The World's Best Book Summaries
What are emotions? When is it healthy to have challenging emotions? How aware of your own feelings are you? According to Dr. Julie Smith, the most important thing to know about emotions is that they are a normal part of the human experience. That goes for the highs and the lows. What matters most is that they match the situation. Read more to learn how to understand emotions and work with them in a healthy way.
What are the little things you need to take care of? Do you have an inbox with hundreds of unread emails? Is your house cluttered? Sometimes dealing with little things can make you feel more in control. To get your life together, Sarah Knight recommends starting small with tasks like emptying your email inbox and keeping the house clean. Learn how to focus on the little things before tackling the big projects.
How do you deal with hardship? Do you respond in a way that inspires others? Every year, Yale professors Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz teach a course on living well. Their book Life Worth Living captures the course’s concepts. One of the matters they discuss is how to deal with hardship in the context of a life well lived. Keep reading for their advice based on insights from philosophers, religious traditions, and literary greats.
What exactly are moods? Are you frequently stuck in a low mood, even when the situation doesn’t call for it? Is there a way to shift out of a low mood without going to therapy? Dr. Julie Smith writes that you can understand your moods and assert control over them to a large degree. Depression and sadness don’t necessarily warrant formal therapy. She offers several insights and tips for elevating your outlook in her book Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? Read more to get some self-help for low mood conditions.
How many unread emails do you have? Do you know how to organize emails so you’re not overwhelmed? According to Sarah Knight, there’s no reason to have 12,539 unread messages in your inbox. If your inbox is overwhelming, you can do something about it. Check out how to organize emails so you have a manageable inbox.
Do you have a colleague who’s difficult to work with? Is there a professional and wise way to deal with them? In The Asshole Survival Guide, Robert I. Sutton offers wisdom for dealing with jerks—rude and tyrannical people of all kinds—especially in the workplace. He discusses considerations you should address before deciding if and how to go on the offensive and shares direct and subtle methods of confrontation. Keep reading for Sutton’s advice on how to confront a coworker professionally that can help you keep your sanity and your job.
Are you always “in a mood,” causing those around you to walk on eggshells? Do you depend on circumstances, medication, or therapy to bring you out of it? Dr. Julie Smith says that it’s likely that you can change your mood yourself by monitoring and adjusting four things. If you attend to your physical state, your thought patterns, your actions, and your connections with others, you can elevate your frame of mind. Read more to learn how to change your mood with Smith’s recommendations.
How often do you feel anxious? Are you able to calm yourself effectively, or are you afraid you must resort to medication or therapy? Psychologist Julie Smith writes that people often mistakenly believe that they need to commit to long-term, in-depth therapy. If they have some basic education about how their minds and bodies work, they’ll be able to take control of their mental health themselves, without intensive help from a professional. Keep reading for Dr. Julie Smith’s anxiety self-care insights and techniques.
Is someone in your life a jerk? Do you wish you could neutralize the impact they have on you? When interaction with a jerk is inevitable, you can lessen the jerk’s power over your mental state by changing your mindset. Using cognitive reframing techniques, you can protect yourself from the negative effects of their behavior, even if you’re frequently exposed. Keep reading to learn these techniques and reduce people’s power over you.
Do you have a jerk at home or work? Is there a way to protect yourself from them, short of avoiding them altogether? According to Robert I. Sutton, sometimes distancing yourself from jerks isn’t possible; you might be forced to be around them for extended periods. When a lot of interaction with a jerk is unavoidable, you can lessen their power over your mental state by changing your mindset. Continue reading to learn how to protect yourself from toxic people.