Below are a few other tips that may help participants get the most out of this book. Again, these tips are built into the workbook and will be covered as part of the study. However, we will list these below for your reference and preparation:
“Keep an open mind and open heart: you will learn a lot of new ideas. We recommend you keep an open mind, try what you learn and be open to allowing positive change into your life.
Be patient: this book is structured to achieve long lasting change and improvement in your life. The first few chapters are about building a solid foundation. Then the following chapters use that foundation to empower you and help in improving your wellbeing. So be patient. Early on you may start wondering ‘When will I start feeling better?’ And if that happens, remember that a foundation is being built. For some, change will take longer and for some it will be quicker. Both are okay, as everyone's journey is different. So be kind and patient with yourself as you journey towards improved mental wellbeing.
Be curious: a good attitude to have when reading this book is curiosity, a wish to understand yourself and others. It is important that you do not blindly accept any ideas that are shared with you. Instead, aim to really understand these ideas for yourself and put them to the test.
Don’t Skip Ahead: Most of us have done it - picked up a book, were so excited to get to the section that was relevant to us that we flicked through the book and only read those specific sections, or only read sections that seemed interesting. This style of reading lends itself more readily to some books than others. And this book is certainly not one of them. For starters, the first few chapters of the book provide you with a foundation that you will need in order to understand or practice effectively what comes later in the book. By not having the proper foundation, you will simply not benefit from the later chapters as much as you would otherwise.
The second reason for this is that this book has been written based on a foundation of transdiagnostic psychology. Transdiagnostic psychology looks beyond our traditional complaints and diagnosis and instead looks at the common features that connects most mental health issues. In other words, regardless of what issues you are trying to tackle in order to improve your life, you will most likely benefit from learning what is in most other parts of this book. So if you do get tempted, flick through the book and read ahead, at least make sure you come back and read what you missed in a chronological order.
Only apply what you learn to yourself: everyone learns at a different pace. Regardless of whether your friends and family members have read this book or not, they may be at different stages of learning to you. Make sure you accept where they are, as we all learn at a different pace. So don't expect them to understand and apply all the new ideas that you have been learning and applying. It is okay to hold dialogues with others about what you learn. But allow them to learn at their own pace and to take away from this book whatever they are ready to take away.
Revisit this book from time to time: as you practice what you learn in the months and years to come, you might find that it helps to come back to this book and read parts of it again. This is in part because, with time and practice, you may be able to put into place more and more of the strategies and tips offered in this book. Another reason is that at times when a lot of new ideas are presented to you, you may not retain everything all at once. So re-reading what you have learned can refresh your memory.
Readers With Disabilities: Some disabilities may impact your practice of specific exercises in this book. If you find that your disability stops you from being able to practice an exercise, consider using creative strategies to help you practice the exercise in another way. For example, if you have significant hearing loss or deafness, you could replace any mindfulness of sound activities with mindfulness of your own breath, heartbeat or taste (e.g. the taste of a sultana or other food in your mouth).
When to Seek Further Help: There are times when it’s a good idea to seek extra help. This includes the following scenarios:
If you’re overwhelmed with depression, anxiety or struggling emotionally in other ways. Basically, if you feel that you’re not coping on your own. Particularly if you feel that you may put your own safety or the safety of others at risk.
f you find that strong emotional challenges, lack of motivation, agitation or restlessness are disrupting your ability to read this book or practise the exercises and strategies covered. A bit of extra help might help you get more out of this book at a later stage.
Expert help could include seeing a mental health trained medical doctor, a psychologist, or other mental health professional. An expert could help you in a variety of ways, such as one on one therapy sessions or, at times, with medications like antidepressants.
You may also like to speak to a trained therapist or counsellor if you feel the need to talk about your concerns in a safe and confidential environment. A therapist or counsellor would provide you with a suitable environment to speak and express what’s on your mind.”