Singing in the Rain Workbook References and more

From brains to poetry

How I like to think about our brains

When building my toolkit of strategies, I found it helpful to understand a little bit more about the inner workings of our brain. Some rudimentary knowledge of this kind has allowed me to step back on occasion, and to create different thoughts and feelings, which are gentler and more compassionate.

One model of how the brain has evolved and works in humans was developed in the 1960s and is known as the Triune Brain theory. Though it is not entirely accurate, nor universally accepted in the ever-changing field of neuroscience, it does point to some basic biology.

Humans obviously have one physical brain, and all its circuits are engaged and collaborating with each other all the time, but the brain has different functions or modes, which have evolved over the years as our brain circuits have reorganised themselves and become more complex.

Our ‘older’ brain is instinctive and looks after our basic survival, and is made up of two parts: our reptilian and mammalian systems. In contrast, our younger, ‘newer’ brain is more flexible, is concerned with goals and how we think, and is known as the neocortex. Understanding the idea of an ‘old’ and ‘new’ brain and how they work together – or not – underpins some of the ideas in this book. So here’s a deliberately simplified and unscientific summary of how our brain works.

Our reptilian brain is around 300 million years old. It’s busy controlling the stuff we need to do to survive: balancing, breathing and regulating heart rate. Most of the time we don’t have to focus much on our reptilian brain, but it’s useful to note that this bit of the brain sticks to what it knows, acts on instinct, and isn’t very good at learning from experience.

The second part of our old brain system is sometimes called the mammalian brain (or limbic system) and developed in mammals a while after our reptilian brain. This intuitive brain works closely with the reptilian brain by picking up physical urges, and plays a role in our emotions, especially anxiety, anger, sadness and joy. This system is an important part of our ability to connect and communicate with others.

It is also the part of us that responds to threats when we are faced with danger in the ‘fight-or-flight’ response. When our threat system is activated in this way, blood is shunted to the muscles for fighting and running; our pupils dilate to detect danger; and our hearts beat faster so we can run away.

Finally, we have our ‘newer’ brain layer, our primate brain or neocortex, which is sometimes known as the cognitive or thinking brain. We are most familiar with this brain system because it’s what most of us, instinctively, think that our brains are for – thinking. But while the thinking brain is in charge of many of the functions we consider to be the most human, it only developed around two million years ago in our evolution.

Think of the neocortex as a new, rational brain. It’s the bit of our brain that helps us focus, and which you are using right now to read this. Our human brain is also the section that enables us to think logically, and also to look at the pros and cons of a decision.

Both old and new systems are vital for our survival, and all would be well and good if they worked smoothly together. Unfortunately, our brain has inbuilt glitches, and our evolution means parts of our old brain and new brain do not always communicate or coexist comfortably.

Just knowing this has helped me. First, it is not my fault when I am struggling with conflicting thoughts and feel in a muddle. It is my inefficient evolution that has meant that there may be a conflict between the instinctive old brain and the higher attributes of the new brain. When I am struggling, I tell myself that I have a less than perfect, evolving human brain. Maybe the phrase ‘brain glitch’ is helpful as a reminder of this. Our brains really can short circuit and create a misleading impression. This piece of knowledge moves me on. What a relief.

Second, knowing about these different brain systems has made me more observant when I get caught up in one system or another. Now, I can recognise when my old brain springs into action: the fight-or-flight response is triggered and I have an instinctive, impulsive reaction to a situation.

Sometimes this emotional response may be vital and even lifesaving (when fear, for example, makes me step out the way of a speeding car). But modern life has outpaced evolution. Sometimes we can notice our involuntary systems doing what they are programmed to do when we are actually not in danger, if we feel threatened by a comment online for example. Given this, we sometimes need to calm ourselves down with what psychologists call a ‘safety signal’ to our body to let it know that actually, we are okay. There is no lion on the horizon. We are not about to be gobbled up. This safety signal can be different for all of us, and can include breathing or relaxation techniques, and you will find these throughout Singing in the Rain: An inspirational workbook.

 

Poetry

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If by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you have spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!


Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even to the dull and ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter,
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals,
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be.
And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life,
keep peace with your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

 

References

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Introduction

Writing About Emotional Experiences as a Therapeutic Process
James W. Pennebaker, Volume: 8 issue: 3, page(s): 162-166. Issue published: May 1, 1997. Southern Methodist University.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00403.x

Expressive Writing and Wound Healing in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Koschwanez, Heidi E. PhD; Kerse, Ngaire MBChB, PhD; Darragh, Margot MSc; Jarrett, Paul FRCP, FRACP; Booth, Roger J. PhD; Broadbent, Elizabeth PhD. Psychosomatic Medicine: July/August 2013 – Volume 75 – Issue 6 – p 581–590 doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31829b7b2e
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23804013 

Section One: Warming Up

2. BELLY BREATHING
The Effect of Diaphragmatic Breathing on Attention, Negative Affect and Stress in Healthy Adults
Ma X., Yue Z-Q., Gong Z-Q., et al Frontiers in Psychology,2017; 8:874. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00874.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5455070/

3. RISING EARLY
Positive frame of mind in the morning
Waking Up on the Wrong Side of the Bed: The Effects of Stress Anticipation on Working Memory in Daily Life.
Jinshil Hyun, MA Martin J Sliwinski, PhD Joshua M Smyth, PhD. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, gby042, 2018
https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gby042

Early birds less prone to depression
Prospective study of chronotype and incident depression among middle- and older-aged women in the nurses’ Health StudyII. Céline Vetter, Shun-Chiao Chang, Elizabeth E. Devore, Florian Rohrer, Olivia I. Okereke, Eva S. Schernhammer. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2018; DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.05.022

Night owls have higher risk of dying sooner
Associations between chronotype, morbidity and mortality in the UK Biobank cohort
Kristen L. Knutson ORCID Icon & Malcolm von Schantz ORCID Icon. Received 17 Jan 2018, Accepted 15 Mar 2018, Published online: 11 Apr 2018
https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2018.1454458

Sociodemographics, Poor Overall Health, Cardiovascular Disease, Depression, Fatigue, and Daytime Sleepiness Associated with Social Jetlag Independent of Sleep Duration and Insomnia
Sierra Brooke Forbush
University of Arizona, 2017.
http://hdl.handle.net/10150/624983

National Sleep Foundation’s sleep time duration recommendations: methodology and results summary.
Hirshkowitz, Max et al. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation , Volume 1 , Issue 1 , 40–43
http://www.sleephealthjournal.org/article/S2352-7218(15)00015-7/abstract

5. SMILING AND LAUGHING
King James Bible, Proverbs 17:22
Social laughter is correlated with an elevated pain threshold
Dunbar, R. I. M., Baron, Rebecca, Frangou, Anna, Pearce, Eiluned, Leeuwen, Edwin J. C. van. Stow, Julie, Partridge, Giselle, MacDonald, Ian, Barra, Vincent, Vugt, Mark van. The Royal Society, 14 September 2011. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1373)
http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/279/1731/1161

6. VISUALISING
Visualisation as a complementary therapy for cancer patients
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancer-in-general/treatment/complementary-alternative-therapies/individual-therapies/visualisation

7. MOVING
High-Intensity Exercise Best Way To Reduce Anxiety, University Of Missouri Study Finds
ScienceDaily, 15 July 2003, University Of Missouri-Columbia
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/07/030715091511.htm

NHS physical activity guidelines
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/

One hour of exercise a week can prevent depression
Exercise and the Prevention of Depression: Results of the HUNT Cohort Study. Samuel B. Harvey, Simon Øverland, Stephani L. Hatch, Simon Wessely, Arnstein Mykletun, Matthew Hotopf. American Journal of Psychiatry, 2017; appi.ajp.2017.1 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16111223
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28969440 

8. EATING FOR CALM AND FOCUS
Rapid recovery from major depression using magnesium treatment.
G.A. Eby and K. L. Eby
Medical Hypothesis. 67(2) (2006), pp.362-70.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16542786

Effects of zinc supplementation in patients with major depression: a randomised clinical trial.
Ranjbar E, et al. J Psychiatry 2013, 8(2): 73 – 79.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24130605

Web page for NHS guidelines for mineral & vitamin intake
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/

Webpage for NHS recommendation on water intake per day
https://www.nhs.uk/news/food-and-diet/six-to-eight-glasses-of-water-still-best/

Mild dehydration impairs cognitive performance and mood of men
Ganio, M., Armstrong, L., Casa, D., McDermott, B., Lee, E., Yamamoto, L., Lieberman, H.
British Journal of Nutrition, 2011, 106(10), 1535-1543. doi:10.1017/S0007114511002005
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21736786

