Boosting Your Mental Wellbeing

Acknowledgements; About the authors; Introduction

PART I
Chapter 1 Follow your inner Guide

1.1 What do we mean by your inner Guide?

1.2 Finding your values

1.3 Living your values

1.4 Recognising your needs

1.5 Purpose and meaning

1.6 Personal qualities

1.7 Troubleshooting finding your inner Guide

Chapter summary: using your Guide

Chapter 2 Ready for Action

2.1 The importance of taking action

2.2 What is taking action?

2.3 From values to actions

2.4 Are you living according to your values?

2.5 Plans, goals and actions

2.6 What gets in the way?

2.7 Taking a Towards step

2.8 Planning for the long term

Chapter summary: Ready for Action

Chapter 3 Open and Observe

3.1 Open and Observe skills

3.2 Observe this moment: notice the 'NOW'

3.3 Finding flow

3.4 Flexible attention

3.5 Practising mindfulness

3.6 Practising your Open and Observe skills

3.7 Understanding our reactions

3.8 Stepping back and making space

3.9 Finding enjoyment and contentment

Chapter summary: Open and Observe

Chapter 4 Wise Mind

4.1 What is Wise Mind?

4.2 We are not our thoughts

4.3 Thoughts and emotions

4.4 Negative thinking patterns

4.5 Let go of the struggle

4.6 'Defuse' from unhelpful thoughts

4.7 Wise choices

4.8 Support and encouragement

4.9 Repetitive and intrusive thoughts

Chapter summary: Wise Mind

Chapter 5 Thrive and Balance

5.1 The impact of stress

5.2 What is stress?

5.3 Factors influencing stress

5.4 Stress, pressure and performance

5.5 Coping with stress

5.6 Three circles model of emotions

5.7 The role of self-compassion

5.8 Developing self-compassion

5.9 Balancing the circles

Chapter summary: Thrive and Balance

Chapter 6 Healthy Life Habits

6.1 What are Healthy Life Habits?

6.2 What gets in the way?

6.3 Finding motivation to change

6.4 Physical activity

6.5 Healthy eating habits

6.6 Healthy sleep habits

6.7 Other unhealthy habits

6.8 Caring for physical health

6.9 Overcoming unhelpful life habits

6.10 GROWTH skills for healthy life habits

Chapter summary: Healthy Life Habits

PART II
Chapter 7 Personality traits and traps

7.1 Personality traits: strengths and vulnerabilities

7.2 Unhealthy perfectionism

7.3 Imposter syndrome

7.4 The 'chronic hero': excessive responsibility and guilt

Chapter summary: Personality traits and traps

Chapter 8 Low mood

8.1 Recognising low mood

8.2 When low mood becomes depression

8.3 What are the causes of low mood?

8.4 Different responses to the same situation

8.5 The route out of the swamp

8.6 Activity diary

8.7 Keeping it going

8.8 Managing negative thinking

Chapter summary: Low mood

Chapter 9 Anxiety and uncertainty

9.1 What is anxiety?

9.2 Are you struggling with anxiety?

9.3 Why do we have anxiety?

9.4 Anxiety is not dangerous!

9.5 Anxious mind visitors

9.6 Anxiety and Away actions

9.7 Uncertainty in primary care

9.8 GROWTH skills to cope with anxiety and uncertainty

Chapter summary: Anxiety and uncertainty

Chapter 10 Connecting and communicating

10.1 The importance of connection

10.2 Personality traits and relationships

10.3 Relationship circles

10.4 Strengthening important relationships

10.5 Expanding relationship circles

10.6 Social and performance stress

10.7 What gets in the way?

10.8 Communication and managing conflict

Chapter summary: Connecting and communicating

Chapter 11 Surviving significant events

11.1 Coping in hard times

11.2 Experiences of trauma

11.3 Loss and grief

11.4 Moral distress and injury

Chapter summary: Surviving significant events

Chapter 12 Putting it all together

12.1 Where are you now?

12.2 Recapping the GROWTH steps

12.3 Future forward plan

Glossary of key terms; References and further reading; Support for health professionals