I love this book! Its really helping me feel like my stress is more common then I thought. It makes you feel normal the way they word it. They say things like, "have you ever felt like this?" or give you examples of other kid's troubles. It's mentioned that if you say something enough to yourself, you'll eventually start to believe it. I've been trying this technique, and its been helping me become more friendly and likeable. I think you just have to believe that you CAN do it. This could potentially be a problem with people with self esteem issues. I'd recommend that you conduct some self esteem building exercises before you engage in stress- inducing activities. This is because self esteem problems can effect how you feel about your work, or social life.