'Why has nobody told me this before' Book summary by Hookmybook.com

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This book is about how to be happy and have a positive outlook on life. It includes exercises and advice on how to improve your habits, self-awareness, and relationships. It is a resource for the author as well as for the reader, and the author plans to keep returning to it from time to time.
Mood fluctuation is normal. Nobody is happy all the time.Low mood can be caused by a variety of things, including lack of sleep and dehydration. However, it's not just the external factors that can contribute to a low mood. A person's mood can be affected by their internal environment, too. For example, if someone's to-do list is stressing them out, that stress may lead to a low mood.
The downward spiral of low mood is a cycle in which external events (example, tiredness, lack of appetite) influence internal state (example, negative thoughts), which in turn influences physical sensations (e.g. low energy) and emotional states (example, feelings of hopelessness). Eventually, these negative emotions and thoughts become habitual, which makes it even harder to break free. To break the cycle, it is important to be aware of each aspect of the experience and to use the cross-sectional formulation to reflect on what is contributing to the low mood.
When we're feeling down, our thoughts tend to focus on the negative aspects of our situation. We overgeneralize, assuming that every problem is going to be a disaster, and we become pessimistic. We also tend to cling to negative thoughts, refusing to accept any positive ones.
When times are hard and you're not feeling at your best, this tends to narrow our focus. It becomes more difficult to consider other people's opinions and perspectives, or that they might hold different values. This bias can cause problems in our relationships because it can disrupt how connected we feel to others. Just as thoughts are not facts, feelings are not facts either. Emotions are information, but when that information is powerful, intense and loud, as emotions can be, then we are more vulnerable to believing in them as a true reflection of what is going on.
All-or-nothing thinking is a type of thinking that can make the mood worse. This is when we think in absolutes or extremes, and it leaves no room for the grey areas that are often closer to reality. The reason this pattern of thought makes everything harder is that it makes us vulnerable to more intense emotional reactions.
When we are under stress, our thoughts become more biased and less rational. This can make it hard to think positively and objectively, and can lead to negative thoughts and feelings. There are a few things that you can do to help manage your thoughts and mood under stress:
- regularly reflect on thought biases and how they can impact your mood
- keep a journal to record your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations during stressful moments
- practice mindfulness to gain a better perspective on your thoughts and emotions
Many thoughts we have are biased and can lead to negative emotions. It can be helpful to identify these thoughts and biases and to practice recognizing and replacing them with more balanced and compassionate views.
When we're low in mood, we're flooded with negative thoughts, and it can be tough to break free from them. But there are a few strategies we can use to help us get a little distance from our thoughts and regain control of our moods. When we have some distance from our thoughts, we can see them for what they are- just ideas- and they lose some of their power over us. First, we can practice mindfulness, which is the ability to be present at the moment and observe our thoughts without getting bogged down in them. Second, we can try to focus on specific goals or objectives, rather than letting our thoughts wander. And finally, we can ask ourselves what we want, rather than focusing on what we don't want.
When we are ruminating, we are focusing on our thoughts and memories over and over again. This can lead to more intense and prolonged distress. Mindfulness can help to focus on the present moment and can be difficult to practice if we are not sure how to do it. Meditation is like a gym workout for the mind. It provides a space to practice the skills being used.
Mindfulness practice helps us become more aware of our thoughts and how they affect our emotions. Gratitude practise helps us become more aware of the things we are grateful for in our life. When we practice these two things together, we can start to change the way we think and feel about our life.