How To Stay Sane

There is no simple set of instructions that can guarantee sanity, but if you want to overcome emotional difficulties and become happier, psychotherapist Philippa Perry, author of The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read, argues that there are four cornerstones to sanity you can influence to bring about change. By developing your self-observation skills, examining how you relate to others, breaking out of your comfort zone and exploring new ways of defining yourself, Philippa demonstrates that it is possible to become a little less tortured and a little more fulfilled. How to Stay Sane is at once a brilliant explanation of our minds and a profoundly useful guide to facing up to the many challenges life throws our way. The School of Life looks at new ways of thinking about life’s biggest questions. Discover more fascinating books from the series with How to Be Alone and How to Think More About Sex.

When did you last go back to bed on a Sunday morning with magazines and some tea and cake? Or sink into a bubble bath by candlelight and listen to soothing music? When was your last massage or vacation? If you can’t remember the last time you took care of yourself like this, this book is for you. There was a time when Sophia Stuart needed this book, too. She lived a crazy life with no true relaxation, and soon enough she found herself in front of a surgeon who told her that she had three tumors in her throat and that she needed a five-and-a-half hour surgery—plus almost a month of medical leave to recover. And that’s when she fell apart. But the kindness of strangers helped her through it all. Her anonymous blog teamgloria.com gave her an outlet to express everything she was feeling—her fear of the pain, her anxiety about the operation, her frustration about being stuck at home, and anything else that came up. Her writing also focused on all the glorious people, places, and things that make life delicious; and slowly, it helped her realize that she wanted to live differently. On teamgloria.com, Sophia wasn’t an executive or a media specialist; she was just another person sharing her thoughts and creativity. And through this she forged deep virtual friendships with people who cheered her on and taught her how to stay sane in a crazy world. This book brings together what she learned. It’s full of practical ideas and sweet inspirations (and even a few shopping lists at the back) to guide you to a more serene place. Because sometimes the world just looks better after a stroll or reading a novel in the park or making a kindness kit for yourself or a long nap on a summer’s afternoon. So grab this book, with its gentle suggestions and peaceful images, and use it as your own little slice of tranquility.

'Elegant ... calm and generous' Mary Beard, Guardian The must-read, pocket-sized Big Think book of 2020 One of the Guardian's 'Best Books to Inspire Compassion' One of Independent's Books of the Month A Cosmopolitan 'Revolutionary Read' Ours is the age of contagious anxiety. We feel overwhelmed by the events around us, by injustice, by suffering, by an endless feeling of crisis. So, how can we nurture the parts of ourselves that hope, trust and believe in something better? And how can we stay sane in this age of division? In this powerful, uplifting plea for conscious optimism, Booker Prize-nominated novelist and activist Elif Shafak draws on her own memories and delves into the power of stories to bring us together. In the process, she reveals how listening to each other can nurture democracy, empathy and our faith in a kinder and wiser future.

Short, simple and refreshingly practical, Living Simply offers 21 Earth Warrior practices to help us live more consciously and to cope with the ever increasing pace of modern life. Bob Hillary shares the lessons he learned living off the grid, exploring his ‘wild edges’ and practicing a slower, more attuned way of life. How can we live more simply, learn to appreciate what we have and root our way of being in the Earth we have inherited? By living simply and becoming an Earth Warrior. As life keeps urging us to go faster, many of us are moving in the opposite direction... we are looking for SLOWNESS, for stillness, to live more natural, less complex lives. Bob Hillary spent a year living off grid, this experience taught him how to live simply. It meant; downscaling, re-wilding, un-teching and finding and doing things that are free. These philosophies provided a framework for the 21 practices he shares in this book. Each one covers the key idea, contains exercises and provides practical ways that will help you become an Earth Warrior. By living this way you will learn how to live in a more joyful, positive, simple and meaningfully way. Earth Warriors give, share and care. This is a manual for modern times, a guide to creating positive action, walking the right path and making the right choices.

