Many Americans will start the New Year with resolutions that are doomed to fail if they don’t deal with the underlying issue of stress before they join a gym, start a diet, or throw the cigarettes away. Research shows that stress negatively impacts our ability to lose weight, quit smoking, and stick with a new healthy lifestyle change.

Drawing on decades of groundbreaking research, Mayo Clinic stress management and resiliency expert Dr. Amit Sood offers a scientifically-proven, structured, and practical approach to understanding the brain’s two modes and how an imbalance between these two modes produces unwanted stress. He also shares new insights about how the mind works including its natural tendency to wander. Based on this understanding he provides insights and actionable steps to cultivate emotional and mental strength, find greater fulfillment, and nurture a kind disposition.

Dr. Sood’s book, The Mayo Clinic Guide to Stress-Free Living, encapsulates these concepts, techniques and personal stories into a riveting book that will bring you closer to a state of personal fulfillment and a stress-free existence.

Amit Sood, M.D., M.Sc., a Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic is the Director of Research and Practice for the Mayo Clinic Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) Program. He chairs the Mayo Clinic Mind Body Medicine Initiative and is a fellow of the American College of Physicians. He develops and teaches innovative approaches to improve stress and wellness. He has received several NIH and foundation grants for research in integrative and mind-body approaches to promote well-being. He provides mind-body consults to patients at Mayo Clinic and with his programs, has helped over 50,000 people in the past five years. Dr. Sood has received numerous awards and has authored or co-authored more than 60 peer-reviewed original articles, as well as editorials, abstracts, book chapters, and books. He has developed award-winning patient education DVDs on topics ranging from mindfulness to wellness solutions for chronic medical conditions. He also developed the first Mayo Clinic iPhone app – an introductory meditation training program. He is a highly sought-after speaker, teaching 60-70 national and international workshops every year.