Because stress is such a serious subject, I have decided to tackle it with a light-hearted approach. I have used cats as part of the conversation throughout this book; cats seem to live a life of their own and only do what they want to do. Therefore, I’m going to focus on managing stress and work with the conditions and life situations that most people experience daily. I am also going to take you through the stories of Mary and Joe. Mary and Joe are the pseudonyms given to the some of the case studies. These are ‘real-life’ experiences for the people involved. In some instances, the name of the person is real as in the study of Nidal. You and I are going to take on the subject of stress together. After reading this book, you will own the power within your mind to create this positive way of living and working for now and into the future. The journey is what you make it. My purpose is to give you good, researched information that will allow you to get the maximum out of your life. I have introduced a chapter on the food you eat - many people don’t realise, the food they eat can also make them feel stressed. With the cat conversations continuing and towards the end of the book, I introduce you to Mindfulness and how you can apply this ancient philosophy and technique in your life, many times a day, when needed. Becoming sensitive takes time and patience and is a goal you achieve through determination. With this information, you become strongminded, and have the ability, to Beat Stress in 20 Seconds. It’s a startling realisation, when you take your power back, you can feel the strength of life surge through your mind and body. My aim is not only for adults to understand stress and how destructive unmanaged stress can be but to also make this knowledge easily available to young people. Managing stress is easy when you know how to manage it. I have therefore added a sign at the end of each chapter, this sign will prompt you into taking action, which will immediately allow you to work with managing the stress you are experiencing.