Sometimes you start a book and you can’t put it down. You know the kind, a thriller or suspenseful book that draws you in and keeps you turning page after page. The kind of book that you start reading and then you forego sleep, eating, and all manner of responsibilities until it’s done. Rarely does a book grab me this way, and it’s even more rare that it’s a non-fiction book. But Stop Living Life Like an Emergency! did just that.

The opening paragraph of the Introduction came so close to home that I wondered when Diane Sieg had been to our house!

From that point on, Stop Living Life Like an Emergency! kept me turning pages, taking notes, and assessing everything about my life, and more importantly my lifestyle. Throughout the book, she uses the Emergency Room as a metaphor for our crazy, hectic lives while presenting stories that should scare you straight.

I’ll admit to having read the book a number of times. Enough times that I should have had a complete overhaul of everything in my life, and enough times that I should have gotten everything right by now. But apparently I need many more dosages of Diane’s wisdom before I’m going to straighten things out. Honestly, it’s kind of embarrassing to admit that. It’s especially frustrating, since the subtitle of the book proves that this is a practical, not a theoretical book. The subtitle: Rescue Strategies of for the Overworked and Overwhelmed. You’d think I could put the actual strategies into practice, wouldn’t you?

Diane Sieg takes you through a definition of Emergency Living, that if you’re anything like me, will hit very close to home. She’s gentle in her explanation, and stark enough in her examples to get your attention. As she introduces folks who had shown up in the ER where she worked, I could not only picture them…it wouldn’t have surprised me if I’d known (or even been) one of them.

In the very first chapter, she outlines the Seven Warning Signs of Emergency Living. When she asked the question “How many of these warning signs do you recognize in yourself?” I got a bit worried. I recognized most of them. With each reading, I’ve noticed that I’m exhibiting fewer of the traits, and the ones that I still have are a bit weaker than the last time. I’m not all the way there, but I’m headed in the right direction. At least I have hope that I can overcome this crazy Emergency Living at some point!

Like a true healthcare professional (the author is a Registered Nurse), Diane Sieg gently leads you to the way to solve your own dilemmas. She gives you ample suggestions on how to fix the problems you face, and provides a kindly set of advice that is neither condescending nor dictatorial.

This is a book that has changed my life. Not as much as it should have changed it, but it’s helping me move forwards from the idiotic, dangerous, crazy, emergency-ridden life that I’ve led in the past to a more sustainable, healthy…albeit hectic…life.

I’d highly recommend this book to anybody how feels overwhelmed or overworked.