52 Small Changes for the Mind: Improve Memory * Minimize Stress * Increase Productivity * Boost Happiness

422 Pages·2015·3.83 MB·English

by  Blumenthal

TO ALEXANDER
My personal happy machine.
May your life bring you as much
happiness as you bring me.
CONTENTS
Introduction
Part I: The Program

How It Works
Part II: 52 Weeks of Habits
Week 1 Put Pen to Paper
Week 2 Let the Music Play
Week 3 Show Your Pearly Whites
Week 4 Be a Goal Setter
Week 5 Make Lists
Week 6 Be a Mono-Tasker
Week 7 Forget the Joneses
Week 8 Meditate
Week 9 Kick Indecision
Week 10 Sip Green Tea
Week 11 See the Best in Others
Week 12 Read for Pleasure
Week 13 Give Me a Break
Week 14 Silence Your Inner Critic
Week 15 Go Beyond Your Comfort Zone
Week 16 Get Moving
Week 17 Give Thanks
Week 18 Place Value on Doing
Week 19 Seek Silence
Week 20 Speak Up
Week 21 Put Time in a Box
Week 22 Eat Good Fats
Week 23 Open Your Mind
Week 24 Sleep
Week 25 Give Yourself a Time-Out
Week 26 Be a Lifelong Learner
Week 27 Minimize Screen Time
Week 28 Reward Yourself
Week 29 Say Yes to New Experiences
Week 30 Get a Rubdown
Week 31 Be Confident
Week 32 Cultivate Creativity
Week 33 Eat Brain-Boosting Fruits and Vegetables
Week 34 Go Alfresco
Week 35 Skip the Small Talk
Week 36 Send Out an S.O.S.
Week 37 Get Out of Town
Week 38 Take a Whiff
Week 39 Face Fears
Week 40 Practice De-Stressing Rituals
Week 41 Reach Out and Touch Someone
Week 42 Be Hands-On
Week 43 Be a Guru
Week 44 Streamline Your Space
Week 45 Build Close Relationships
Week 46 Schedule To-Dos
Week 47 Play
Week 48 Set Intentions
Week 49 Deal with Demons
Week 50 Train Your Brain
Week 51 Abolish Brain Killers
Week 52 Have a Generous Spirit
Part III: Tools and Resources
Notes
Acknowledgments
Index
About the Author
INTRODUCTION
SMALL CHANGES WORK. I know they do, because I’ve seen
the results among many of my readers and other individuals
who’ve abandoned the “change everything at once” approach for
one that is geared toward making small changes over time. It
makes sense: small changes are less overwhelming and more
realistic, and they give us a sense of accomplishment more
quickly. Regardless of the change a person wants to make, three
things remain true: any major change actually requires many
smaller changes; taking an all-or-nothing or extreme approach
doesn’t work; and small changes that we can manage and master
feed our desire to succeed.
In my first small changes book—52 Small Changes: One Year to a
Happier, Healthier You—I prescribe a small change each week for
52 weeks, so that by the end of the year readers are happier and
healthier. The approach is holistic and addresses four dimensions
of well-being: diet and nutrition, fitness and prevention, mental
well-being, and green living. As I conducted research for 52 Small
Changes it became all too clear that I could have easily prescribed
countless small changes within each of these categories.
When thinking through which topic of change I wanted to
address next, I personally found the category of mental well-
being (a.k.a. mental wellness or mental health) to be especially
compelling. For many, maintaining good mental health is a bit
elusive compared to maintaining good physical health.
Understanding diet and nutrition or maintaining an exercise