Erica K. King
Coming soon · A book by Dr. Erica King

Spicy Signals

Decode Stress, Restore Your Energy, and Reclaim Your Calm.

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SPICYSignalsDecode Stress, Restore Your Energy,and Reclaim Your CalmDR. ERICA KING

The notification wasn’t the problem. It was the signal.

Overload often looks like competence. You keep responding, solving, remembering, and carrying, so you assume you’re fine. This book begins in the space between the first signal and the eventual crash, and teaches you to recognize overload while it is still communicating.

A book in three parts

Part I

The Cost of Carrying It All

Why competence can conceal overload until the signal becomes impossible to ignore.

Part II

Read the Heat

Irritation, exhaustion, habits, and hypervigilance become usable information.

Part III

Catch It Before the Crash

Use SPICE to interrupt the cycle and build support that holds.

The SPICE Method

S
Spot the signalNotice the earliest change in body, thought, emotion, impulse, or behavior.
P
Pause the overrideInterrupt the reflex to dismiss the cue, push harder, or call yourself dramatic.
I
Investigate the loadAsk what has accumulated across body, work, caregiving, relationships, environment, and meaning.
C
Choose the next supportMatch one proportionate action to the likely need.
E
Engineer the conditionsChange the recurring conditions so support does not depend on remembering at your most depleted.

What’s inside

  • The Signal Override Cycle: why a crash looks sudden when it isn't
  • The Stress Cup and six lenses for reading what's really in it
  • Eight flexible stress patterns, from the Freezer to the Reacher, and the balanced strength in each
  • The Calm Plate and a calm kitchen built for your low-energy days
  • Boundaries, repair, and a Personal Calm Team with clear jobs
  • Digital and AI support with limits you set
  • The Spicy Signal Index: a quick-reference guide to dozens of everyday stress signals
  • A 7-Day Spicy Signal Starter to put it all into practice

Based on the working manuscript. Details may change before publication.

What this book will not promise

“I will not promise that one food, breath, boundary, app, morning routine, or AI assistant will make you stress-proof.”

This book offers education and reflection, not diagnosis, psychotherapy, or medical care.

Erica K. King, PhD
Meet the author

Erica K. King, PhD

Dr. Erica K. King holds a doctorate in health psychology and teaches psychology at the university level. She is the creator of the LivingSMART stress management program and helps educators, wellness professionals, and creators use AI to build practical tools and healthier habits.

More about Erica →

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