gwenswoons's review against another edition

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hopeful informative inspiring relaxing fast-paced

5.0

I loved this book so much. It’s way outside my usual reading palette, and I’m so grateful Storygraph’s 2024 Genre Challenge helped nudge me to read it! A non-fiction book about psychology?!? Would never have found my way to this on my own, and I already feel the huge impact it will have in my life. I was struck again and again by the author’s ability to both do necessary reframing for us - like separating care tasks from moral successes/failings, as they’ve been societally framed for us - and to simultaneously reassure us, letting us know that changing these patterns in our brains will take time, and giving us inspiring achievable ideas to begin that work. I also deeply appreciated Davis’s acknowledgment of different needs and circumstances - so many conversations about self care and self help ignore forms of oppression and challenge, like systemic racism, financial inequity, neurodiversity, and mental health struggles: factors that can quite literally change and affect people’s abilities to do the same tasks others find easy and accessible. This book explores these things honestly and gently, and as someone who’s had serious struggles with anxiety and depression I felt seen and reflected in this book in a way I haven’t in many modern takes on related topics (whether in books or on social media, journalism, etc.). I’m short, I can’t recommend this book highly enough - truly helped me and I hope it might do the same for you. 💜

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bmpicc's review

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challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

I joke all the time about being a terrible "housekeeper", but this book... I feel SO validated right now! We are not all hardwired to be Marie Kondo. While I am not currently drowning, I am a human, a partner, & a mom who spent a year celebrating emotional milestones. They left me wondering at times if I was doing enough, keeping up, or simply existing. This was a wonderful reminder that we need to be gentle with ourselves and that is OK.

"You do not exist to serve your space, your space exists to serve you."

This publication notes in the intro that it is designed for neurodivergant readers too. I love the option to read this in the way that best suits you.

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erebus53's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.75

When I picked up this book I was clueless as to how deeply it would affect me. I also didn't know that I was the target audience.. it was just this month's non-fiction read for Book Club.

This is a book that is designed as a first line of support for people who have challenges with executive function, be that due to Neurodivergence, brain injury, chronic pain, trauma, chronic illness, anxiety or anything that causes challenges with motivation, organisation and time management, priorities, or attention span.

The author is a therapist, but also late diagnosed ADHD and a mother.. and some of her confessions about ways she copes with not being able to _even_ are just utterly relatable. It's so important to feel seen, and understood. Among friends I have shared this book with they agree that this book is one of the few self-help books they have ever read that makes them feel like they are understood, and that they aren't alone in their struggles.

-edit to add- There is a section that is part of the self care strategies that focuses specifically on care of Black hair. I admire the author for handing off this section to her co-author (and co-narrator) Dr Raquel Martin, who is a Black American psychologist with personal experience.

This book is real. It cuts to the base of problems with the whys backed up by sound scientific and neurological findings. It is full of life-hacks, and more importantly, paradigm shifts. Reframing how you feel and think about your problems can help you break free from cycles of guilt and self blame, and approach problems from angles that don't look conventional, but that work for you.

I already feel more confident with my housekeeping, and I only just read the book..which in turn is helping me with other areas of confidence and motivation in my life. It's true what she says about motivation begetting motivation.

I may need to buy 2 paperback copies (one for reference and one to lend), because I know so many people for whom this book may be a life changer. 

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