May is Mental Health Awareness Month! The definition of mental health encompasses a wide range of conditions that affect how we think, how we feel and how we behave. As the World Health Organization famously says, “There is no health without mental health.” Not everyone faces challenges with their mental well-being. There are days some of us feel a bit down or overwhelmed. With the right coping methods, we can learn what works best for us in order to get back on track towards better health. Here are some books to get you started!
Are you anxious, frazzled, exhausted? Do you find yourself constantly worrying? Do you feel like you're "running on empty"? Do you have trouble sleeping? Like millions of people living today, your brain has become drained. These days, it seems like everything in our day-to-day lives-from our increasingly unpredictable world, to the smartphones we can't stop using, to the processed foods we eat all day long, to the many hours we spend at our jobs-is setting us up to feel drained. The short-term effects of becoming drained are uncomfortable, but the long-term effects can be life-threatening. Left untreated, it can quadruple your risk of high blood pressure-the #1 cause of preventable death. Finding natural solutions to anxiety and insomnia is becoming increasingly vital as sleeping pills, antianxiety medications, and hospitalizations have seen a dramatic spike recently. More and more people are desperate to heal their drained brains.
In his latest book, Dr. Mike Dow offers a 2-week plan designed to help you naturally balance your brain. He explains what drains modern brains and which groups are wired for it, and provides clinically proven tools to help you feel less drained. Dr. Mike offers nutritional tips, recipes, cognitive behavioral tools, supplements, breathing techniques, self-hypnosis, and mindfulness. Stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline go down as feel-good neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin rise. "When you balance your brain, you experience countless rewards. You have more energy. You feel like yourself again. You sleep more soundly and wake up looking forward to the day ahead. . . .I can't wait for you to become the best version of yourself, and I look forward to the life you will create when you are no longer drained."
Whether we're aware or not, most of us are perpetrators and victims of self-sabotage, a powerful pattern of negative behavior in which we act against our own best interests and then blame ourselves or others for these self-inflicted failures. Self-sabotage can manifest as seemingly innocuous things like not following through on New Year's resolutions or as harmful actions like blaming or abusing someone we love. If left unchecked, it can damage or destroy marriages, careers, friendships, families, and even lives. In The Healthy Mind Toolkit, Dr. Alice Boyes, author of The Anxiety Toolkit, tackles four key areas of our lives where self-defeating behaviors are most prevalent- our brains/mindsets, self-esteem, relationships and work/money. Blending the latest scientific findings with cutting-edge CBT techniques, Dr. Boyes lays out a practical plan to counter whatever fear, anxiety, guilt, or insecurity is causing you to self-sabotage, including...
- How to identify specific ways you're hurting your success (for ex, setting impossibly high standards, people-pleasing and comparing current relationships to past ones)
- Quizzes at each chapter start to rate your level of self-sabotage in the four areas
- Simple, highly effective steps to quit harmful behaviors and live a healthier, happier life
Covering everything from rumination and envy to imposter syndrome, risk aversion, and over- or undervaluing things, The Healthy Mind Toolkit is the essential guide to get out of your own way and get on the path to success.