Open When...
A Companion for Life's Twists & Turns
Published on 7. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
416 pages
978-0-241-66395-0 (ISBN)
Description
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER FROM BESTSELLING CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST AND TIKTOK SENSATION DR JULIE, AUTHOR OF WHY HAS NOBODY TOLD ME THIS BEFORE? NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK
'Absolutely extraordinary...I needed this book 30 years ago.' MEL ROBBINS, #1 bestselling author of THE LET THEM THEORY
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Feeling overwhelmed? Open when... stress takes over.
Facing self-doubt? Open when... imposter syndrome strikes.
Lost your direction? Open when... you need fresh motivation.
--
This is the book for life's twists and turns, when being human starts to get complicated.
A must-have companion to Dr Julie's international bestseller Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, which taught us the skills to strengthen our future mental health, Open When... is the book to turn to when you find yourself in the eye of the storm.
Within this book are a series of Open When style letters from Dr Julie to help navigate the moments of overwhelm, confusion or self-doubt that we all face when life gets messy.
Offering calm, clarity and a laser focus on the best way forward, each personal letter is followed by real-time tools that will help you re-frame the situation and decide on your next move.
Every chapter covers a new scenario; universal problems that each of us will likely face at some point. So, whether you're experiencing:
Stress
Pressure to perform
Dealing with difficult people
Trying to fit in
Making big decisions
Arguments with your partner
Big emotions causing anxiety
Open When... brings the words you need to hear to get back on the front foot, feeling ready to take on everything life throws your way.
--
Praise for Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
'Sound wisdom, easy to gulp down. I'm sure this book is already helping lots of people.' MATT HAIG, bestselling author of REASONS TO STAY ALIVE
'A toolkit of deceptively simple strategies for life's troubles. Everyone could benefit from the wisdom of Dr Smith' i 'BEST NON-FICTION BOOKS OF 2022'
'Julie Smith is the psychology teacher you wish you'd had at school' EVENING STANDARD
'This book is a goldmine. I truly treat it like a handbook now' STYLIST
'It's real, it's authentic . . . Very practical and very, very helpful' LORRAINE KELLY
'I'm blown away by her ability to communicate difficult ideas with ease, simplicity and practicality. Amazing. Go and buy it now!' Jay Shetty
'If you want to feel like you have a therapist sitting across from you, empowering you with how to be your best self, this book is for you!' Nicole LePera, New York Times bestselling author of How to Do the Work
'Full of sound, helpful advice with life skills, from building confidence to managing stress' Sunday Times
Instant No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller, January 2025
'Absolutely extraordinary...I needed this book 30 years ago.' MEL ROBBINS, #1 bestselling author of THE LET THEM THEORY
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Feeling overwhelmed? Open when... stress takes over.
Facing self-doubt? Open when... imposter syndrome strikes.
Lost your direction? Open when... you need fresh motivation.
--
This is the book for life's twists and turns, when being human starts to get complicated.
A must-have companion to Dr Julie's international bestseller Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, which taught us the skills to strengthen our future mental health, Open When... is the book to turn to when you find yourself in the eye of the storm.
Within this book are a series of Open When style letters from Dr Julie to help navigate the moments of overwhelm, confusion or self-doubt that we all face when life gets messy.
Offering calm, clarity and a laser focus on the best way forward, each personal letter is followed by real-time tools that will help you re-frame the situation and decide on your next move.
Every chapter covers a new scenario; universal problems that each of us will likely face at some point. So, whether you're experiencing:
Stress
Pressure to perform
Dealing with difficult people
Trying to fit in
Making big decisions
Arguments with your partner
Big emotions causing anxiety
Open When... brings the words you need to hear to get back on the front foot, feeling ready to take on everything life throws your way.
--
Praise for Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
'Sound wisdom, easy to gulp down. I'm sure this book is already helping lots of people.' MATT HAIG, bestselling author of REASONS TO STAY ALIVE
'A toolkit of deceptively simple strategies for life's troubles. Everyone could benefit from the wisdom of Dr Smith' i 'BEST NON-FICTION BOOKS OF 2022'
'Julie Smith is the psychology teacher you wish you'd had at school' EVENING STANDARD
'This book is a goldmine. I truly treat it like a handbook now' STYLIST
'It's real, it's authentic . . . Very practical and very, very helpful' LORRAINE KELLY
'I'm blown away by her ability to communicate difficult ideas with ease, simplicity and practicality. Amazing. Go and buy it now!' Jay Shetty
'If you want to feel like you have a therapist sitting across from you, empowering you with how to be your best self, this book is for you!' Nicole LePera, New York Times bestselling author of How to Do the Work
'Full of sound, helpful advice with life skills, from building confidence to managing stress' Sunday Times
Instant No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller, January 2025
Reviews / Votes
Absolutely extraordinary...I needed this book 30 years ago. * Mel Robbins, #1 bestselling author of The Let Them Theory * Praise for the author * - * Full of sound, helpful advice with life skills, from building confidence to managing stress * Sunday Times * It's so engaging that it's even led me to switch off my phone for several hours so I can read it, and in this social media-obsessed age, I don't think I can give a bigger recommendation than that -- Bryony Gordon * Telegraph * This book is a goldmine. I truly treat it like a handbook now - when I feel an unpleasant feeling brewing or come up against a tricky moment at work or in my relationships, my first thought is to wonder what Smith might suggest * Stylist * So much advice on such a wide variety of things: it's brilliant. So helpful * Katie Piper * The book's great. It's real, it's authentic . . . Very practical and very, very helpful * Lorraine Kelly *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Penguin Books Ltd
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 194 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
288 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-241-66395-0 (9780241663950)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
01/2025
Michael Joseph Ltd
€25.00
Shipment within 15-20 days
E-Book
01/2025
Penguin Books Ltd
€9.49
Available for download
Book
12/2024
MICHAEL JOSEPH
€21.50
Available immediately
Person
DR JULIE SMITH is a clinical psychologist, bestselling author and content creator. After working in the NHS and private practice, Julie made it her mission to make good-quality mental health education freely accessible across YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. Her audience grew astronomically as users related to the bite-sized self-help videos she was sharing. Today she has over 10 million followers across the social media platforms and her content has had over 1 billion views.
Julie's first book, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, was an instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller, clocked up over 140 weeks in the UK Top Ten, sold over 1 million copies in the English language and was translated into more than 45 languages.
Julie is a regular expert on ITV's This Morning and has been featured widely across the media and further afield. Julie is a proud ambassador for BBC's Children in Need and has appeared as a guest on many of the most-listened-to podcasts, including The Diary of a CEO and The Mel Robbins Podcast. Julie lives in Dorset, England, with her husband, three children, ten chickens, three goats, two dogs and a cat.
Julie's first book, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, was an instant #1 Sunday Times Bestseller, clocked up over 140 weeks in the UK Top Ten, sold over 1 million copies in the English language and was translated into more than 45 languages.
Julie is a regular expert on ITV's This Morning and has been featured widely across the media and further afield. Julie is a proud ambassador for BBC's Children in Need and has appeared as a guest on many of the most-listened-to podcasts, including The Diary of a CEO and The Mel Robbins Podcast. Julie lives in Dorset, England, with her husband, three children, ten chickens, three goats, two dogs and a cat.