10. RELAXING PHYSICALLY

Yoga Asana sessions increase brain GABA levels: A pilot study

Chris C. Streeter, J. Eric Jensen, Ruth M. Perlmutter, Howard J. Cabral, Hua Tian, Devin B. Terhune, Domenic A. Ciraulo, Perry F. Renshaw

The University of Utah: Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2007

https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2007.6338

11. ENJOYING SIMPLE PLEASURES
Happiness by Design: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Everyday Life
Paul Dolan. Penguin, 2015, page 20
https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=R-pHAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT6&dq=Happiness+by+Design:+Finding+Pleasure+and+Purpose+in+Everyday+Life,+Paul+Dolan,+Penguin,+2015&ots=ZHBBJkJgQx&sig=4cNVRjC7Pe3UsBG0Qzt1aWhYbao#v=onepage&q=enjoyment&f=false

Does savoring increase happiness? A daily diary study
Paul E. Jose, Bee T. Lim and Fred B. Bryant
The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2012, 7:3, 176-187
https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2012.671345

12. PLAYING LIKE A CHILD
The relationship between quilting and wellbeing
Emily L. Burt, Jacqueline Atkinson
Journal of Public Health, Volume 34, Issue 1, 1 March 2012, Pages 54–59
https://academic.oup.com/jpubhealth/article/34/1/54/1550848

13. CHANTING, GARGLING AND HUMMING
Vagus nerve stimulation inhibits cytokine production and attenuates disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis
Frieda A. Koopman, Sangeeta S. Chavan, Sanda Miljko, Simeon Grazio, Sekib Sokolovic, P. Richard Schuurman, Ashesh D. Mehta, Yaakov A. Levine, Michael Faltys, Ralph Zitnik, Kevin J. Tracey, and Paul P. Tak
July 2016. Edited by Ruslan Medzhitov, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, and approved June 1, 2016 (received for review April 18, 2016)
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1605635113

Neurohemodynamic correlates of ‘OM’ chanting: A pilot functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Kalyani, B. G., Venkatasubramanian, G., Arasappa, R., Rao, N. P., Kalmady, S. V., Behere, R. V., Rao, H., Vasudev, M. K., Gangadhar, B. N.
Int J Yoga, 2011. DOI: 10.4103/0973-6131.78171.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21654968

Section Two: Developing Your Voice

15. BEING KIND TO OTHERS
The Star Thrower
Loren Eiseley
The Unexpected Universe, 1969, Harcourt, Brace and World ISBN 0-15-692850-7
A Prospective Study of Volunteerism and Hypertension Risk in Older Adults
Sneed, Rodlescia S. & Cohen, Sheldon.
US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health, 2013
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23795768

Volunteering to Help Others could lead to Better Health
Hamilton, Audrey
American Psychological Association, 2011
http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2011/09/volunteering-health.aspx

Motives for Volunteering area associated with Mortality risk in older adults
Konrath, Sara Fuhrel-Forbis, Andrea Lou, Alina Brown, Stephanie
American Psychological Association, 2012. Health Psychology, 31(1), 87-96
http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-17888-001

Effects of volunteering on the physical and mental health of older people
Lum, Terry Y. Lightfoot, Elizabeth. (2005)
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222100447_Effects_of_volunteering_on_the_physical_and_mental_health_of_older_people

Variety is the Spice of Happiness: The Hedonic Adaptation Prevention Model
Kennon M. Sheldon, Julia Boehm, and Sonja Lyubomirsky
Oxford Handbook of Happiness
http://sonjalyubomirsky.com/files/2012/09/Sheldon-Boehm-Lyubomirsky-2012.pdf

16. FINDING PERSPECTIVE
A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind
Killingsworth, Matthew A. & Gilbert, Daniel T.
Science. (2010) 330 (6006), p 932.
http://www.danielgilbert.com/KILLINGSWORTH%20&%20GILBERT%20(2010).pdf

Pass me an anti-boredom pill doctor
Burns, Dr Elizabeth
The British Medical Journal, 2017
https://blogs.bmj.com/bmj/2017/03/02/elizabeth-burns-pass-me-an-anti-boredom-pill-doctor/

17. COLOURING
Physiological effects of creating mandalas
DeLue, C.
Medical Art Therapy with Children, ed. Malchiodi C., editor, (1999), London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers Ltd, 33–49.

