What do you think?
Rate this book
The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience
From Harvard stress expert, nationally sought after speaker, and television correspondent Dr. Aditi Nerurkar comes a reimagined approach to overcoming your stress and burnout using five small but mighty mindset shifts.
For Dr. Nerurkar, the common misperception of stress as “bad” needs reframing. Stress is a healthy biological phenomenon that helps us tackle life’s many demands. It becomes problematic when it’s out of tune with the frequency of our lives, resulting in burnout, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and many other physical symptoms. To bring stress back to healthy levels, Dr. Nerurkar offers her five science-backed mindset shifts, rooted in more than two decades of clinical experience, for when life gets hard:
• The First Reset: Get Clear on What Matters Most
• The Second Reset: Find Quiet in a Noisy World
• The Third Reset: Sync Your Brain and Your Body
• The Fourth Reset: Come Up for Air
• The Fifth Reset: Bring Your Best Self Forward
Dr. Nerurkar illuminates why our everyday attempts at being “resilient”—like multitasking, sleeping less, and undergoing huge lifestyle overhauls—aren’t beneficial to our stressed brains. Instead, she prescribes practical, real-world solutions for our modern-day perils that are time efficient, cost-free, and can be applied to anyone’s life, including following the Resilience Rule of 2 (making no more than two changes at a time because doing more is unsustainable), accepting that multitasking is a myth (our brains are wired to do one thing at a time!), and adopting her Bookend Method (creating boundaries to honor our brain’s need for compartmentalization).
The five mindset shifts, along with fifteen proven techniques, offer you a road map to change your relationship with stress, bring your biology back into balance, and feel calmer right now.
For Dr. Nerurkar, the common misperception of stress as “bad” needs reframing. Stress is a healthy biological phenomenon that helps us tackle life’s many demands. It becomes problematic when it’s out of tune with the frequency of our lives, resulting in burnout, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and many other physical symptoms. To bring stress back to healthy levels, Dr. Nerurkar offers her five science-backed mindset shifts, rooted in more than two decades of clinical experience, for when life gets hard:
• The First Reset: Get Clear on What Matters Most
• The Second Reset: Find Quiet in a Noisy World
• The Third Reset: Sync Your Brain and Your Body
• The Fourth Reset: Come Up for Air
• The Fifth Reset: Bring Your Best Self Forward
Dr. Nerurkar illuminates why our everyday attempts at being “resilient”—like multitasking, sleeping less, and undergoing huge lifestyle overhauls—aren’t beneficial to our stressed brains. Instead, she prescribes practical, real-world solutions for our modern-day perils that are time efficient, cost-free, and can be applied to anyone’s life, including following the Resilience Rule of 2 (making no more than two changes at a time because doing more is unsustainable), accepting that multitasking is a myth (our brains are wired to do one thing at a time!), and adopting her Bookend Method (creating boundaries to honor our brain’s need for compartmentalization).
The five mindset shifts, along with fifteen proven techniques, offer you a road map to change your relationship with stress, bring your biology back into balance, and feel calmer right now.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 16, 2024
850 people are currently reading
6259 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews
April 4, 2024
This felt like a summary book to me. First reset is the only thing I found practically helpful everything else is common knowledge surface level take care of yourself BS. The living a lifetime in a day concept (for me) needed more of a breakdown to acknowledge it as a sustainable solution.
The first reset:
- Define what matters to you
- After her stroke at 58, Jeanette faced the daunting challenge of relearning to walk. This experience led her through the three zones of adapting to stress. She navigated from the fear zone, filled with uncertainty; to the learning zone, where she began to rebuild her mobility; and eventually, stepped into the growth zone, rediscovering her inner strength and resilience. Jeanette’s experience highlights the profound impact of mindset in overcoming life’s hurdles, particularly through Dr. Nerurkar’s First Reset: Get Clear on What Matters Most.
- start by identifying your MOST goal. Motivating, Objective, Small, and Timely. This goal should inspire you, be measurable and achievable without overwhelming changes, and have a clear deadline in the near future.
The second reset:
- Finding serenity among chaos/ Find Quiet in a Noisy World
- limit digital engagement (already done this)
- I found this section useless
The third reset:
- Sync Your Brain and Your Body (and diet)
- Based on the scientific principle of the mind-body connection, this concept illustrates the profound interplay between your mental states and physical responses.
- The stop-breathe-be technique is a practical tool for this. It involves first selecting a routine activity. Before you begin, stop to take a conscious breath and ground yourself in the present moment by simply being with it. This method doesn't require extra time or a break from your daily tasks but offers a quick way to recalibrate and refocus, using everyday actions as triggers to restore balance and reduce stress.
- rest was obvious
The fourth reset:
- Come Up for Air / create time to breathe
- Consider implementing short, intentional breaks throughout your day. Simple actions like stretching, walking, or deep breathing can recalibrate stress levels. Monotasking, or focusing on one task at a time rather than multitasking, will also significantly increase your focus and problem-solving skills. Time-blocking methods like the pomodoro technique, which involves working in time blocks with short breaks, can also enhance your concentration. (useful but already do this)
The fifth reset:
- Bring Your Best Self Forward /embrace change and transformation?
