The World's Best Book Summaries
Why are we so stressed as a society? How does chronic stress affect mental health? As a result of the fast pace of modern life, we endure a lot of ongoing, chronic stress. According to physician Lissa Rankin, the author of Mind Over Medicine, chronic stress stands behind the modern mental health epidemic of anxiety and depression. Here’s how chronic stress drives the mental health epidemic plaguing societies today.
Want to learn how to change your self-talk? How can you effectively reframe your negative thoughts? Gary John Bishop claims that learning how to change your self-talk begins with increasing your understanding of how your mind works. In his book Unfu*k Yourself, he says that it’s important to realize that the way you think dictates your reality. Keep reading to learn Bishop’s advice on how to change your self-talk from negative to positive.
How well do you trust yourself? Do you want to be more confident in your decisions? A boost in self-esteem starts with the ability to trust yourself. When you’re surrounded by confident people with strong opinions, it can be easy to second-guess yourself. But with our strategies, you’ll begin to believe in your own instincts. Learn how to trust yourself and why self-trust is important.
Do you actively look for ways to help other people? Do you act compulsively or deliberately? According to John C. Maxwell, building character should be your primary goal in life. He suggests two mindsets that will help you do this. First, continually seek opportunities to serve others. Second, consciously act in alignment with your values. Keep reading to learn more about Maxwell’s advice on how to develop character.
Do you believe you’re incapable of growth? What’s the difference between a fixed and a growth mindset? As you’ve gotten older, you’ve probably discovered certain abilities that you excel at and ones you struggle with. But this doesn’t mean that you’re stuck with what you have. A growth mindset helps you improve by embracing challenges and learning new things. Let’s look at what a growth mindset is and four ways that developing a growth mindset can be a smooth process for you.
How does an entire culture maintain a false idea about the nature of existence? How is that illusion hurting us? Many people in the West internalize the idea that each of us is an individual—an entity separate from others and our surroundings. Philosopher Alan Watts claims that this “ego illusion” manifests in Western society through paradoxical cultural expectations for each person to be an individual. Keep reading to understand Watts’s take on Western individualism and to learn three ways it harms people and the environment.
Why do humans have a need for self-esteem? What happens if it goes unmet? Scott Barry Kaufman created a new hierarchy of human needs in his book Transcend. Our need for self-esteem is a major security need in Kaufman’s hierarchy, and we need to feel valuable and confident in our lives for this need to be met. Read on to learn why humans need self-esteem and how our lives can be affected without it, according to Kaufman.
What do affirmations do for us? Are positive affirmations always effective? How can you use them most effectively? Author Gary John Bishop distilled years of research and experience as a life coach and personal development consultant into his book Unfu*k Yourself. In the book, he explains the power of positive affirmations and what they can do for your self-talk and overall mindset. Read on to learn what affirmations do for you and how to make the most of them, according to Bishop.
Why should you listen to your emotions more? How does reflecting on your thoughts help you cope with stress? Managing and understanding our emotions is one of the key things we learn as children—but even as adults we might need a refresher. We’re constantly experiencing stressful situations and sometimes we don’t know how to handle them. Find out how listening to your emotions can help you manage stress.
How do you reduce overthinking? What are the best stress management strategies? In Stop Overthinking, Nick Trenton outlines one approach to managing overthinking: coping more effectively with stress in your daily life. He breaks this approach down into three parts, advising you on how to deal with a stressful situation in the before, during, and after stages. Continue reading to learn how to reduce overthinking to live a better life.