Summary Of Fight Of The Fazzled Mind

In his article “Fight of the Frazzled Mind,” Dr. Robert Epstein argues that the goal of living should be to attain a life that is productive, yet stress-free, because he believes with the right training and preparation, anyone has the ability to manage their stress—even before it starts. This can be achieved by using nondestructive, trainable skill sets, the two most important of which being stress prevention and source management. Many suggest, and put into practice, the belief that some stress is healthy, and can even assist one in becoming more productive. Dr. Epstein disagrees with this suggestion, and goes as far as to claim this “idea is flawed.” While he admits a low number of people “know how to be productive when they are not being pushed by stressors,” he goes on to stand by the idea that it is possible with the proper training. As an example of what we should strive to achieve, he cites the lifestyles of “masters of kung fu,” illustrating those who consistently perform well when relaxed. Epstein’s belief is only further cemented by the assumption indicating there is a weak relationship between stress and stressors themselves. This shows, as he says, “with the right training
He found that people who have had training in stress management are better at it than people who have not, and more hours of training produces better skills. Unfortunately, he also found that on average, people do not know basic stress-management techniques, and often fail when it comes to managing “the inevitable stress they face in their lives.” This rare ability to live a productive, stress-free life is so important to Dr. Epstein not only because stress can be obviously harmful, but because studies suggest that “nearly 25 percent of the happiness we experience in life is related to…our ability to manage stress.” The benefits of a stress-free life are worth the training it