- This reset improves our self-awareness and resilience. Shifting from self-criticism to self-compassion requires you to recognize and silence your inner critic which often becomes particularly vocal during stressful periods.
- An effective strategy for this transformation involves cultivating gratitude. Each night, take a brief moment to reflect on and write down five aspects of your day for which you feel thankful. (doing already)
- embrace the concept of “living a lifetime in a day.” Integrate elements of childhood joy, productive work, vacation relaxation, community connection, solitude reflection, and retirement contemplation into each day. This holistic approach will enrich your daily experience, helping you to cherish each moment and bring your best self to the forefront.
The first reset:
- Define what matters to you
- After her stroke at 58, Jeanette faced the daunting challenge of relearning to walk. This experience led her through the three zones of adapting to stress. She navigated from the fear zone, filled with uncertainty; to the learning zone, where she began to rebuild her mobility; and eventually, stepped into the growth zone, rediscovering her inner strength and resilience. Jeanette’s experience highlights the profound impact of mindset in overcoming life’s hurdles, particularly through Dr. Nerurkar’s First Reset: Get Clear on What Matters Most.
- start by identifying your MOST goal. Motivating, Objective, Small, and Timely. This goal should inspire you, be measurable and achievable without overwhelming changes, and have a clear deadline in the near future.
The second reset:
- Finding serenity among chaos/ Find Quiet in a Noisy World
- limit digital engagement (already done this)
- I found this section useless
The third reset:
- Sync Your Brain and Your Body (and diet)
- Based on the scientific principle of the mind-body connection, this concept illustrates the profound interplay between your mental states and physical responses.
- The stop-breathe-be technique is a practical tool for this. It involves first selecting a routine activity. Before you begin, stop to take a conscious breath and ground yourself in the present moment by simply being with it. This method doesn't require extra time or a break from your daily tasks but offers a quick way to recalibrate and refocus, using everyday actions as triggers to restore balance and reduce stress.
- rest was obvious
The fourth reset:
- Come Up for Air / create time to breathe
- Consider implementing short, intentional breaks throughout your day. Simple actions like stretching, walking, or deep breathing can recalibrate stress levels. Monotasking, or focusing on one task at a time rather than multitasking, will also significantly increase your focus and problem-solving skills. Time-blocking methods like the pomodoro technique, which involves working in time blocks with short breaks, can also enhance your concentration. (useful but already do this)
The fifth reset:
- Bring Your Best Self Forward /embrace change and transformation?
- This reset improves our self-awareness and resilience. Shifting from self-criticism to self-compassion requires you to recognize and silence your inner critic which often becomes particularly vocal during stressful periods.
- An effective strategy for this transformation involves cultivating gratitude. Each night, take a brief moment to reflect on and write down five aspects of your day for which you feel thankful. (doing already)
- embrace the concept of “living a lifetime in a day.” Integrate elements of childhood joy, productive work, vacation relaxation, community connection, solitude reflection, and retirement contemplation into each day. This holistic approach will enrich your daily experience, helping you to cherish each moment and bring your best self to the forefront.
February 25, 2024
I came across this book browsing the Libby App and added it to my self. I listened to it and will be buying a copy to re-ready, make notes, and have my husband read. We are both in the medical field and have busy lives with our "9-5" (aka 24/7) jobs, teaching responsibilities and the demands of three active children. Chronic stress is unfortunately part of our lives. However after reading this book I have a better understanding of how detrimental stress is to our over all health and have some very practical tools for moving out of the stress state an into a better state of flow!
January 24, 2024
This was almost exactly what I wanted it to be -- I would have liked a bit more of dive into some of the research, but I think this was intended to be more accessible and anecdote/personal, which it was.
The "5 resets" feel very realistic and attainable, and the book format/flow was structured well. There's a good blend of examples, questions to reflect, and tangible advice.
Dr. Nerurkar did a wonderful job of drawing on anecdotes from herself and her patients, providing enough detail that the reader/listener felt like they got to know the patients and their stories rather than a passing blip. A frustration I have with other books like this is that when they rely on anecdotes to make it seem personal and relatable, there often isn't enough information provided to really care or get to know the person, and thus it falls flat. That wasn't the case here, and she often revisits patients later in the book to illustrate her examples, which I liked.
She does draw on some research, but as I alluded to in my first sentence, it's more "research suggests XYZ" rather than explaining the research. I don't doubt that the research is legit rather than cherry picked and questionable, as she is a physician who practices in this exact field. But, the well-being researcher in me always wants to know about the methods rather than the conclusion, just to make sure the conclusion is valid :) But, 99% of people reading this book probably don't care about that, and there are other books that to a deeper dive into research, so this book does meet it's goal. It's one of the better ones on this topic. I'm a fan.
