How does a writer compose a suicide note? This was not a question that the prize-winning novelist William Styron had ever contemplated before. In this true account of his depression, Styron describes an illness that reduced him from a successful writer to a man arranging his own destruction. He lived to give us this gripping description of his descent into mental anguish, and his eventual success in overcoming a little-understood yet very common condition. The unabridged text of Darkness Visible by William Styron VINTAGE MINIS: GREAT MINDS. BIG IDEAS. LITTLE BOOKS. A series of short books by the world's greatest writers on the experiences that make us human Also in the Vintage Minis series: Swimming by Roger Deakin Babies by Anne Enright Calm by Tim Parks Work by Joseph Heller

Worry is one of the most common mood disorders in America. Whether you call it stress, tension, frustration, or anxiety, worry can take its toll on health and well-being. It can be caused by life changes, such as divorce or career upheaval, or it can become a debilitating chronic disorder. "The Worry Workbook" helps readers understand what causes anxiety and how they can move beyond worry into emotional freedom. Practical steps, interactive exercises, checklists, and guided questions help readers identify their fears, replace negative talk with positive action, learn to accept what is out of their control, and make life-enhancing choices." The Worry Workbook" offers insight on letting go of self-judgment, becoming real, identifying those who help and those who hinder personal growth, and overcoming insecurities-offering those who suffer from anxiety proven ways to find relief.

Relax and unwind with this stress-relieving colouring book of intricate patterns. The art of colouring can help to focus the mind and still the mental chatter that saps our energy and causes stress and negative feelings. As you start to colour in these designs you will unleash your inner creativity and find yourself gradually moving to a more peaceful and calming state of mind. You can colour in as little or as much as you like, taking your time to develop your picture the way you want it. There are no hard or fast rules, you are truly free to create your own unique designs using pencils, pens or paints. Start colouring today and enjoy the still, quiet voice of calm this simple meditative practice will bring.

Using herself as a guinea pig, a science journalist explores "neuroplasticity" to find out whether she can make meaningful, lasting changes to the way her brain works.

In books like THE HAPPINESS PROJECT, THE NO-SPEND YEAR, and THE YEAR OF YES, individuals have tried a specific experience and then reported on it, sharing the takeaway for the rest of us. In MY PLASTIC BRAIN, Caroline Williams spends a year exploring "neuroplasticity"--the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections--to find out whether she can make meaningful, lasting changes to the way her brain works.

A science journalist with access to cutting edge experts and facilities, she volunteers herself as a test subject, challenging researchers to make real changes to the function and performance of her brain. She seeks to improve on everyday weaknesses such as her limited attention span and tendency to worry too much. She then branches out into more mysterious areas such as creativity and the perception of time.

From Boston to Oxford, England, and Philadelphia to Freiburg, Germany, Williams travels to labs or virtually meets with scientists and tries their techniques of mindfulness meditation, magnetic brain stimulation, sustained focus exercises, stress response retraining, and more. She shares her intimate journey with readers to discover what neuroscience can really do for us.

Stress is an unavoidable part of life that we will all encounter at various times, be it due to a one-off event such as losing a job or the break-up of a relationship, or from facing long-term difficulties such as working in a stressful environment or caring for someone who is ill. How well we deal with stress will influence the extent to which it affects our lives. Maureen Cooper explains why humans are designed to respond to stress in a certain way and why this can even be helpful at times. She goes on to show how to transform our habitual way of responding to stress by training ourselves in compassion and thereby improving our sense of control and wellbeing. In this workbook, you can learn to manage stress better: * Using tried and tested compassion techniques * Via case studies and practical exercises

Random Acts of Kindness Inspirational StoriesMake a commitment to spread kindness wherever you go. Being kind doesn't cost anything, but it can mean the world to those around you. What if all of a sudden everyone started performing daily good deeds? This inspiring collection presents true stories of people who've committed, received, and observed voluntary acts of kindness. Hearing their stories reveals how these simple, small acts of goodness can have a profoundly positive effect in the world. The true stories, thoughtful quotations, and suggestions for generosity in this book will inspire you to live more compassionately and be a kinder person. Join the kindness movement. In 1995, a small group of people at Conari Press, including M.J. Ryan, Will Glennon, and Dawna Markova, came together around the idea that small gestures and simple acts can make a difference in people's lives. Thus, Random Acts of Kindness was born, but they had no idea how big this little idea would become. Soon, instead of the usual two or three letters from readers, they were getting bags of mail from readers submitting their own acts of kindness and stories of compassion. Now, twenty-five years later, over one million copies have been sold and it is a worldwide movement, with National Random Acts of Kindness Week, celebrated each February. An inspirational gift of kind words. Sometimes the smallest gesture makes the biggest difference. This little book shows how to start-with the small, with the particular, with the individual-in order to make a difference in the world. It features: True stories about acts of kindness and generosity of spirit Suggestions for living more compassionately Inspirational quotes to get you started Readers of motivational books and stories like Chicken Soup for the Soul: Random Acts of Kindness, A Pebble for Your Thoughts, I've Been Thinking..., or You Can Do All Things will love the encouraging, inspirational stories in Random Acts of Kindness.