Two randomised controlled crossover studies to evaluate the effect of colouring on both self-report and performance measures of well being.
Holt, N. J., Stankova, K., Simmons, K., Bailey, K., Furbert, L. and Sweetingham, E. (2018) In: British Psychological Society Annual Conference, Nottingham, England, 2-4 May 2018. [Submitted] Available from: http://eprints.uwe.ac.uk/35007

18. BEING HAPPY NOT PERFECT
The perniciousness of perfectionism: A meta-analytic review of the perfectionism–suicide relationship
Smith, Martin M., Sherry, Simon B., Chen, Samantha, Saklofske, Donald H., Mushquash, Christopher, Flett, Gordon L., Hewitt, Paul L.
University of Western Ontario, 2017, DOI: 10.1111/jopy.12333
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318381042_The_perniciousness_of_perfectionism_A_meta-analytic_review_of_the_perfectionism-suicide_relationship

19. SOCIALISING AND FRIENDSHIPS
Politicsby Aristotle written in 350 BC
Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review
Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Timothy B. Smith, Mark Baker, Tyler Harris and David Stephenson
Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2015. Vol 10, Issue 2, pp. 227 – 237
https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691614568352

Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy
Umberson, D., Montez, J. K.
Journal of health and social behaviour, 2010; 51(Suppl):S54-S66. doi:10.1177/0022146510383501.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0022146510383501

Mistakenly seeking solitude
Epley N, Schroeder J. J Exp Psychol Gen. 2014 Oct;143(5):1980-99. doi: 10.1037/a0037323. Epub 2014 Jul 14.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25019381

Sainsbury’s Living Well Index: A landmark study carried out by Oxford Economics and the National Centre for Social Research
May 2018, page 20
https://www.about.sainsburys.co.uk/~/media/Files/S/Sainsburys/living-well-index/sainsburys-living-well-index-may-2018.pdf

A Little Book of Lykke: The Danish Search for the World’s Happiest People
Wiking, Meik
Penguin, 2017, World Happiness Report.
https://s3.amazonaws.com/happiness-report/2018/WHR_web.pdf

20. EMBEDDING NEW HABITS
Too Much of a Good Thing: The Benefits of Implementation Intentions Depend on the Number of Goals
Amy N. Dalton and Stephen A. Spiller. Journal of Consumer Research, 2012.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/664500

How are habits formed: Modeling habit formation in the real world
Phillippa Lally, Cornelia H. M. Van Jaarsveld, Henry W. W. Potts and Jane Wardle
European Journal of Social Psychology, 2010.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ejsp.674

21. WRITING A THANK YOU LETTER
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing
Ware, Bronnie; reviewed by Warren, B. Baylor University Medical Center, 2012, 25(3), 299–300.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3377309/

22. LISTENING TO MUSIC
Music can facilitate blood pressure recovery from stress
Chafin, S., Roy, M., Gerin, W., Christenfeld, N. US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health, 2004, Pt 3: 393-403
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/1359107041557020

Syncopation, Body-Movement and Pleasure in Groove Music
Witek, Maria A. G., Clarke, Eric F., Wallentin, Mikkel, Kringelbach, Morten L. Vuust, Peter
VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands. Published: April 16, 2014
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0094446http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0094446

Psychophysical Effects of Music in Sport and Exercise: A Review Journal of Sport Behavior
Karageorghis, Costas I., Terry, Peter C., Mobile, Ala. Vol. 20, Iss. 1, (Mar 1, 1997): 54.
https://www.piuvivi.com/docs/effetti-musica-sulla-psiche.pdf

Effects of Choir Singing or Listening on Secretory Immunoglobulin A, Cortisol, and Emotional State
Kreutz, G.
Journal of Behavioural Medicine, Volume 27, Issue 6, pp 623–635, December 2004
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15669447

23. TRAVELLING TO A JOYFUL PLACE
Vacationers Happier, but Most not Happier After a Holiday
Jeroen Nawijn, Miquelle A. Marchand, Ruut Veenhoven, Ad J. Vingerhoets, 2010
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2837207/

24. CREATING SPACE FOR NEGATIVE FEELINGS
Forming a story: The health benefits of narrative
James W. Pennebaker, Janel D. Seagal
First published: 30 September 1999
https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1097-4679(199910)55:10<1243::AID-JCLP6>3.0.CO;2-N