Thanks Libro.Fm and Harper Collins for the ALC.
The "5 resets" feel very realistic and attainable, and the book format/flow was structured well. There's a good blend of examples, questions to reflect, and tangible advice.
Dr. Nerurkar did a wonderful job of drawing on anecdotes from herself and her patients, providing enough detail that the reader/listener felt like they got to know the patients and their stories rather than a passing blip. A frustration I have with other books like this is that when they rely on anecdotes to make it seem personal and relatable, there often isn't enough information provided to really care or get to know the person, and thus it falls flat. That wasn't the case here, and she often revisits patients later in the book to illustrate her examples, which I liked.
She does draw on some research, but as I alluded to in my first sentence, it's more "research suggests XYZ" rather than explaining the research. I don't doubt that the research is legit rather than cherry picked and questionable, as she is a physician who practices in this exact field. But, the well-being researcher in me always wants to know about the methods rather than the conclusion, just to make sure the conclusion is valid :) But, 99% of people reading this book probably don't care about that, and there are other books that to a deeper dive into research, so this book does meet it's goal. It's one of the better ones on this topic. I'm a fan.
Thanks Libro.Fm and Harper Collins for the ALC.
April 2, 2025
HIGHLIGHTS:
1. WHAT YOUR STRESS IS TELLING YOU:
- When we’re stressed, our brains have an uncanny ability to rise up and meet the moment by compartmentalizing inconvenient aspects of ourselves that don’t help with our immediate self preservation.
- We’re completely isolated in our togetherness with stress. It’s one of humankind’s greatest paradoxes.
2. 1st RESET: GET CLEAR ON WHAT MATTERS MOST
- Your brain can be taught how to experience less stress, it can also be taught how to build more resilience.
- Embrace the idea that change can help you become wiser, stronger, and more adaptable is the essence of the growth mindset.
3. 2nd RESET: FIND QUIET IN A NOISY WORLD
- Create boundaries around your most valuable resources, your attention.
- The News: We need a better way to manage this constant onslaught of information to protect our mental health and well-being, while still remaining informed and thoughtful citizens.
- It’s easy to feel isolated or prefer to be alone when you’re stressed. Connecting with others from time to time can help decrease your stress, even if you’re an introvert.
4. 3rd RESET: SYNC YOUR BRAIN AND YOUR BODY
- Movement decompresses a stressed brain.
- Those 20 minutes a day of walking can become valuable alone-time without distraction.
- When starting something new, it’s easier for your brain to do it every day rather than once in a while.
- Stop – breathe – Be
5. 4th RESET: COME UP FOR AIR
- Give your brain a breather without sacrificing your productivity.
- Short, frequent 10 minute breaks, decreases the cumulative effects of work stress on the brain.
- Move towards integrating five or six short breaks of 3 to 5 minutes into your day.
- The road to burnout recovery is slow and intentional.
- Give yourself the time, patience, and self compassion to get there.
- Rituals are things you do repeatedly and in a certain order.
- Rituals are a helpful catalyst to prime your brain, helping you create some mental space when you have little to know physical space.
- Leave your work at your job, as much as possible, and feel more deeply connected with friends and family.
- Heart health matters.
6. 5th RESET: Bring your best self forward.
- Having lived with your inner critic your whole life, you may not even realize its presence.
- Your inner critic speaks loudly and often during times of unhealthy stress because your inner critic is trying to protect you.
- Stress impacts your sense of self-efficacy.
- Your stressed brain is hyper-vigilant to the external environment, and even a seemingly insignificant mistake can set off a cascade of negative emotions.
- Hyper vigilance and a heighten sensitivity to negative experiences are hallmarks of any maladaptive stress response.
- By teaching your brain the language of gratitude, you’re protecting it from some of the harmful effects of stress.
- By actively cultivating positive thoughts, you’re also helping to counteract your inner critic.
- My brain pathway begins to calibrate away from stress and back towards calm through the process of cognitive reframing.
7. TAKEAWAY:
- Canary warnings may be a problem for you to respond to.
- When you realize you’ve made progress, celebrate every single win, both big and small.
1. WHAT YOUR STRESS IS TELLING YOU:
- When we’re stressed, our brains have an uncanny ability to rise up and meet the moment by compartmentalizing inconvenient aspects of ourselves that don’t help with our immediate self preservation.
- We’re completely isolated in our togetherness with stress. It’s one of humankind’s greatest paradoxes.
2. 1st RESET: GET CLEAR ON WHAT MATTERS MOST
- Your brain can be taught how to experience less stress, it can also be taught how to build more resilience.
- Embrace the idea that change can help you become wiser, stronger, and more adaptable is the essence of the growth mindset.
3. 2nd RESET: FIND QUIET IN A NOISY WORLD
- Create boundaries around your most valuable resources, your attention.
