The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living - Softcover

Harris, Dr Russ

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1459609832 ISBN 13: 9781459609839

Publisher: ReadHowYouWant, 2012

Synopsis

Popular myths about happiness are directly contributing to our epidemic of stress, anxiety and depression - and popular psychological remedies are making it even worse!In this easy-to-read, practical and empowering self-help book, Dr Russ Harris, M.D., reveals how millions of people are unwittingly caught in The Happiness Trap! He then provides an effective means to escape, through a revolutionary new paradigm in Western psychology.Mindfulness is a transformative mental state of awareness, openness and focus. Although mindfulness is worlds apart' from the methods of popular psychology, it is easy to learn, and will rapidly and effectively help you to reduce stress, handle painful feelings, let go of self-limiting beliefs, overcome fear, and generally increase life satisfaction.The concept of mindfulness has been around in the East for thousands of years but until recently, we in the West could only develop this ability if we embarked on a lifelong relationship with traditional Eastern practices, such as meditation, yoga, Tai-Chi, Zen, or the martial arts. However, thanks to a radical new approach that combines the best of Western and Eastern practice, coined Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, we can now learn these powerful life-changing techniques in a matter of minutes. ACT has been scientifically proven to treat everything from depression and stress to drug addiction and schizophrenia.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. Russ Harris is a physician, therapist, and speaker specializing in stress management. He travels nationally and internationally to train individuals and health professionals in the techniques of ACT. Born and educated in England, he now lives in Australia. For more information, visit actmindfully.com.au.

From Publishers Weekly

Physician Harris challenges some basic assumptions about the all-American tradition of the pursuit of happiness, drawing heavily on the acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) work of University of Nevada professor Steven Hayes, which argues that happiness is not a normal state of being; pain is inevitable and what matters is how it is dealt with. The ACT prescription is to be mindful of negative thoughts and emotions, reconnect with core values, act in accordance with values and with the psychological flexibility to adapt to any situation. ACT techniques include diffusion—decreasing the impact of self-defeating thoughts (without making them go away), turning off the struggle switch, practicing expansion to make room for self-observation and connecting with the present moment. While these concepts might sound like typical self-help fare, Harris makes key distinctions: ACT is not a form of meditation or a path to enlightenment—to reap the benefits, action is imperative. More of an ACT primer than anything else, there's enough interesting content here to keep the reader, um, happy. (June)
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Edition details

• Publisher: ReadHowYouWant
• Publication date: 2012
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1459609832
• ISBN 13: 9781459609839
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 456