Bedford Hospital: Bevan Library

Authoritative, beautifully written and much-loved by its readers, Mindfulness: A practical guide to finding peace in a frantic world has become a word-of-mouth bestseller and global phenomenon. It reveals a set of simple yet powerful practices that you can incorporate into daily life to break the cycle of anxiety, stress unhappiness and exhaustion. It promotes the kind of happiness that gets into your bones and allows you to meet the worst that life throws at you with new courage.

Mindfulness is based on mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). Co-developed by Professor Mark Williams of Oxford University, MBCT is recommended by the UK's National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and is as effective as drugs for preventing depression. But, equally, it works for the rest of us who aren't depressed but who are struggling to keep up with the relentless demands of the modern world.

By investing just a few minutes each day, this classic guide to mindfulness will put you back in control of your life once again.

If you have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), you might have an irrational fear of being contaminated by germs, or obsessively double-check things. You may even feel like a prisoner, trapped with your intrusive thoughts. Despite the fact that OCD can have a devastating impact on a person's life, getting real help can be a challenge. If you have tried medications without success, it might be time to explore further treatment options. You should know that mindfulness-based approaches have been proven-effective in treating OCD and anxiety disorders. They involve developing an awareness and acceptance of the unwanted thoughts, feelings, and urges that are at the heart of OCD. Combining mindfulness practices with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD offers practical and accessible tools for managing the unwanted thoughts and compulsive urges that are associated with OCD. With this workbook, you will develop present-moment awareness, learn to challenge your own distorted thinking, and stop treating thoughts as threats and feelings as facts.

An Invitation to the Practice of Mindfulness We may long for wholeness, suggests Jon Kabat-Zinn, but the truth is that it is already here and already ours. The practice of mindfulness holds the possibility of not just a fleeting sense of contentment, but a true embracing of a deeper unity that envelops and permeates our lives. With Mindfulness for Beginners you are invited to learn how to transform your relationship to the way you think, feel, love, work, and play--and thereby awaken to and embody more completely who you really are. Here, the teacher, scientist, and clinician who first demonstrated the benefits of mindfulness within mainstream Western medicine offers a book that you can use in three unique ways: as a collection of reflections and practices to be opened and explored at random; as an illuminating and engaging start-to-finish read; or as an unfolding "lesson-a-day" primer on mindfulness practice. Beginning and long-time meditators alike will discover in these pages a valuable distillation of the key attitudes and essential practices that Jon Kabat-Zinn has found most useful with his students, including: * Why heartfulness is synonymous with true mindfulness * The value of coming back to our bodies and to our senses over and over again * How our thoughts "self-liberate" when touched by awareness * Moving beyond our "story" into direct experience * Stabilizing our attention and presence amidst daily activities * Three fundamental mental factors that cause suffering * How mindfulness heals, even after the fact *Reclaiming our wholeness, and more The prescription for living a more mindful life seems simple enough: return your awareness again and again to whatever is going on. But if you've tried it, you know that here is where all the questions and challenges really begin. Mindfulness for Beginners provides welcome answers, insights, and instruction to help us make that shift, moment by moment, into a more spacious, clear, reliable, and loving connection with ourselves and the world. Includes digital access to five guided mindfulness meditations by Jon Kabat-Zinn, selected from the audio program that inspired this book. 

In 2016, Isabel Hardman's mind, in her own words, 'stopped working' as she fell prey to severe depression and anxiety. She took time off on long-term sick leave and despite several relapses has returned to work with a much improved ability to cope. She has since become one of the UK's most prominent public voices on mental health.

She credits her better health to her passion for exercise, nature and the great outdoors - from horse-riding and botany to cold-water swimming and running. In The Natural Health Service, she draws on her own personal experience, interviews with mental illness sufferers and psychologists, and the latest research to examine what role wildlife and exercise can play in helping anyone cope with mental illness. Straight-talking, thoroughly-researched, and compassionate, this important and often funny book will fascinate anyone touched by a mental health condition, whether themselves or through the experiences of a loved-one.

