A Year to Change Your Mind: Ideas from the Therapy Room to Help You Live Better

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January (new beginnings), March (your environment) and November (rest and JOMO - the joy of missing out) really resonated with me, particularly as it was cold outside as I read this. Breathing exercises: Practice deep breathing techniques to calm your nervous system during moments of stress. Cognitive reframing: Whenever you encounter a negative thought, consciously challenge and reframe it into a more positive or balanced perspective. Gratitude rituals: Develop gratitude rituals, such as saying grace before meals or expressing gratitude before bedtime. By breaking down the main principles into actionable checklists, you can easily incorporate the book's recommendations into your daily routine.

Self-care practices: Engage in activities that nurture your physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing regularly. genuinely useful, charming, comforting' - Guardian 'Compelling, warm and authoritative' - Viv Groskop, bestselling author of Lift As You Climb 'A compassionate book filled with useful tips to help us through life' - Claudia Hammond, bestselling author of The Key to Kindness Help yourself to live a better life in 2023 Psychology underpins everything we do, determining the decisions we make, the relationships we build, the roles we play and the places we live, and our behaviour is further influenced by the changing seasons, encouraging many of us to fall into unhelpful patterns again and again each year. Those who count themselves among the “worried well” probably already have the odd wise confidant to process ideas and feelings with, and are well versed in the notion that life inevitably has its ups and downs. Gratitude expression: Regularly express gratitude towards your friends and family for their support and kindness.Values exploration: Reflect on your core values and how they align with your daily actions and decisions.

Meaningful goals: Set specific, achievable goals that align with your values and contribute to your sense of purpose. Side note: I don't understand why this book isn't more popular/talked about/has more ratings on Goodreads? Self-forgiveness: Acknowledge past mistakes and work towards forgiving yourself to release emotional burdens. Empathetic listening: Practice active listening when others share their thoughts and feelings with you. Break tasks down: Divide larger goals into smaller, manageable tasks to make progress more attainable.

I listened to the audiobook read by the author which helped increase the impact of her personal/professional journey and the examples given.

Sleep-friendly environment: Ensure your bedroom is conducive to sleep by keeping it cool, dark, and quiet. Take it one step at a time, and don't forget to be compassionate towards yourself throughout the journey. Consultant clinical psychologist Dr Lucy Maddox explains how psychological processes thread through our lives, pinpointing those issues most frequently encountered in each month, and shows us how by reflecting upon past experiences, both joyful and painful, and considering evidence-based ideas from the realm of psychology, we can learn to live a more thoughtful, positive life that better prepares us for the future. I don't think I'm a fan of the structure of the chapters, I'd prefer if each chapter was titled after the problem/idea/solution/story/theory/strategy/etc which would make the book easier to navigate as a reference. Coping strategies: Develop coping mechanisms to manage anxiety and uncertainty during times of change.I think non-fiction books are often about timing and whilst I didn’t read this book in the manner I think the author intended, it was lovely to read a self help book that is so practical. Helpful strategies from therapy are presented as ways to cope with every-day issues or to improve life in general, and examples are given to better understand how these strategies can help us. I really enjoyed this read which is set out in 12 different themes addressing challenges we face in each month of the year. I liked the way that this book was set out- a different theme for each month of the year, with strategies to help with a variety of things like lack of sleep, anxiety, fears etc. Daily purpose reminders: Create visual cues or reminders of your purpose and place them in prominent locations.

Empathy and understanding: Put yourself in the shoes of others to cultivate empathy and understanding, facilitating forgiveness.From the tendency to lack motivation in January and to experience red-hot anger in the heat of August, to the weight of expectation associated with that back-to-school feeling in September and the pressure to enjoy the December holiday season, we're shown recognisable features of behaviour over the course of the year. The audiobook is narrated by the author, who has a very soothing but rational sounding voice, which is also the tone of the book itself. Seek support: Reach out to friends, family, or support groups during times of uncertainty to gain perspective and encouragement. The guiding principle is that clinical psychology isn’t just for fixing dysfunctional situations; you can also use it to improve functional ones.