- The News: We need a better way to manage this constant onslaught of information to protect our mental health and well-being, while still remaining informed and thoughtful citizens.
- It’s easy to feel isolated or prefer to be alone when you’re stressed. Connecting with others from time to time can help decrease your stress, even if you’re an introvert.
4. 3rd RESET: SYNC YOUR BRAIN AND YOUR BODY
- Movement decompresses a stressed brain.
- Those 20 minutes a day of walking can become valuable alone-time without distraction.
- When starting something new, it’s easier for your brain to do it every day rather than once in a while.
- Stop – breathe – Be
5. 4th RESET: COME UP FOR AIR
- Give your brain a breather without sacrificing your productivity.
- Short, frequent 10 minute breaks, decreases the cumulative effects of work stress on the brain.
- Move towards integrating five or six short breaks of 3 to 5 minutes into your day.
- The road to burnout recovery is slow and intentional.
- Give yourself the time, patience, and self compassion to get there.
- Rituals are things you do repeatedly and in a certain order.
- Rituals are a helpful catalyst to prime your brain, helping you create some mental space when you have little to know physical space.
- Leave your work at your job, as much as possible, and feel more deeply connected with friends and family.
- Heart health matters.
6. 5th RESET: Bring your best self forward.
- Having lived with your inner critic your whole life, you may not even realize its presence.
- Your inner critic speaks loudly and often during times of unhealthy stress because your inner critic is trying to protect you.
- Stress impacts your sense of self-efficacy.
- Your stressed brain is hyper-vigilant to the external environment, and even a seemingly insignificant mistake can set off a cascade of negative emotions.
- Hyper vigilance and a heighten sensitivity to negative experiences are hallmarks of any maladaptive stress response.
- By teaching your brain the language of gratitude, you’re protecting it from some of the harmful effects of stress.
- By actively cultivating positive thoughts, you’re also helping to counteract your inner critic.
- My brain pathway begins to calibrate away from stress and back towards calm through the process of cognitive reframing.
7. TAKEAWAY:
- Canary warnings may be a problem for you to respond to.
- When you realize you’ve made progress, celebrate every single win, both big and small.
February 2, 2025
I heard the author on a podcast, and she was so great that I had to read her book! I really enjoyed this actually. She has an approachable writing style and mixed this w/ facts and stories.
June 21, 2025
4,5 stars - „cultivating a new practice within ourselves is like growing a garden. when you plant seeds in a garden, you give them time to sprout into saplings. you treat the tender saplings with gentleness and compassion.“🌱
a book everyone should read at least once in their lifetime!
a book everyone should read at least once in their lifetime!
June 10, 2025
Sometimes self-help books are stupid and preachy, but I didn’t get that from this book at all. I would consider purchasing this book to re-read—I liked it that much! I took some notes and I hope to apply some of these strategies. None of them were like “oh my gosh I’ve never thought of that!!” moments necessarily…but my favorite thing that Dr. Nerurkar writes is the reminder that even though you might know logically the steps to take, under stress/anxiety/fear, your amygdala takes over and you no longer use rational thoughts. This is why when people tell you “it’s not so bad!” Or “look on the bright side!” It doesn’t help when you’re in that state of mind. Anyways, highly recommend!
April 1, 2024
giving this a top rating because it actually helps you come up with solutions within the circumstances of your own life. so many of these books about stress and burnout focus on the societal issue of why we get burned out, the toxic systems at play and how to rise up against hustle culture but that is never actually possible or helpful. this book solves for individuals and has amazing examples of how ppl in any life circumstance can reduce stress- it even includes a really profound example of a terminally ill person and how these techniques helped her have an amazing end of life
did-not-finish
June 19, 2024DNF @ 50% on audio 6/19/24. Not a good fit for me. Sleep better, be on your phone less. Set achievable, small goals in pursuit of a larger goal. Basic.
April 23, 2025
My uncle gifted me this book for my birthday. Generally, I avoid reading non-fiction books, especially “self-help” books – I usually find them repetitive and long. That being said, my uncle thought I would enjoy the psychology and scientific articles incorporated in this book, so, I decided to give it a go!
This book centers around identifying stress and learning how to mitigate it through simple and effective strategies. The narrative flows in the following manner: the author discusses a client’s life/situation, the author identifies the stress in the client’s habits/lifestyle, the author discusses an evidence-based strategy that can mitigate stress and improve overall quality of living, then she details the improvement in the client a month later, and then she repeats this process again with a new client/new strategy.
The author discusses techniques such as mindfulness, breathwork, mind-body connection, self-compassion, the rule of 2, Pomodoro, journaling, and more. Now, these are all strategies that I already use, so I was not blown away by these techniques. However, I found enjoyment in reading the scientific articles highlighting the effectiveness of these strategies.
I will rate this book a 4/5. I wish it was a bit more scientific in tone, providing more in-depth explanations of the research studies and what they found. However, I understand why this was not the case. Lastly, I enjoyed looking up certain articles and investigating further!
