CAVEMAN BODIES IN A CORPORATE JUNGLE

A debut nonfiction guide to surviving the modern corporate lifestyle that offers a strong set of guiding principles and stress-relieving practices.

Barrett, an acupuncturist and scholar of Chinese medicine, knows that busy corporate lifestyles and tight schedules can lead to illness, stress, sedentary habits, and a plethora of negative emotions. However, he argues that humans, despite their primal instincts, don’t have to be held hostage by ever changing work environments or the anxieties of traffic, family obligations, and a hectic work life. The book outlines his strategies to help readers become more aware of stressors, time-wasters, and familiar ruts that lead to bad habits. For example, he points out that deadlines and warnings at work are often designed to instill fear in order to encourage efficiency and focus. However, this can cause a fight-or-flight response, which he says can “compromise your health” if left uncontrolled. Barrett explains the various parts of the nervous system and how they work together to read one’s environment and send signals to the brain to react. He suggests daily practices that he says can result in calm, focused decision-making as well as ways to minimize stress through diet and various exercises. These practices, he says, are key to navigating an inevitably stressful world. Throughout the book, Barrett effectively emphasizes that a sense of peace is crucial to maintaining one’s focus and well-being. In one section, for example, Barrett suggests the “PAD” approach: naming a “Problem,” formulating an “Action” in response, and setting a “Date” or time span to complete that action. In this way, he says, a person can feel relief by taking a step toward resolution, thus reducing stress. Overall, the book is well-organized and conversational in tone, making it almost effortless to understand the theories and practices at hand. Whether readers have corporate positions or demanding roles as caregivers, this manual will offer them practical ways to work toward inner peace.

A successful guide to maintaining one’s passion, peace, and happiness in a demanding environment.