Sometimes the medicine we need isn’t another action plan, strategy or solution model. It’s space. It’s sunlight. It’s a great gentle breeze and a rustling leaf. It’s silence. It’s remembering we’re part of something bigger than our inboxes, our roles and even our ambition.
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In a nutshell
In Shift Happens, Richard Sutton shares 12 simple, science backed tools from neuroscience, physiology, psychology and the lived experiences of extraordinary people that can change how you respond to stress, pressure, adversity and uncertainty. The 12 tools are:
- Breathing like it matters
- Controlling your focus, emotion and energy
- Using cold immersion to unlock your strength
- Recharging without sleeping
- Reducing anxiety and stress through music
- Supercharging your focus with a simple supplement
- Physical movement to help you think better
- Nature as therapy
- Resetting your brain with Omega-3
- Changing your story and outcomes
- Writing your future
- Reigniting your purpose through creativity
Book Club Notes
It’s important to state that I’ve been drinking the Richard Sutton coolaid since I read his first book, The Stress Code in 2019. Since then I’ve read each book he’s come out with – Stressproof, Thrive and what may just be my favorite one yet, Shift Happens. I’ve always enjoyed the way he combines storytelling with science and packages it into practical actions. Shift Happens, more than the others, is written with the reader in mind – breaking down each tool into a story and then action. I love the balance between tools that are so easy (and free) to act on and those that require a bit more of an investment – both financially and mentally. My goal this year is to try out each tool for 1 month and see what works for me and what doesn’t. Would I recommend this book? Yes, it’s practical, actionable and interesting. It’s one of those books you come back to again and again and don’t lend out.
5 Sentences That Changed my Thinking
Transformation always begins with a choice. If you choose it, you become it.
If you don’t decide what you want, life will decide for you.
Clarity fuels action
Action drives momentum
Momentum creates transformation
Staying static is the biggest risk of all
Exercise isn’t a checkbox. It’s a foundation. It’s what facilitates my potential. It’s what allows everything else to happen.
Read If
You want to manage stress better and are looking for actionable tips not theory.
Rating
Writing – 10/10
Applicability – 10/10
Timelessness – 10/10
Shareability – 10/10
The Nitty Gritty
Published by: Pan Macmillan
Genre: Non-Fiction, Health, Self Help
ISBN: 9781770109773
Pages: 221
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A note on our book ratings
Readability: How easy is it to read and understand what the author is saying? Do you need a dictionary or PhD to understand it?
Writing: How well written is the book? Do you find yourself wowed by the writing or unimpressed?
Applicability: How applicable is this book to daily life? Is there enough advice and actions that are easy to start applying?
Timelessness: Is the content of the book timeless or is it something that in a few years won’t have relevance?
Shareability: How likely are you to share the book?