'Very useful guidance on the practical things you can do to live a fuller and more satisfying life. This book is a treasure-trove. Everyone should read it.' Professor Alan Carr, Head of Department of Psychology, University College Dublin Do you sometimes feel stuck or have the sense that life is passing you by? Would you like to feel happier and more fulfilled but not sure how to get there? In Say Yes to Life, psychologist and psychotherapist Dr Linda Finnegan and well-known broadcaster, author and motivation speaker Christy Kenneally look at ways you can release the power of your own potential to lead a happier and more fulfilling life. In their groundbreaking 'Pathways' system they show you how you can: Overcome obstacles to happiness such as worry, destructive anger, self-doubt and perfectionism Increase your self-esteem by talking back to negative self-talk Change the way you think and react in difficult situations Discover inner strength you never knew you possessed. Find your pathways to happiness. Say Yes to Life - Today. www.discoveringpathways.com

The GP and author of Intensive Care delivers another deeply humane and positive work focusing on recovery and convalescence and how a period of our lives most of us make no plans for can end up being one of the most richly transformative.

An uplifting account of hope and healing by the author of Adventures in Human Being.

When it comes to illness, sometimes the end is just the beginning. Recovery and convalescence are words that exist at the periphery of our lives - until we are forced to contend with what they really mean. Here, GP and writer Gavin Francis explores how - and why - we get better, revealing the many shapes recovery takes, its shifting history and the frequent failure of our modern lives to make adequate space for it.

Characterised by Francis's beautiful prose and his view of medicine as 'the alliance of science and kindness', Recovery is a book about a journey that most of us never intend to make. Along the way, he unfolds a story of hope, transformation, and the everyday miracle of healing.

Why do some relationships give us great joy and others become toxic?
What role do we play in our relationships?
Are our relationship skills weakening in the age of social media?
From the moment we are born we rely on others for our survival. But as we get older, we can sometimes find relationships upsetting and frustrating. In this insightful, warmly written book, psychotherapist and Psychologies agony aunt Lucy Beresford cuts to the chase of how to have harmonious, fulfilling relationships.

Whether it's with our partner, our kids, our boss or our mother-in-law, or perhaps most importantly ourselves, all our relationships require - at some stage in our lives - a little bit of tender loving care. A helpful toolkit in dealing with everyday dilemmas, Happy Relationships at Home, Work & Play will boost your confidence, encourage insight and empower you to be the best you can be in all your relationships.

Use mindfulness to relax and control anxiety, depression, stressand pain Whether you're looking to control your depression and anxietylevels, improve concentration and reduce stress, or just want torestore balance in your life, Mindfulness For Dummies,2nd Edition shows you how to slow down, become awareof what is going on around you and react effectively. Focusing onbreathing and other self-control techniques, the practice ofmindfulness is scientifically proven to calm jittery nerves andfree the mind of distracting thoughts, mental clutter andunrealistic expectations. With this easy-to-follow guide, you'll discover how to payattention to the present in order to change the way you think, feeland act. Covering the latest research on the effect of mindfulnesson the brain, Mindfulness For Dummies, 2ndEdition shows you how to break free from a downward spiral ofnegative thought and action, and empowers you to make positivechoices that support your well-being. Use mindfulness to reduce stress and anxiety, combat pain andmore Receive guidance on incorporating mindfulness into everydaylife Establish your own mindfulness routine Access audio downloads of guided meditations Written by a professional mindfulness trainer, and packed withtips to incorporate this practice into your daily life,Mindfulness For Dummies, 2nd Edition shows youhow to reap the benefits of a more attentive life.

Five hundred years ago no one died of stress: we invented this concept and now we let it rule us.

In A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled, Ruby Wax shows us how to de-frazzle for good by making simple changes that give us time to breathe, reflect and live in the moment. It's an easy-to-understand introduction to mindfulness, weaved together with Ruby's trademark wit and humour.

Let Ruby be your guide to a healthier, happier you. You've nothing to lose but your stress...