This book centers around identifying stress and learning how to mitigate it through simple and effective strategies. The narrative flows in the following manner: the author discusses a client’s life/situation, the author identifies the stress in the client’s habits/lifestyle, the author discusses an evidence-based strategy that can mitigate stress and improve overall quality of living, then she details the improvement in the client a month later, and then she repeats this process again with a new client/new strategy.
The author discusses techniques such as mindfulness, breathwork, mind-body connection, self-compassion, the rule of 2, Pomodoro, journaling, and more. Now, these are all strategies that I already use, so I was not blown away by these techniques. However, I found enjoyment in reading the scientific articles highlighting the effectiveness of these strategies.
I will rate this book a 4/5. I wish it was a bit more scientific in tone, providing more in-depth explanations of the research studies and what they found. However, I understand why this was not the case. Lastly, I enjoyed looking up certain articles and investigating further!
February 21, 2024
The 5 Resets is an insightful book about reshaping our responses to stress, ultimately we pave the way for a more balanced, resilient, and fulfilling journey through life's inevitable challenges.
By integrating mindfulness practices, cognitive reframing techniques, and self-care strategies into daily routines, individuals can cultivate resilience against stressors, enhance emotional intelligence, and foster a positive outlook on life's adversities. Embracing these mindset shifts and evidence-based interventions enables individuals to build psychological strength, nurture adaptive coping mechanisms, and fortify their mental resilience in the face of life's inevitable challenges. Additionally, chronic stress is known to exacerbate existing mental health conditions and contribute to the development of new ones. Individuals experiencing persistent stress may find themselves overwhelmed, irritable, and emotionally drained, hindering their ability to cope effectively with daily challenges.
By introducing five science-backed mindset shifts and a comprehensive set of fifteen proven techniques, individuals can reframe their perspectives on stress, restore equilibrium to their bodies, and cultivate a sense of calm amidst life's trials. This strategic approach not only empowers individuals to navigate stress more healthily but also enables them to thrive in the face of adversity.
The 5 Resets and the Resilience Rule of 2 are life- changing aspects that can transform your life as a whole.
By integrating mindfulness practices, cognitive reframing techniques, and self-care strategies into daily routines, individuals can cultivate resilience against stressors, enhance emotional intelligence, and foster a positive outlook on life's adversities. Embracing these mindset shifts and evidence-based interventions enables individuals to build psychological strength, nurture adaptive coping mechanisms, and fortify their mental resilience in the face of life's inevitable challenges. Additionally, chronic stress is known to exacerbate existing mental health conditions and contribute to the development of new ones. Individuals experiencing persistent stress may find themselves overwhelmed, irritable, and emotionally drained, hindering their ability to cope effectively with daily challenges.
By introducing five science-backed mindset shifts and a comprehensive set of fifteen proven techniques, individuals can reframe their perspectives on stress, restore equilibrium to their bodies, and cultivate a sense of calm amidst life's trials. This strategic approach not only empowers individuals to navigate stress more healthily but also enables them to thrive in the face of adversity.
The 5 Resets and the Resilience Rule of 2 are life- changing aspects that can transform your life as a whole.
May 6, 2024
If you know anything about the sympathetic nervous system or have listened to a few Huberman podcasts, you can skip this book and read Atomic habits instead. I did not listen to the whole book but jumped ahead to each chapter to see if I was missing anything. While the author means well, and wants to share what she has learned about chronic stress, this is not enough to fill a book with new and useful tips. I lost interest when she said the things to deal with stress could be done anywhere and you wouldn’t need to explain to anyone what you are doing and then later she says connect with other stressed out people so you don’t suffer in silence. Well which is it, should you be thwarting stress on the down low or be talking to people about it?
July 16, 2024
A good book on stress management with some easy-to-do action points. The book is easy to read and cohesive. I liked the parallel made on the canaries in the mine to the symptoms of stress. Picked up this book after listening to a podcast that Dr.Aditi was on. A must read for those who lead busy lives and ignore 'stress'.
May 9, 2024
A boring read, too much pie in the sky stuff. Mostly I have read elsewhere so this book doesn't offer anything groundbreaking except floaty concepts.
February 5, 2025
I’ve suffered from anxiety for most of my adult life. Not so much that it felt debilitating, but enough that it sometimes made me unhappy and/or an annoyance to people around me. This year, I decided to finally manage my anxiety better and I will say that this book is helping me a lot.
Like many self-help books, it’s about half again as long as it needed to be. The personal stories and repetition had me skimming quite a bit. But the techniques and tools are among the best I’ve found. They have made a big difference for me over the past month, and I will continue to use them. Definitely give this book a try if you’re suffering from stress and/or anxiety.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog
Author of The Saint's Mistress
Like many self-help books, it’s about half again as long as it needed to be. The personal stories and repetition had me skimming quite a bit. But the techniques and tools are among the best I’ve found. They have made a big difference for me over the past month, and I will continue to use them. Definitely give this book a try if you’re suffering from stress and/or anxiety.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog
Author of The Saint's Mistress
April 5, 2025
I really enjoyed The Five Resets by Dr. Aditi Nerurkar. She blends personal anecdotes with patient stories in a way that makes the information feel real and relatable. You get to know the people she writes about, not just hear about them in passing, which makes their journeys memorable and the content more impactful.
