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Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? (by Julie Smith)

This book! I had an instant connection with it, it felt like the author was speaking directly to me.

She educates us about how our mind works and how it can affect our moods and emotions. She also provides us with useful and practical tools we need to manage our mental health.

Julie Smith is a therapist so the content of the book is not that mumbo-jumbo spiritual stuff that you find on the internet.

All those self-help books that told the world to just think positive didn’t account for the fact that you can’t control the thoughts that arrive in your mind. The part you can control is what to do once they appear.

Dr Julie Smith

The main concept is that self-awareness in understanding our emotions and thoughts is key. Our brain has the ability to observe what it’s doing, which means we can step back and decide what to do with our emotions and thoughts. In other words, we have a choice.

You don’t need to go through the book from the beginning to the end, so you can dive into the bit that is relevant to you at a specific moment.

The chapters are bite size and easy to understand, and the summaries at the end of each one are incredibly effective.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their mental well-being.

Some of My Favourite Quotes From the Book:

When it comes to thoughts, attention is power. If you imagine your attention as a spotlight, many people leave that spotlight to move freely, wherever the wind blows.

The thing about the human brain is that, when you believe something, the brain will scan the environment for any signs that the belief is true.

The idea of happiness has been hijacked over the years by an elusive fairytale of constant pleasure and satisfaction with life. You don’t have to look far on social media to come across a wave of posts telling you to “be positive, stay happy, eliminate negativity from your life“.

We are given the impression that happiness is the norm and anything outside of that could be a mental health problem. […] But humans are not built to be in a constant happy state. We are built to respond to the challenges of survival.

Buying into the idea that happiness means constant positivity can leave us believing we have failed when we fell down.

Thoughts are not facts. They are a mix of opinions, judgements, stories, memories, theories, interpretations, and predictions about the future.

Title: Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
Author: Julie Smith
Year first published: 2022

From Goodreads:

Drawing on years of experience as a clinical psychologist, online sensation Dr Julie Smith provides the skills you need to navigate common life challenges and take charge of your emotional and mental health in her debut book.

Filled with secrets from a therapist’s toolkit, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? teaches you how to fortify and maintain your mental health, even in the most trying of times. Dr Julie Smith’s expert advice and powerful coping techniques will help you stay resilient, whether you want to manage anxiety, deal with criticism, cope with depression, build self-confidence, find motivation, or learn to forgive yourself. The book tackles everyday issues and offers practical solutions in bite-sized, easy-to-digest entries which make it easy to quickly find specific information and guidance.

Your mental well-being is just as important as your physical well-being. Packed with proven strategies, Dr Smith’s empathetic guide offers a deeper understanding of how your mind works and gives you the insights and help you need to nurture your mental health every day. Wise and practical, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? might just change your life.