wayne shows readers how they can update their old, distressing stress reactions to find new, more effective ways to think, act and live.

In Part 2, Dr Somerville gives readers tools, tips and techniques for riding stress waves. He examines psychological techniques for resolving threats and challenges that tap into the creative power of our key mental processes of perception, attention, belief, thought, reason, imagination, memory, language, emotion, intuition and dreaming.  

The case studies in Part 3 demonstrate the art of riding stress waves in action. Dr Somerville argues that we have solid grounds for hope and can be optimistic about the future. He encourages us to engage with the great challenges of our time and he shows us how we can prepare for the coming stress tsunamis.

The Art of Riding Stress Waves is for anyone who wants to change the way they think about and respond to stress. It’s especially relevant for folk who suffer from anxiety or trauma. The book is dedicated to everyone who wants to make their life and the world better.