The main aim of the workshop was to demystify stress, so that people could apply what they already knew about life. At that time people were saying that stress was "The Fight or Flight Syndrome"; that stress meant wanting to kill someone but not being able to. So our workshop poster said "What if stress isn't a tidal wave, isn't a monster, but just a weed that grew in the corner while you weren't looking?" We went on to say things like

• It doesn't take a major upset to make you feel stressed. Just normal, everyday things, done for long enough, can leave you emotionally exhausted – and that's exactly what stress is!

• If all your tasks are incomplete, day after day... you'll feel stress.

• If your job requires you to pay constant attention, with serious consequences for any slip-up... that's stress too.

• If you feel put upon and resentful at work, or if you let the sun set on an argument, if you take those feelings home with you and leave them on your mind all night... you guessed it, that's also stress!

The workshop notes grew and grew. Eventually they became a book. Then a Sydney writer, Gaynor Foster, produced a punchy version for managers and individuals who want to learn more about managing their own stress. She and I argued back and forth for several years, each rewriting what the other had just done, and finally we produced something that we both liked. Here it is!

Here is an extract (PDF file, 295kB).