The book lays out five science-backed mindset shifts and fifteen practical techniques to help you manage stress and find more balance. While some of the strategies weren’t entirely new to me, I appreciated how clearly and simply they were presented. The steps are easy to follow and, more importantly, easy to incorporate into daily life.
Although nothing in the book is groundbreaking, it's still a valuable resource. If you’re looking for a practical guide with a compassionate voice, this is a great place to start. It is definitely worth a read if you’re interested in stress management or just trying to bring a little more calm into your life.
The book lays out five science-backed mindset shifts and fifteen practical techniques to help you manage stress and find more balance. While some of the strategies weren’t entirely new to me, I appreciated how clearly and simply they were presented. The steps are easy to follow and, more importantly, easy to incorporate into daily life.
Although nothing in the book is groundbreaking, it's still a valuable resource. If you’re looking for a practical guide with a compassionate voice, this is a great place to start. It is definitely worth a read if you’re interested in stress management or just trying to bring a little more calm into your life.
July 22, 2025
Excellent resource for anyone committed to make change. Filled with tools, case studies and a deep understanding of the conditions that bring about change. Very educational and creative in explaining both the biology of change as well as the psychology of change.
March 12, 2024
There is nothing in this book that I haven't read/been told before which made it mildly frustrating to listen to because it just means that science has already figured out what I should be doing and now it's just a matter of doing it. No magic solutions. Pair Nerurkar's "two step solution" with James Clear's "1% better every day" and maybe I wouldn't feel the way I feel most days?
April 6, 2024
Nothing especially groundbreaking, but still a helpful read for stress management
April 26, 2024
This one had some good techniques which I have been using for a while. I enjoyed the writing which was in a stories format.
December 2, 2024
This was a good listen. Full of information, anecdotes and clear steps to take to reframe stress.
March 28, 2025
You’re a human being, not a human doing.
August 6, 2025
Heard about this on a podcast and thought it sounded amazing... the podcast was more interesting than the book.
March 4, 2025
i recommend :)
January 23, 2025
Burnout is the norm, not the exception. Everyone should read this book!!
January 28, 2024
Very helpful.
October 9, 2024
I really wanted to like this book! I like her ideas and outlook as a clinician but the number of anecdotal stories about her patients just made me lose interest and I didn’t even finish it. All you need to know is to set two goals for yourself to make good self care habits…
July 2, 2025
Review is also available on my site: https://roxannacross.com/2025/07/02/b...
This self-development audiobook, also available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle on Amazon or at your local library, is narrated by the author herself, which makes it more intimate since she knows what she wants listeners to get out of the experience. Dr. Nerurkar drew on anecdotes from herself and her patients to provide enough details to describe what our stress is telling us, and that “Stress is a normal part of the human experience.”
She explains the five resets to rewire the brain:
Get clear on what matters most.
Find quiet in a noisy world.
Sync your brain and your body.
Come up for air
Bring your best self forward.
Dr. Nerurkar blends anecdotes, personal examples from her life, and those of her patients, along with questions to reflect on and tangible advice, connecting her readers and listeners to her, her patients, and their stories rather than a passing blip. She expresses the importance of embracing the idea that change can help you become wiser, stronger, and more adaptable, which is the essence of the growth mindset.
The world around us is so busy with all the social media frenzy, news at our fingertips, advertisements, television, movies, and on and on. The buzz is never-ending, thus the need to find the quiet in a noisy world. Dr. Nerurkar uses an example of a patient and how his addiction to news and social media has taken over his life. She asked him to apply the theory of two, which means making two changes in his routine for thirty days, such as turning off all notifications from his phone and setting aside four increments of twenty minutes of phone time spaced out throughout his day to check his new reels.
“STOP. BREATHE. BE.”
Dr. Nerurkar recommends this technique to many of her patients, as it allows them to pause in the moment of overwhelming stress or anxiety, breathe using methods such as the 4-4-4 or 4-7-8, and calm the storm within, enabling them to be centered and ready to move forward, body and brain in sync once more.
Dr. Nerurkar reminds her patients that the road to recovery from burnout is a slow and intentional process and that they should give themselves time, patience, and self-compassion to reach their goals. Looping back to previous patients, keeping readers and listeners engaged, she revisits the example of her patient with the news addiction and how he’s now implementing two additional changes to his routine to reach his ultimate goal. She asked him to stop charging his phone on his bedside table to avoid the middle-of-the-night urges to check his phone and to integrate twenty minutes of screen-free movement therapy, such as walking. These rituals, which we perform repeatedly in a specific order, serve as helpful catalysts to prime our brains, allowing us to create some mental space when we have little to no physical space.
