I hope you find some nuggets of gold that you can either use yourself and/or pass onto others. The Art of Being Brilliant by Andy Cope & Andy WhittakerAndy has a PHD in positive psychology & writes very amusing, sometimes hard hitting, easy to read self-help style books. In this particular book he writes about 6 principles that will lead to a happier life:
Take a minute to reflect on the following questions from the book:
Just One Thing by Rick Hanson
The main aim of the book is to enable you to “use your mind to change your brain”. Hanson splits these brain training practices into the following five categories:
The Chimp Paradox by Prof Steve Peters
Prof Peters has come up with a simplified version of the different parts to our brain, which in essence is ridiculously complex! He uses the following analogies to break it down into:
The purpose of the book is to help people manage their Chimp & make the most of it when it is working for you & neutralise it when it isn’t! https://chimpmanagement.com/books-by-professor-steve-peters/the-chimp-paradox/ Lost Connections by Johann Hari
He is controversially outspoken on the widespread use of antidepressants & he refers to research throughout the book. The theory around causes of depression & anxiety are:
The Little Book of Happiness by Miriam AkhtarThis really does what it says on the tin!! It’s a little book which breaks down the underpinning findings of Positive Psychology and puts them into 12 Happiness Habits. These are:
What I love about this book is that it is evidence based, it gives you a nice bit of digestible science AND activities for each habit – all of this in a pocket-sized book with beautiful illustrations – what’s not to love! I hope you have enjoyed this series of book reviews – I am currently working on a FREE positive mind set workbook so keep your eyes peeled and please do share my blog with anyone you feel might benefit.
Why are we so afraid of change?
In the last 6 months I have lost a lot of fitness, put on weight and have been living with pain…. So what on earth stopped me getting it sorted and rehabbing it properly in the first place? Had I gone to the sports therapist at the time of the injury I would be on course for running the Exeter half marathon in a few weeks’ time, feeling fit & healthy but here I am off games for at least another 6 weeks whilst the tendon heals & I strengthen the surrounding structures. I know I’m not the only one! We put off going to see the doctors/physio/dentist even though pain or discomfort is stopping us leading our life to the full. It is exactly the same with the health of our mind – we live with negative beliefs & thought patterns, destructive behaviours, past trauma, toxic work/home situations all the time & often we settle for the life that this gives us, adapting & limiting our goals and dreams along the way. This can play out in big fat life choices too. It can mean we DON’T;
WHY???? The Ostrich Problem
How our brains hold us back Our brain has one main aim; to keep us alive. Two other points are that the brain wants to use as little energy as possible just in case it needs the energy to fight a tiger and it likes certainty. These two points could help explain why we bury our heads in the sand – if we have found ways to adapt to our current situation then these adaptations (thoughts, behaviours, actions) have become automatic; like the path of least resistance for our brain therefore they take up less energy. It doesn’t matter that they may be holding us back – they are familiar & therefore there is a degree of certainty. When we start changing these adaptations, we expend a lot of energy – both mental & physical & we do not necessarily know the outcome. So you see it is all very natural BUT the question is does it serve you? Are you happy to settle? Coaches often describe what we do as disrupting normal thought and behaviour patterns to help people move forward. (The irony isn’t lost on me here – I do this all the time with my clients and yet when it came to my injury I went with the easiest option of doing nothing)! We challenge habitual thinking and raise self awareness. This is all well and good but nothing will change without ACTION! “If you always do what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you’ve always got” Henry Ford How can we help ourselves move forward? If you are facing any sort of change or you know there is something that is holding you back; here are some questions that could help:
Best wishes
Annie x |
AUTHOR: ANNIE LEEAnnie's approach is centred around Positive Psychology, leading to clearer focus and long lasting change. Archives
January 2020
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