Peter Fargus offers a comprehensive yet succinct guide to understanding stress and developing habits for a calm mind in this self-help resource for college students.

Psychologist Fargus draws from his expertise in “managing well-being and motivation at work” as well as his “experiences with anxiety and stress at university as a student and then as a tutor and lecturer” to help students understand stress, its triggers and how to develop skills for a calm and focused mind.

The author focuses on teaching young adults how to manage their time, gain control of their finances, prioritize their physical well-being, develop a support system/community and more. In easy-to-understand language, he breaks down what stress is and provides ideas for “quick wins” and “later wins” to help students diminish stress triggers while building emotional fortitude through focused exercises like journaling, stretching, meditation, digital detoxing, breathing exercises and more.

Fargus also aims at helping readers develop “a mindset that embraces change and transformation…a ‘growth mindset’” that will set them “up for future success in the workplace.” He guides students on how to determine their unique strengths and weaknesses, encouraging them to journal their reflections on his “self-appraisal” points. Fargus also offers “Taking Action” sections at the end of each chapter.

With so many exercises to complete, the guide will last several months and create a valuable personal resource for readers to return to and measure progress over time. Fargus’s advice also feels up to date, encompassing helpful digital tools, such as budgeting and fitness apps, YouTube exercise videos, and more. Additionally, he offers a robust bibliography full of additional resources.

With its many practical tools and suggestions, this is an excellent guide for diminishing stress and anxiety for any high school graduate or college student. It’s also a resource that could continue to serve readers into their adult years.

Also available as an ebook.