In Authenticity: A Guide To Living In Harmony With Yourself, David Posen shares advice on how to deal with issues of stress, based on his own experiences and expertise as a stress management and lifestyle counselor. As the title suggests, Dr. Posen argues that the most effective way to avoid stress is to stay true to yourself. He encourages readers to understand themselves in terms of the five thematic sections of the book. These categories include: identifying yourself as an introvert or extrovert and studying your sleep patterns. As repeatedly expressed throughout his work, Posen believes that “more awareness leads to better choices.”

Though I have always been skeptical of self-help books, I was pleasantly surprised by Dr. Posen’s writing style, which immediately draws the reader into real life success stories that are helpful and relatable. With every page, I learned more about my habits and values and developed an understanding of personal sources of stress that I was not even previously aware of. All in all, I felt that Posen understood me better than I understand myself.

Packed with useful information, you may find yourself taking notes, as I did, in order to incorporate Posen’s advice into your daily routine. The practical structure of the book assists with application to real life. In every section, Posen recaps what the important takeaways are, and how to apply it to your own life in order to relieve stress. Even the structure was de-stressing in this sense. And without such a highly organized approach, many readers may have been overwhelmed by the amount of information.

As it is, this book encourages the reader to reflect on everyday habits and suggests making small, but ultimately life-changing adjustments. Personally, I learned that I was an introvert and that I need to be more aware of my limits and not ashamed by them. On that note, Posen’s book was an important and timely reminder of the importance of self-care.

 

Visual Art Credit: Lindsay Christopher