Rating: Buy it ASAP – a bookshelf essential
What is it? Self help, backed by science
Ideal for fans of: New Scientist and Ed Yong
What makes it special? It offers solutions to the problems it presents
Get it in South Africa from: Pan Macmillan South Africa
Have you
ever looked at a book and just known that it was written specifically for you?
That’s exactly how I felt when I spied Chris Bailey’s How To Calm Your Mind. TED (of TEDTalks) described Bailey as ‘The
most productive man you’ll ever hope to meet.’ Literally – it’s on the cover.
And yet there was a scoffing voice in my head that said ‘Pah, I bet I could rival
him for that title.’
You see, I
am addicted to busyness. To productivity. To getting things done. For years, I’ve
had people asking me ‘how do you do it all? Where do you get the energy? How
are you so disciplined?’. Well, dear reader, it turns out I’m just addicted to getting
ish done.
And that
may look very cool from an outsider’s perspective, but shall I let you in on a
secret that Bailey is also desperately trying to share? It’s not necessarily a
good thing. Because if, like me, you can’t switch off, you’re heading for
burnout and disaster.
But enough
about me. If you felt like you could see yourself in my waffling above, you
need to read this book. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re so anxious no matter
what you try to counteract it, you need to read this book. If you want to find
out why you have that constant niggling feeling of something missing, of guilt,
of needing to do something, you need to read this book.
Screw it,
let me be more clear. Everyone needs
to read this book.
Bailey has
presented a thoroughly well-researched, humorous and easy to read book that
really will improve your life.
First, he starts
by defining stress or anxiety, and defining calm. Then he shows how our
constant need to be doing more and getting more (and thus our dopamine
addiction) is really not leading to fulfilment – it’s leading to burnout.
However,
the true value of How To Calm Your Mind
is not just Bailey’s extensive definitions and examples – it’s the fact that he
lists several useful tools and tricks that will allow the reader to actively
shift from anxiety to calm – although the trip certainly won’t be easy.
Of course,
you’ll need to get a copy of the book to see these tips, but I can guarantee
you they are worth it. I’ve already started following some of Bailey’s advice, and
honestly, I can see a difference in my stress levels already. So why not do the
same?
To read Bailey
is to learn how to change your life for the better, so go on and do it.
How To Calm Your Mind By Chris Bailey is published by Macmillan, an imprint of Pan Macmillan.
