Managing Your Mind The Mental Fitness Guide

by Butler, Gillian; Hope, Tony

• ISBN13: 9780195314526
• ISBN10: 0195314522
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-03-08
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Originally published in 1995, the first edition of Managing Your Mind established a unique place in the self-help book market. A blend of tried-and-true psychological counseling and no-nonsense management advice grounded in the principles of CBTand other psychological treatments, the book straddled two types of self-help literature, arguing that in one's personal and professional life, the way to success is the same. By adopting the practical strategies that mental health experts Butler and Hope have developed over years of clinical research and practice, one can develop the "mental fitness" necessary to resolve one's personal and interpersonal challenges at home and work and to live a productive, satisfying life. The first edition addressed how to develop key skills to mental fitness (e.g., managing one's time better, facing and solving problems better, keeping things in perspective, learning to relax, etc.), how to improve one's relationships, how to beat anxiety and depression, and how to establish a good mind-body balance. For this new edition, Butler and Hope have updated all preexisting material and have added five new chapters-on sexuality and intimate relationships; anger in relationships; recent traumatic events and their aftermath; loss and bereavement; and dealing with the past.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. v
Introduction	p. 1
What to Expect from This Guide	p. 3
The Scientific Background	p. 8
Two Principles Underlying Mental Fitness	p. 13
Valuing Yourself	p. 15
Recognizing That You Can Change	p. 20
The Seven Basic Skills	p. 29
Managing Yourself and Your Time	p. 31
Facing the Problem	p. 45
Treating Yourself Right	p. 52
Problem-Solving: A Strategy for Change	p. 61
Keeping Things in Perspective: Help from Cognitive Therapy	p. 71
Building Self-Confidence and Self-Esteem	p. 89
Learning How to Relax	p. 104
How to Improve Your Relationships	p. 117
The Importance of Relationships	p. 119
The First Key to Good Relationships: Be Fair to Yourself and to Others	p. 127
The Second Key to Good Relationships: Recognizing Voices from the Past	p. 144
The Third Key to Good Relationships: Relationships as Systems	p. 158
Anger in Relationships	p. 170
Sexuality and Intimate Relationships	p. 190
The Twin Enemies of Good Mood	p. 215
Anxiety
Getting the Better of Anxiety and Worry, or Defeating the Alarmist	p. 217
Overcoming Fears and Phobias	p. 235
Stress: How to Live with the Right Amount of It	p. 254
Dealing with Panic: Controlling the Alarm System	p. 270
Depression
Depression-The Common Cold of the Mind	p. 283
Digging Yourself Out of Depression	p. 294
How to Become Less Vulnerable to Depression	p. 315
Traumatic Experience	p. 323
Loss and Bereavement	p. 325
Dealing with the Past	p. 342
Recent Traumatic Events and Their Aftermath	p. 367
Mind and Body	p. 387
Breaking Habits and Stopping Smoking	p. 389
Averting Problems with Alcohol	p. 406
Overcoming Sleep Problems	p. 423
Good Eating Habits	p. 434
The Working Mind	p. 447
The Fundamentals of Effective Study	p. 449
Key Study Skills: Reading, Taking Notes, and Using the Material	p. 457
How to Improve Your Memory: Part 1: The Palest Ink and Other External Memory Aids	p. 470
How to Improve Your Memory: Part 2: Internal Memory Aids	p. 477
Making Decisions	p. 492
Thinking Straight	p. 502
Notes	p. 513
Further Reading	p. 515
Index	p. 519
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