How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times, US Edition

A toolkit of accessible, science-backed strategies that reveal how the path to a less anxious life, and even greater productivity, runs directly through calm.

A PENGUIN LIFE BOOK

When productivity expert Chris Bailey discovered that he had become stressed and burnt out because he was pushing himself too hard, he realized that before he could continue to give advice on productivity, he needed to learn how to rein things in and take a break. Productivity advice works—and we need it now more than ever—but it’s just as vital that we also develop our capacity for calm. By finding calm and overcoming anxiety, we don’t just feel more relaxed and at ease—we invest in the missing piece that leads our efforts to become sustainable over time. We build a deeper, more expansive reservoir of energy to draw from throughout the day, and have greater mental resources at our disposal to do good work and live a meaningful life.

Among the topics How to Calm Your Mind covers are:
• How analog and digital worlds affect calm and anxiety in different ways
• How our desire for the neurochemical dopamine can lead us to feel anxious and appreciate everyday experiences less
• How hidden sources of stress can be tamed by a “stimulation fast”
• How we can use the science of “savoring” to become present and enjoy life more
• How “busyness” is as much a state of mind as it is an actual state of life

The pursuit of calm ultimately leads us to become more engaged, focused, and deliberate—while making us more productive and satisfied with our lives. In an anxious world, investing in calm can be considered the best productivity strategy around.