This book, written by Dr. Rick Hanson and his son Forrest Hanson, focuses on developing inner strengths such as grit, gratitude, and compassion to enhance resilience. It draws on neuroscience, mindfulness, and positive psychology to provide concrete suggestions, experiential practices, and personal examples. The book helps readers overcome the brain's negativity bias, release painful thoughts and feelings, and replace them with self-compassion, self-worth, joy, and inner peace. It also includes effective ways to interact with others and repair and deepen important relationships, all grounded in the science of positive neuroplasticity[2][5][6].
Set in December 1939, 'Waking the Tiger' is a historical crime fiction novel that takes place in the British colony of Singapore. The story revolves around Inspector Maximo Betancourt, whose life has fallen apart after the disappearance of his wife. Demoted to the Marine Division, Betancourt is tasked with handling dockyard disputes and goods inspections. However, when a beautiful, unidentified Japanese woman is found murdered near a warehouse owned by one of Singapore's most powerful families, Betancourt defies orders to pursue the case. His investigation brings him into conflict with powerful enemies and forces him to confront his personal demons. The novel vividly captures the atmosphere of 1930s Singapore, delving into the social history and cultural tensions of the time[1][3][5].
The Age of Overwhelm provides insights and strategies to help individuals manage the stress and disconnection of modern life. Laura van Dernoot Lipsky draws from her experience working with those in trauma-saturated environments to offer practical advice on maintaining balance and integrity in the face of overwhelming circumstances. The book emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, presence, and intentional action to navigate personal and societal challenges.
With so much suffering going on in the world that’s worthy of our compassion and engagement, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by it even as we have the desire to remain engaged. Secondary traumatic stress is the stress we are exposed to when we interact with other people’s stress, and it manifests at both an individual and societal level. When not managed effectively, it wears us down and diminishes our ability to contribute in a positive way.
On this episode of Being Well, Forrest talks with trauma expert Laura van Dernoot Lipsy about how we can better manage secondary traumatic stress, how to avoid burnout and overwhelm, and what it looks like to stay hopeful and live fully in the face of daunting societal challenges.
About Our Guest: Laura van Dernoot Lipsky is the founder and director of The Trauma Stewardship Institute and author of Trauma Stewardship: An Everyday Guide to Caring for Self While Caring for Others and The Age of Overwhelm. She is a widely recognized pioneer in the field of trauma exposure and has worked locally, nationally, and internationally for more than three decades. Laura is also the host of Future Tripping, a podcast about navigating overwhelm.
Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.
Key Topics:
0:00: Introduction
1:35: Laura’s personal experience
4:10: How secondary trauma shows up for people
6:45: Martyrdom and the responsibility of organizations to create sustainable environments
10:30: Concern with how trauma is normalized within communities
14:10: Internalized oppression and overwhelm in the broader culture
17:40: The broader systemic context and the ineffectiveness of burning yourself out
21:50: The necessity of taking breaks
26:40: How to feel okay taking time to unplug from discourse on charged topics
33:35: Differentiating between spheres of control and acknowledging grief
37:45: Finding ways to stay hopeful
40:35: What Laura is grateful for and stressed about
44:35: Recap
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Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson 