With this promise, internationally esteemed psychologist Martin Seligman begins Flourish, the first book to present his dynamic new concept of what well-being really is. Traditionally, the goal of psychology has been to relieve human suffering, but the goal of the Positive Psychology movement, which Dr Seligman has led for 15 years, is different - it's about actually raising the bar for the human condition. Flourish builds on Dr Seligman's game-changing work on optimism, motivation and character to show how to get the most out of life.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or CBT is widely recommended nowadays in the NHS for the treatment of emotional and psychological problems, such as depression, low self-esteem, low mood, chronic anxiety, stress or out-of-control anger.
This thorough yet easy-to-read general self-help guide is a must-have for anyone experiencing these common problems. Based on the popular and proven therapy CBT, it is written by two of the UK's leading experts in the field of CBT.
It contains:
Case studies and step-by-step CBT-based exercises.
Based on the very latest research into CBT.
Addresses problems associated with depression, anxiety, stress, anger and low self-esteem in
individual chapters.
Both for those suffering from these issues and clinicians.

Do you want to believe in yourself and your ability to be content with who you are? If the answer is yes, then A Manual for Being Human is the book you need to read.
Do you want to understand how your childhood affects who you are today? How it affects your relationship with yourself and others? How school, bullying, gender expectations and even the social media you consume each day affects your emotional wellbeing? Do you want to know what your emotions actually are, where they come from and how to manage them when they threaten to overwhelm you?
In this practical and insightful guide, Dr Soph will help you to understand why we all feel anxious, stressed, insecure and down from time to time. Her three-step methodology, developed through years of experience supporting people to make genuine change in their lives, will help you to identify problems arising from past experiences and current life events, look at the patterns, bad habits and negative cycles that may be keeping you stuck, and then draws on established, proven therapeutic techniques such as mindfulness, journaling, self-compassion, grounding and breathing and relaxation techniques to provide a toolkit of go--to techniques to use any time.
Reassuring, knowledgeable and kind, Dr Soph offers support to those feeling lost at sea in today’s troubling times and gives you the tools you need to help get the most out of life.

Life can be demanding enough without us causing ourselves greater upset because we "don't feel happy". Instead, let's welcome all our feelings of distress, all our thoughts and beliefs about life's challenges, and focus on transforming these in a way that is helpful for us.' In this remarkable book Dr Claire Hayes demonstrates how each of us can use cognitive behavioural principles to help us cope. In a very clear, practical way she shows us how to make sense of our distressing feelings, to become aware of our unhelpful thoughts and our core beliefs, and most of all, to focus on what we can actually do to improve things for ourselves. Rather than trying to suppress or ignore our feelings of distress, she invites us to welcome them as messengers asking us to do something helpful to improve things. Using her unique techniques such as the 'Coping Triangle' and 'Coping Sentences', Dr Hayes shows us how to proactively manage life's challenges, such as pressure, rejection, loss, failure, success and change. A number of case studies illustrate the success of Dr Hayes's approach, while practical exercises and advice make it accessible to all readers. This book is for anyone who has suffered from stress, anxiety or depression, or for their friends and family. 'A standout volume that will prove a timely resource for those navigating the pressures of daily living in a society that is in danger of burning out.' Dr Declan Lyons, Consultant Psychiatrist in St Patrick's Hospital

'A realistic approach to positive thinking' Sunday Times Do you want to be better at pursuing goals, grasping opportunities and facing set-backs? Do you want to FLOURISH? Psychologist Maureen Gaffney believes that in an increasingly uncertain world it is not only possible for us to flourish but essential that we take steps to do so. In Flourishing she shows you how to- - Achieve a deeper sense of well-being, meaning and purpose - Use adversity as a positive turning point - Train your mind to pay attention - Master your motions and focus on your goals This gripping, stimulating and inspiring book will help you change your life for the better. Get ready to flourish!

The world is messing with our minds. What if there was something we could do about it?

Looking at sleep, news, social media, addiction, work and play, Matt Haig invites us to feel calmer, happier and to question the habits of the digital age. This book might even change the way you spend your precious time on earth.