Thriving Mind: How to Cultivate a Good Life by (2020)

Description

Discover the amazing science for reclaiming your humanity and being happy! We all feel it sometimes—all of us, we really do. Tired, hopeless, stretched too thin, a little scared about the future, a sense that something important is missing. Modern life is unbelievably stressful, and it comes at us from all sides. But there’s also an upside to the modern world: in our age of better information, technology, nutrition, and healthcare, we’re using our smarts to develop a science that can help us feel happier and more connected to our lives—and it really does work. In Thriving Mind, Dr. Jenny Brockis draws on deep research and 30+ years of helping people solve persistent and serious problems to provide science-based strategies for overcoming them—as well as the habits to help avoid them in the future. Walking you through common issues such as loneliness, stress, relationship breakdown, loss of social connection, and mental health issues, Dr. Brockis shows that there are practical ways to alleviate or even banish these difficulties—and to reclaim a sense of meaning and vitality you might not have felt in years. Discover how happiness works and how to engage your full spectrum of emotions and mindfulness to achieve it Harness your natural biology (it’s worked for thousands of years!) for better energy, resilience, and mood Connect with your superpower of social and enrich your relationships with compassion, respect, and courage Take full control of your life by giving up on counterproductive short-term solutions and the blame game Whatever your worries, it’s important to remember you’re not alone, and that by using the tools and strategies outlined here, you can take real scientific steps toward reclaiming your humanity—and start doing the things today that will bring a brighter tomorrow. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Contents About the author Acknowledgements Introduction Part I: Disruption Chapter 1: Don’t panic, but dinner is burning in the oven Too tired to care Lack of mental wellbeing Overwork, stress and burnout A sense of disconnection and loneliness Chapter 2: Reconnecting to what matters Happy Thriving Human Part II: Happiness Chapter 3: Purpose and meaning — for a reason The brainy benefits of living with purpose Learning to live a more meaningful life full of purpose Chapter 4: Grateful for gratitude Gratitude boosts happiness Cultivating an attitude of gratitude Chapter 5: Helping out helps everyone Giving boosts our happy hormones The brainy benefits of helping out Chapter 6: Mindfully yours The brainy facts about mindfulness Stop your mind running away from you Mindfully managing the upside of stress Chapter 7: Laugh and play makes your day I almost died laughing Laughter really is the best medicine The brainy benefits of play Chapter 8: Mindset — dial up the positive Victim, survivor, thriver Thriver’s mindset Your choice of mindset matters Creating a place of safety in a high-stress environment Changing your mindset Part III: Thriving Chapter 9: Rest and recovery — the key to resilience Rest and recovery bolsters resilience and mental wellbeing The brainy benefits of rest It’s all in the CLM Taking a technology break Mental work is tiring Chapter 10: Sleep — not just for the wicked The secrets of sleep Stuck in the negative Become the master of your busy brain Chapter 11: Food to boost your mood What we’ve learned from the Blue Zones The brainy facts about food and mental health Food is a terrific connector Obstacles in our way Your microbiome and you There are no short cuts to a healthy diet Please tell me coffee is still okay And wine? Is chocolate on the safe list? Eating well for your future Chapter 12: Exercise as medicine The power of exercise The brainy benefits of exercise How much exercise do you need? Sitting: the new smoking Chapter 13: Music and dance Dance as movement therapy Let the music play The brainy benefits of music Music is a connector Music at work Chapter 14: Blue and green — completethe scene We need to get out more The brainy benefits of spending time in nature Part IV: Human Chapter 15: Trust and respect How we measure trust The brainy benefits of trust Start by trusting yourself Nurture trust in others Should we trust our gut? The eyes have it Forging trust with touch When trust is lost The need for greater trust at work Building community Elevating mutual respect Chapter 16: Kindness and compassion Do you consciously seek to be kind? Why kindness makes us happy Kindness makes us better humans Chapter 17: Empathy: ‘I feel your pain’ The brainy facts about empathy The benefits of empathy Building empathy Conclusion: The times are a-changin’, and so can you Small changes Where are you now? The strength of your desire A note from Jenny References Part I: Disruption Part II: Happiness Part III: Thriving Part IV: Human Conclusion Index EULA