In this life-changing book--now available in paperback--the creators of the internationally acclaimed Lifeskills workshops draw on groundbreaking research to show readers how to deal with the stresses in their lives that often cause them to lose control. Working equally well for "hot reactors," who tend to blow up when things don't go their way, and "cool reactors," who are more likely to repress their emotions, the easy-to-follow 8-week program will help anyone to cope effectively with a variety of difficult circumstances, from volatile situations at home and at work to smaller annoyances like traffic jams and long checkout lines.

Here are the eight skills this book will help you master:

1. Identify your thoughts and feelings: how to tap into your feelings, especially the negative ones        
2. Evaluate your negative feelings, negative thoughts, and options: how to decide when to take action        
3. Communicate better: how to be a more effective listener and speaker        
4. Empathize with others to understand their behavior: how to appreciate a situation from someone else's point of view
5. Do problem-solving: how to define the problem, generate alternatives, and evaluate the outcomes
6. Practice assertion: how to get others to do what you want
7. Practice acceptance: how to back off without feeling like a failure
8. Emphasize the positive: how to build better relationships using a proven ratio of positive to negative interactions

Lifeskills shows how building better relationships is an essential part of preserving health--and offers eight clear steps anyone can use to make that happen.