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SIMPLE, POWERFUL FUNCTIONAL & EFFECTIVE STRAGEGIES TO MANAGE STRESS-ON THE GO. Stress is a part of everybody's life. Stress Management on the Go guides you through proven techniques that work anytime & anywhere and can be used by nearly everybody. Some of the techniques presented are: / NEUTRALIZE STRESS WITH YOUR THOUGHTS / LEARN HOW TO CHANGE YOUR NEGATIVE THINKING PATTERNS / MEDITATION, SELF HYPNOSIS & VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUES / BREATHING AWAY THE STRESS

Becoming aware of . . . one great emotion permeates your being. You live with a perpetual feeling of reverence. The knowledge that your creator is the very self of yourself and never would have made you had he not loved you must fill your heart with devotion, yes, with adoration. One knowing glimpse of the world about you at any single instant of time is sufficient to fill you with profound awe and a feeling of worship. It is when your feeling of reverence is most intense that you are closest to God, and when you are closest to God your life is richest. -Neville Goddard

The mental health and mindfulness bestseller from A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled and How to be Human author Ruby Wax, who shows us why and how our minds can send us mad and how we can rewire our thinking to calm ourselves in a frenetic world. 'Finally - a map for the troubled human mind. And it's funny.' -Caitlin Moran Ruby Wax - comedian, writer and mental health campaigner - shows us how our minds can jeopardize our sanity. With her own periods of depression and now a Masters from Oxford in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy to draw from, she explains how our busy, chattering, self-critical thoughts drive us to anxiety and stress. If we are to break the cycle, we need to understand how our brains work, rewire our thinking and find calm in a frenetic world. Helping you become the master, not the slave, of your mind, here is the manual to saner living.

We breathe around 17,000 times a day - so it's something that we can all improve for better health and wellbeing - no equipment or fancy fitness gear necessary. Aimee's simple and accessible exercises are designed to fit into your life - from 2 minutes in the shower to 5 minutes at your desk to be at your best before an important meeting. Introducing breath basics and detailing why breathing properly is so important for health and wellbeing, Aimee's simple, practical exercises easily fit into a busy day. Organised into sections reflecting how we spend our time - from work to sleep and eating to relationships - there are breathing exercises for the office, including how to calm your nerves before a big pitch; how our breathing has been affected by technology and how to counteract 'tech apnea', alongside breathing for better relationships, such as exercises to help clear the air after an argument. Also including breaths to help you perform at your exercise peak and enhance digestion, alongside practical tips such as the top 10 plants to purify the air in your home.

Drawing on years of research and first-hand experience, How to Survive in Teaching offers support, advice and practical suggestions to help you and your colleagues stay flourishing, positive and most importantly, stay teaching! Recent statistics show that not enough teachers are entering the profession and that too many are leaving. Teaching is facing a genuine crisis. But why is this? In this thought-provoking book, experienced teacher and leader Dr Emma Kell examines workplace stress and anxiety, conflict and 'toxic politics', and the other factors which lead teachers to ultimately decide to walk away. Emma firmly believes there are ways to survive the increasing pressure teachers are under. This book offers a realistic, unflinching and positive perspective on the challenges and rewards of teaching. It includes successful models and strategies where a combination of support and challenge, accountability, and a sense of being valued have encouraged teachers to enter and remain in the profession.

These days everyone seems to be a little bit stressed - but for some it can be debilitating. This pocket guide is designed to help you understand the unique way in which you respond to stress so that you can recognise the warning signs and take action. Packed full of guidance, techniques and practical exercises grounded in the latest behavioural science, this book will help you: - Manage stress, and the unpleasant side-effects that often come with it - Improve your well-being and resilience - Create a fuller, more enjoyable and meaningful life Written by an experienced therapist, and illustrated with examples drawn from many years of practice, this helpful little book is your ticket to a calmer, more fulfilled life.

The author has many years of experience counselling and facilitating workshops on the topic of stress. Ultimately stress is the by-product of our beliefs and daily choices of behaviour. The author offers a refreshing delightful view of addressing this topic. This book asks the reader to carefully examine how our beliefs are personally generated, as well as by our culture. When we clearly see what is happening we are open to do what ever is necessary to make changes.
We have lost sight of how the mind and body naturally function, and can only reduce stress when we return closer to our natural state. This book is about doing that. The author also offers the reader numerous specific suggestions to make changes in their life.