26. CELEBRATING
Hedonic relativism and planning the good society
Brickman; Campbell
New York: Academic Press, 1971, pp. 287–302. in M. H. Apley, ed., Adaptation Level Theory: A Symposium, New York: Academic Press

 

Section Three: Expanding Your Range

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30. TREE CLIMBING
A nearly complete foot from Dikika, Ethiopia and its implications for the ontogeny and function of Australopithecus afarensis
Jeremy M. DeSilva, Corey M. Gill, Thomas C. Prang, Miriam A. Bredella, Zeresenay Alemseged.
Science Advances, 2018
http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/7/eaar7723.full

Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function.
Li Q. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 2010;15(1):9-17. doi:10.1007/s12199-008-0068-3.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793341/

The Effects of Forest Therapy on Coping with Chronic Widespread Pain: Physiological and Psychological Differences between Participants in a Forest Therapy Program and a Control Group
Han, J.-W., Choi, H., Jeon, Y.-H., Yoon, C.-H., Woo, J.-M., & Kim, W.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2016,13(3), 255.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4808918/

The influence of urban green environments on stress relief measures: A field experiment
Liisa Tyrväinen, Ann Ojala, Kalevi Korpela, Timo Lanki, Yuko Tsunetsugu, Takahide Kagawa
Journal of Environmental Psychology, Volume 38, 2014, Pages 1-9.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272494413000959

The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku (taking in the forest atmosphere or forest bathing): evidence from field experiments in 24 forests across Japan.
Park BJ, Tsunetsugu Y, Kasetani T, Kagawa T, Miyazaki Y.
Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 2010;15(1):18-26. doi:10.1007/s12199-009-0086-9.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2793346/

 

31. SKETCHING NATURE
The Biophilia Hypothesis
Edward O. Wilson. Island Press, 1993

32. FINDING FLOW
Flow: The psychology of optimal experience.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). New York: Harper & Row.

34. WRITING POETRY
Creative Health: The Arts for Health and Wellbeing
Second Edition, 2017
http://www.artshealthandwellbeing.org.uk/appg-inquiry/

Psalm 84:6

36. FEELING GOOD ENOUGH
Thrive
Rob Kelly, Rob Kelly Publishing, 2012

Letter to Violet Bonham Carter
Winston Churchill, 1906

Hardwiring Happiness
Rick Hanson, Harmony, 2013

Self-compassion and physical health: Exploring the roles of perceived stress and health-promoting behaviours
Kristin J Homan and Fuschia M Sirois (2017)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5779931/

37. DISCOVERING INSPIRATION
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Man’s Search For Weakness
Viktor Frankl
Verlag für Jugend und Volk (Austria), 1946, Beacon Press (English), 1959 (United States)

Bibliotherapy for mental health service users Part 1: a systematic review
Deborah Fanner & Christine Urquhart
2008, pp.237–252
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1471-1842.2008.00821.x

 

Section Four: Hitting the Higher Notes

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41. FINDING YOUR PURPOSE
To Belong Is to Matter: Sense of Belonging Enhances Meaning in Life
Nathaniel M. Lambert, Tyler F. Stillman, Joshua A. Hicks,
First Published August 15, 2013 Sage Journals
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0146167213499186

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Suicide rising across the U.S. 2018.
https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/suicide/index.html

42. MANAGING TIME
Making choices impairs subsequent self-control: A limited-resource account of decision making, self-regulation, and active initiative
Vohs, Kathleen D., Baumeister, Roy F., Schmeichel, Brandon J., Twenge, Jean M., Nelson, Noelle M., Tice, Dianne M.
Motivation Science, Vol 1(S), Aug 2014, 19-42
http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-30721-003

45. ESCAPING YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Carol S. Dweck, Random House, 2006

47. FINDING YOUR TEAM
Heaven and Hell: The Parable of the Long Spoons– author unknown.

48. FLEXIBLE THINKING
In an Absolute State: Elevated Use of Absolutist Words Is a Marker Specific to Anxiety, Depression, and Suicidal Ideation
Mohammed Al-Mosaiwi, Tom Johnstone (2018)
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2167702617747074

The Menopause Guideline
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, NICE 2015; 1.3.3
https://thebms.org.uk/publications/factsheets/cognitive-behaviour-therapy-cbt-menopausal-symptoms/