Perfect for fans of Alafair Burke and Megan Collins, Sarah Warburton's debut novel that explores the dangerous bond between sisters. When her sister goes missing, Zoe assumes it's just another one of her estranged sibling's stunts--but the danger is all too real. Zoe Hallett and her sister, Ava, are the precocious offspring of two pioneering scientists, but the sisters have been estranged for years. When Zoe reads a news story about Ava's mysterious disappearance, she assumes it's just another of her sister's twisted fictions, designed to blame Zoe and destroy the peaceful life she's created with her husband and beautiful stepdaughter in Houston. But Zoe's email is hacked to send threatening messages to Ava--and a more sinister picture begins to emerge. Zoe returns to her home state of Virginia to prove her innocence to the authorities, to her parents, and to Glenn, her ex-boyfriend and current brother-in-law. For the first time, Zoe begins to believe Ava is in grave danger, and when Glenn catches her searching for clues in Ava's home, she looks guiltier than ever--but maybe Glenn is not all he seems. The clues Zoe finds point to a bizarre link between Ava's disappearance and her mother's "research". Is there a secret someone is trying to protect? And would someone be willing to kill to protect it? As her sister's life hangs in the balance, Zoe draws on hidden reserves of strength and hope to save the sister she never thought she loved.

Self-destructive behaviour has traditionally been viewed in an entirely negative light. As a result, attempts are constantly made to 'fix' it without asking what its actual purpose may be. Going Mad to Stay Sane invites us to rethink our attitudes. It sets out to understand the soul's purpose in visiting violence upon itself; substance abuse, compulsive sexuality, obsessive dieting or the grandiose hauteur of a superiority complex all come under scrutiny. In analysing its roots and its manifestations, the author asks us to consider the possibility that the impulse to visit violence upon oneself may be the only means available for the soul under siege to preserve itself and state its distress. Self-destructiveness is a notoriously difficult phenomenon to bring to healing, not least because the various schools of psychology have such partisan attitudes towards it, approaching it from within the narrow parameters of their chosen theories. This book, rather than arguing for one perspective or another, finds a place for them all within the compass of a mythical tale: the story of King Midas, who wished for everything he touched to be turned to gold. Through the tale of King Midas, Andy White shows how our self-destructive urges can also point the way to our salvation. Andy White was born and brought up in Africa. He trained in London, practised as a psychotherapist for many years and now lives in North Devon as a writer and artist. www.andywhiteartist.com Coming soon, ''Path to Wholeness'', a guide to the individuation process. ''A Tao of the Soul'', says Satish Kumar.

The author provides ten steps which answer such fundamental questions as "What is happiness?" "What does it mean to be ethical in a world that is less than ethical?" and "How can I find the strength I need to cope with the problems of my life?"

“Don’t You Know Who I Am?” has become the mantra of the famous and infamous, the entitled and the insecure. It’s the tagline of the modern narcissist. Health and wellness campaigns preach avoidance of unhealthy foods, sedentary lifestyles, tobacco, drugs, and alcohol, but rarely preach avoidance of unhealthy, difficult or toxic people. Yet the health benefits of removing toxic people from your life may have far greater benefits to both physical and psychological health. We need to learn to be better gatekeepers for our minds, bodies, and souls. Narcissism, entitlement, and incivility have become the new world order, and we are all in trouble. They are not only normalized but also increasingly incentivized. They are manifestations of pathological insecurity—insecurities that are experienced at both the individual and societal level. The paradox is that we value these patterns. We venerate them through social media, mainstream media, and consumerism, and they are endemic in political, corporate, academic, and media leaders. There are few lives untouched by narcissists. These relationships infect those who are in them with self-doubt, despair, confusion, anxiety, depression, and the chronic feeling of being “not enough,” all of which make it so difficult to step away and set boundaries. The illusion of hope and the fantasy of redemption can result in years of second chances, and despondency when change never comes. It’s time for a wake-up call. It’s time to stem the tide of narcissism, entitlement, and antagonism, and take our lives back.