Details from Audible:
Open When
A Companion for Life’s Twists & Turns
By
Narrated by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Clinical psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Julie Smith (@drjulie) returns with this highly anticipated handbook full of “break in case of emergency” advice for dealing with mental health challenges in the moment they occur.
In this essential guide, Dr. Julie teaches her millions of readers and clients how to navigate life’s toughest occurrences while they’re happening, rather than moments or years after the fact. What if we can learn to harness our emotions and stay present so we can process and choose how to respond to a situation?
Picking up where Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? leaves off, Dr. Julie shares the research-backed concepts and powerful skills we can use to weather our most vulnerable moments. Learn how to move through any situation with grace, including:
- When it’s hard to be with yourself: facing vulnerability alone, dealing with your inner critic, and handling imposter syndrome.
- When it’s hard to be with other people: dealing with betrayal and knowing what to do when you (or your parents) got it wrong.
- When it’s hard to be with your feelings: coping with loneliness, fear, and hopelessness
- When you’re healing from the past: getting out of a trauma response and learning how to stop ruminating about old events.
- When you’re looking to the future: preventing making the same mistakes, tackling uncertainty, and finding your path.
Open When teaches each of us to find and listen to the positive voice within when we need it most, and to care for our future selves and our mental health.
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.©2024 Julie Smith (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers
Initial Thoughts:
I listened to Dr. Julie Smith’s first book “Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?” and thought it was excellent, so there was never any doubt that I would listen to the second one. I have become a believer in mental health, it is a journey that everyone should take and can only help, if you believe in it and give it a chance. Plus I love non-fiction books that are read by the author, it is almost exclusively what I listen to know for years.
Main Points:
Dr. Smith has a lovely speaking voice and does a great job reading this book. Every chapter is full of practical tips and advice and I love how she has key takeaways from each one. The Chapters deal with issues that everyone can related to like “When you Want to Win the Argument” or “When you’re dealing with passive-aggressive people”. She brings up situations that everyone deals with at one time or another liked “When you must perform under pressure” and “When you are overwhelmed” or of course when the worst happens, “When grief overwhelms you.” It’s the kind of book I can see picking up when you really need it and going right to the chapter that fits.
She also has a wonderful PDF which accompanies some of the chapters and give you great things to do like breathing exercises and relaxation techniques, which really work I’ve done both of them during the pandemic and found them to be a big help. None of the chapters are too long and by the end of the book I found myself wishing it went on longer, I really hope she continues to write.
Final Thoughts:
I loved this book and I think Julie Smith is an excellent psychologist and a great writer. While I’m sure there are men who are excellent psychologists, for me I think I will always find a woman more nurturing and their voices more soothing, so it would always be my choice. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to be a better person/is having trouble in life. We are all just a work in progress and I found this book helpful on my journey to being a better version of myself. I think these topics are a little too mature for children, so I would say ages 16+, though I think an adult would benefit from this more. A very solid 8.5 out of 10 from me.