In our increasingly hectic society we are under constant pressure to get the best results, the top job, a better car or a bigger house. For many reasons, stress can become a major problem affecting our relationships and even our health. Stress can ruin lives, and most people don't know how to cope with it - or how they can use it as an energy force. If you're always getting angry in the car, at home or at work, if you constantly feel out of balance, then this book is for you. It will help you identify the causes of stress in your life, and shows you how to deal with them in a practical way. With true-life examples, clear explanations and relevant advice, it is an indispensable aid to overcoming stress. This book may save your life.

PTSD is a debilitating condition that can leave you feeling numb, irritable, on guard, and distant. You may experience flashbacks and traumatic memories, suffer with sleep difficulties and nightmares, and struggle to manage intense emotions, impulses, and the desire to avoid closeness. But there has been rapid growth in the research and treatment of PTSD. This book combines the very best in proven-effective treatments to address specific symptoms, from the least disruptive to the most severe. Presenting tools drawn from a number of approaches and treatment models-such as ACT, DBT, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), exposure treatment, behavioral activation, imagery rehearsal therapy, and a highly effective, twelve-session cognitive processing therapy (CPT) program, The Cognitive Behavioral Coping Skills Workbook for PTSD can help you overcome the most common and most difficult challenges people with PTSD face. This practical guide is loaded with research-based skills from the most effective PTSD treatments available to help youmanage your symptoms, reclaim your well-being, and maintain your recovery. TIP

In a culture inundated by personal branding, a fashion stylist and creative consultant offers invaluable lessons, tips, and advice, to help you define your personal style in a whole new way, by enhancing not just how you look, but how you feel. Revive. Revitalize. Reinvigorate. These three seemingly simple precepts are at the heart of this sleek and uplifting guide to reclaiming your personal style. Throw away all those old tired rules, Heather Newberger says. Forget outmoded advice like dressing for your body shape or that a brand name is always better. In How to Date Your Wardrobe, Heather teaches you how to build a closet that reveals who you are. Too many people dress for a role instead of themselves and often invest in pieces they rarely wear. Following her advice, you'll learn to define what you like and be able to choose clothing and accessories that express the best parts of your inner self. Heather shows, that no matter your gender identity or age, you can change your reflection. Best of all, you'll find new ways to love every piece of clothing you own. How to Date Your Wardrobe includes 30 eye-catching illustrations from Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, whose art has appeared in numerous media outlets, including The New Yorker and the New York Times.

This book presents ground-breaking ideas based on current research on how stigma can cause bodily felt trauma in stigmatised or marginalised people, particularly those on the autism spectrum. Gordon Gates draws on his academic research, professional knowledge as a counsellor, and lived experience with Asperger's syndrome to provide a unique framework for combating the psychological and emotional impact of stigma. Explaining how to develop resilience and essential coping mechanisms to manage distress and improve mental health, this book casts new light on the significance of stigma in mental health, and marks a new way forward for anyone who has been made to feel like an "outsider".

**A portion of the profits from this book are being donated to 9-11 related charities

Proven methods for how to live fully and panic-free in the face of anxiety and stress

More than just the World Trade Centers were destroyed on September 11. Also lost to us was the sense of security and peace of mind taken for granted by generations of Americans. What once were dismissed as neurotic phobias­­fear of flying, of public transportation, and of crowded places, for example­­are now considered normal reactions to real dangers.

Written by Harriet Braiker, renowned psychologist and author of the New York Times advice bestseller The Disease to Please, The September 11 Syndrome: Anxious Days and Sleepless Nights arms readers with proven techniques for developing psychological hardiness and emotional resiliency. Braiker imparts the keys to regaining a sense of control over life and the freedom of mind to travel, conduct business, and experience everyday joys without being crippled by fear.

Stress is a part of daily life, but over time it can cause us to feel anxious, irritable, and overwhelmed. So how can you keep stress from getting the best of you and avoid total burnout? The key to maintaining balance in life is to respond to stress with genuine, nonjudgmental awareness of our bodies and minds. Drawing on the ancient wisdom of mindfulness, this practical guide will show you tons of little ways you can overcome stress every day-no matter what life throws your way. The mindfulness strategies in this book are inspired by mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a clinically proven program developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn. Research has shown that MBSR is effective in alleviating a number of health and mental health conditions, including stress, anxiety, panic, depression, chronic pain, and more. This important book works wonderfully on its own, or can be used in conjunction with A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook. If you are ready to permanently change the way you handle stress, gain powerful inspiration, and live more fully in the moment, this book is the perfect guide.