How to Calm Your Mind (★ ★ ★ ★)


I’ve just finished “How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Peace and Productivity in Anxious Times” by Chris Bailey. It is an absolutely fantastic book with some great advice, especially for those more anxiety-prone people (I am one of them) out there. Strangely this book I picked up for half-price on the way to Bali this year. I always take enough books to last me a month, then end up buying more at the airport anyway!

Chris stressed the need to reduce our “Superstimuli” - basically social media. Therefore, I have taken a drastic step and deleted the social network formally known as Twitter. I don’t use any other social media, but Twitter/X was my only go-to. To be honest, I haven’t missed it at all. It has been a total of 12 days since I deleted, and therefore opened, the social network. However, during that time I have found myself more relaxed, able to take on stress, and generally a much less stimulated person, which as Bailey rightly highlights, is where we should be. Simply put we need to spend less time in the digital world, and more in the analogue.

Some of his suggestions will take more time, but I have tried to stick to “productivity hours” and stop work dead in its tracks if I can. I did treat myself to a late-night working session when D was out with a client last week. Thankfully I was already doing some of the “good” things, reading a printed newspaper (only a weekly one at that), not using much social media (YouTube is still the killer), and having a separate live-work space.

Chris’ own experiences painfully resonated with me, and I would challenge anyone not to find something useful about personal management, as well as productivity “hacks”. I’ve been in a burnout state before, and I never want to be back there again, as is clear neither does Bailey.

My only criticism of the book is that the last chapter was just a recap show of the proceeding text - however, this book is one I will keep coming back to time and time again. Building a list of my “stressors” was challenging and, in the end, a rewarding experience; thank you, Chris!