49. HAVING ASSERTIVE CONVERSATIONS
No Worries: How To Calm An Anxious Mind
Dr Ashley Conway, Short Books, 2017
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life
Marshall B. Rosenburg, Puddle Dancer, Second Edition, 2005
Dealing with Resistance in Initial Intake and Inquiry Calls to Mediation: The Power of ‘Willing’
Rein Sikveland, Elizabeth Stokoe
First published: 10 February 2016
https://doi.org/10.1002/crq.21157

50. AFFIRMING YOURSELF
Compassion at the mirror: Exposure to a mirror increases the efficacy of a self-compassion manipulation in enhancing soothing positive affect and heart rate variability
Nicola Petrocchi, Cristina Ottaviani & Alessandro Couyoumdjian
The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2016, 12:6, 525-536, DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2016.1209544
http://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Petrocchi2016.pdf

 
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Additional References

APPRECIATION PAUSES
The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity
Neuroimage. 2016 Mar;128:1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.12.040. Epub 2015 Dec 30.  Kini P, Wong J, McInnis S, Gabana N, Brown JW.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26746580#

How I like to think about our brains
The triune brain in evolution: Role in paleocerebral functions
MacLean, P.D.
Springer Science & Business Media, 1990
https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=4PmLFmNdHL0C&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=The+Triune+Brain+in+Evolution+1990+reference&ots=y9hfIqYP38&sig=dUMM92jnTeFFGoaSsPioXMFAzmI#v=onepage&q=The%20Triune%20Brain%20in%20Evolution%201990%20reference&f=false

The Reptilian Brain
Naumann, R. K., Ondracek, J. M., Reiter, S., Shein-Idelson, M., Tosches, M. A., Yamawaki, T. M., & Laurent, G.
Current Biology, 2015, 25(8), R317–R321.
http://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.049

Cognition, Brain, and Consciousness
Bernard J. Baars, Nicole M. Gage
Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience, 2010, Pages 420–442 Chapter 13 – Emotion
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-375070-9.00013-9

 

Select Bibliography 

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The Inflamed Mind: A Radical New Approach To Depression, Edward Bullmore, Short Books, 2018

Silence In The Age Of Noise, Erling Kagge, Viking, 2017

Self-care For The Real World, Nadia Narain & Katia Narain Phillips, Hutchinson, 2017

Beyond Happiness: The Trap Of ‘Happiness’ And How To Find Deeper Meaning And Joy, Anthony Seldon, Yellow Kite, 2015

50 Ways To Feel Happy, Vanessa King with Val Payne & Peter Harper, QED Publishing, 2018

Is Your Job Making You Ill?, Dr Ellie Cannon, Piatkus, 2018-05-23

Becoming Myself: A Psychiatrist’s Memoir, Irvin D.Yalom, Piatkus, 2017

The Self-care Revolution: Smart Habits & Simple Practices To Allow You To Flourish, Suzy Reading, Aster, 2017

Be More Tree: A Journey Of Wisdom, Symbols, Healing, And Renewal, Alice Peck, CICO, 2016

ThriveHealth, Happiness, Success, Rob Kelly, Rob Kelly Publishing, 2015

How To Be Human: The Manual, Ruby Wax, Penguin Books Ltd, 2018

The Power Of Positive Thinking, Norman Vincent Peale, Cedar, 1953

Swirl: Overcoming Overthinking, Andy Walton & Gina Yu2018

The Little Book Of Hygge: The Danish Way To Live Well, Meik Wiking, Penguin Life, 2016

The Nordic Guide To Living Ten Years Longer: 10 Easy Tips To Live A Healthier, Happier Life, Dr Bertil Marklund, Piatkus, 2017

The Shed Method: Making Better Choices When It Matters, Sara Milne Rowe, Michael Joseph, 2018

The Self-care Project: How To Let Go Of Frazzle And Make Time For You, Jayne Hardy, Orion Spring, 2017

The Little Book Of Lykke: The Danish Search For The World’s Happiest People, Meik Wiking, Penguin Life, 2017

The Compassionate Mind Workbook: A Step-by-Step Guide To Developing Your Compassionate Self, Chris Irons & Elaine Beaumont, Robinson, 2017

The Gift Of Silence: Finding Peace In A World Full Of Noise, Kankyo Tannier, Yellow Kite, 2018

Do/Breathe: Calm Your Mind. Find Focus. Get Things Done, Michael Townsend Williams, The Do Book Company, 2015

Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul, Christopher Vaughan and Stuart Brown, Avery, 2009