For the last reset, Dr. Nerurkar addresses how our stressed brain is hyper-vigilant to the external environment, and even a seemingly insignificant mistake can trigger a cascade of negative emotions. In this state of hyper-vigilance and heightened sensitivity, adverse experiences are hallmarks of any maladaptive stress response. Therefore, by teaching our brain the language of gratitude, we’re protecting it from some of the harmful effects of stress. Again, she reminds her patients that “Stress is a normal part of the human experience.”
The main takeaways from Dr. Nerurkar’s advice are the canary warnings. She draws a parallel between canaries in the mines that warned miners of trouble when they stopped singing and how we all have our own internal canary songs warning of trouble. However, it may be a problem for us to respond to it, but we shouldn’t stop listening to our canary song. And when we realize we’ve made progress, celebrate every single win, both big and small.
The balance of examples, research, thought-provoking questions, and advice, along with the candid delivery of it, makes this a 4-star read or listen.
This self-development audiobook, also available in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle on Amazon or at your local library, is narrated by the author herself, which makes it more intimate since she knows what she wants listeners to get out of the experience. Dr. Nerurkar drew on anecdotes from herself and her patients to provide enough details to describe what our stress is telling us, and that “Stress is a normal part of the human experience.”
She explains the five resets to rewire the brain:
Get clear on what matters most.
Find quiet in a noisy world.
Sync your brain and your body.
Come up for air
Bring your best self forward.
Dr. Nerurkar blends anecdotes, personal examples from her life, and those of her patients, along with questions to reflect on and tangible advice, connecting her readers and listeners to her, her patients, and their stories rather than a passing blip. She expresses the importance of embracing the idea that change can help you become wiser, stronger, and more adaptable, which is the essence of the growth mindset.
The world around us is so busy with all the social media frenzy, news at our fingertips, advertisements, television, movies, and on and on. The buzz is never-ending, thus the need to find the quiet in a noisy world. Dr. Nerurkar uses an example of a patient and how his addiction to news and social media has taken over his life. She asked him to apply the theory of two, which means making two changes in his routine for thirty days, such as turning off all notifications from his phone and setting aside four increments of twenty minutes of phone time spaced out throughout his day to check his new reels.
“STOP. BREATHE. BE.”
Dr. Nerurkar recommends this technique to many of her patients, as it allows them to pause in the moment of overwhelming stress or anxiety, breathe using methods such as the 4-4-4 or 4-7-8, and calm the storm within, enabling them to be centered and ready to move forward, body and brain in sync once more.
Dr. Nerurkar reminds her patients that the road to recovery from burnout is a slow and intentional process and that they should give themselves time, patience, and self-compassion to reach their goals. Looping back to previous patients, keeping readers and listeners engaged, she revisits the example of her patient with the news addiction and how he’s now implementing two additional changes to his routine to reach his ultimate goal. She asked him to stop charging his phone on his bedside table to avoid the middle-of-the-night urges to check his phone and to integrate twenty minutes of screen-free movement therapy, such as walking. These rituals, which we perform repeatedly in a specific order, serve as helpful catalysts to prime our brains, allowing us to create some mental space when we have little to no physical space.
For the last reset, Dr. Nerurkar addresses how our stressed brain is hyper-vigilant to the external environment, and even a seemingly insignificant mistake can trigger a cascade of negative emotions. In this state of hyper-vigilance and heightened sensitivity, adverse experiences are hallmarks of any maladaptive stress response. Therefore, by teaching our brain the language of gratitude, we’re protecting it from some of the harmful effects of stress. Again, she reminds her patients that “Stress is a normal part of the human experience.”
The main takeaways from Dr. Nerurkar’s advice are the canary warnings. She draws a parallel between canaries in the mines that warned miners of trouble when they stopped singing and how we all have our own internal canary songs warning of trouble. However, it may be a problem for us to respond to it, but we shouldn’t stop listening to our canary song. And when we realize we’ve made progress, celebrate every single win, both big and small.
The balance of examples, research, thought-provoking questions, and advice, along with the candid delivery of it, makes this a 4-star read or listen.
April 4, 2024
In "The 5 Resets: Rewire Your Brain and Body for Less Stress and More Resilience" by Aditi Nerurkar, readers are invited into the transformative journey of a Harvard physician who unravelled the complexities of stress amidst the chaos of a demanding career. Dr. Nerurkar's experience led her to develop the concept of the 5 Resets, offering a roadmap to navigate stress and cultivate resilience.
Stress, often viewed negatively, is reframed as a signal from the body indicating the need for attention and adjustment. Dr. Nerurkar emphasizes the importance of listening to these signals and responding with self-awareness and self-care. Through the 5 Resets, individuals can learn to cope with stress by making manageable adjustments to their lifestyle.
The first reset, "Define What Matters to You," encourages individuals to clarify their priorities and set meaningful goals aligned with their values. By identifying a motivating and achievable goal, individuals can create a roadmap for personal growth and resilience.
The second reset, "Finding Serenity Among Chaos," addresses the pervasive influence of digital distractions on mental well-being. By establishing digital boundaries and prioritizing activities that promote calmness, individuals can reclaim their mental space and reduce stress.
The third reset, "Harmonizing Your Mind, Body, and Diet," emphasizes the interconnectedness of mental and physical health. Through practices such as mindful pauses, movement, and a balanced diet, individuals can strengthen the mind-body connection and manage stress more effectively.
The fourth reset, "Creating Time to Breathe Amid the Chaos of Modern Life," focuses on the importance of taking intentional breaks and prioritizing mental rest. By incorporating strategies such as monotasking and time-blocking, individuals can enhance productivity and reduce burnout.
The fifth reset, "Embracing Transformation to Reveal a Better You," encourages individuals to cultivate self-compassion and gratitude. Through practices such as expressive writing and "living a lifetime in a day," individuals can foster a positive mindset and embrace personal growth.
Overall, "The 5 Resets" offers a comprehensive approach to managing stress and building resilience. By integrating these resets into their lives, readers can transform their relationship with stress and cultivate a sense of well-being and fulfillment.
Stress, often viewed negatively, is reframed as a signal from the body indicating the need for attention and adjustment. Dr. Nerurkar emphasizes the importance of listening to these signals and responding with self-awareness and self-care. Through the 5 Resets, individuals can learn to cope with stress by making manageable adjustments to their lifestyle.
The first reset, "Define What Matters to You," encourages individuals to clarify their priorities and set meaningful goals aligned with their values. By identifying a motivating and achievable goal, individuals can create a roadmap for personal growth and resilience.
The second reset, "Finding Serenity Among Chaos," addresses the pervasive influence of digital distractions on mental well-being. By establishing digital boundaries and prioritizing activities that promote calmness, individuals can reclaim their mental space and reduce stress.
The third reset, "Harmonizing Your Mind, Body, and Diet," emphasizes the interconnectedness of mental and physical health. Through practices such as mindful pauses, movement, and a balanced diet, individuals can strengthen the mind-body connection and manage stress more effectively.
The fourth reset, "Creating Time to Breathe Amid the Chaos of Modern Life," focuses on the importance of taking intentional breaks and prioritizing mental rest. By incorporating strategies such as monotasking and time-blocking, individuals can enhance productivity and reduce burnout.
The fifth reset, "Embracing Transformation to Reveal a Better You," encourages individuals to cultivate self-compassion and gratitude. Through practices such as expressive writing and "living a lifetime in a day," individuals can foster a positive mindset and embrace personal growth.
Overall, "The 5 Resets" offers a comprehensive approach to managing stress and building resilience. By integrating these resets into their lives, readers can transform their relationship with stress and cultivate a sense of well-being and fulfillment.
November 27, 2024
I read the first 60% then finished off with the audiobook. This is definitely one I would stick with in the written format so you could write down the steps and techniques, I couldn't hold onto them well just hearing them. I would like to revisit this and write them down and let more sink in.
This gives a lot of information and study backed facts that support multiple techniques you can use to difuse stress and rewire your brain. I think it provides something for everyone to try, no matter the load and job/social demands they are facing. I love the approach of The Rule of Two. Your brain can only handle two new changes/ challenges at a time without creating more stress, so she talks about finding your two things that you are changing and working on those for a couple months until it has rewired your brain before adding more changes/techniques. I love the minimalist approach of making lasting progress and change, small but realistic ways to step away from the busy hustle culture.
She breaks down 5 main areas of resets and 15 techniques to use. I really appreciate the real life stories/patient cases that she uses to demonstrate how these resets look in our lives.
I will say that the first part of the book feels like a written infomercial for the book itself, a lot of telling you how great this book is without actually getting into the meat for a while. Get past that and you'll get some great tools and information. Worth a re-read, I would actually consider purchasing this so I could underline the key points I want to remember.
This gives a lot of information and study backed facts that support multiple techniques you can use to difuse stress and rewire your brain. I think it provides something for everyone to try, no matter the load and job/social demands they are facing. I love the approach of The Rule of Two. Your brain can only handle two new changes/ challenges at a time without creating more stress, so she talks about finding your two things that you are changing and working on those for a couple months until it has rewired your brain before adding more changes/techniques. I love the minimalist approach of making lasting progress and change, small but realistic ways to step away from the busy hustle culture.
She breaks down 5 main areas of resets and 15 techniques to use. I really appreciate the real life stories/patient cases that she uses to demonstrate how these resets look in our lives.
I will say that the first part of the book feels like a written infomercial for the book itself, a lot of telling you how great this book is without actually getting into the meat for a while. Get past that and you'll get some great tools and information. Worth a re-read, I would actually consider purchasing this so I could underline the key points I want to remember.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 156 reviews