DR. CAROLINE LEAF is a globally acclaimed communication pathologist and clinical and research neuroscientist, celebrated for her groundbreaking work in harnessing the power of the mind to transform the brain and unlock sustainable happiness and health. A passionate advocate for mental and emotional well-being, she is the bestselling author of 19 transformative books which have been translated into over 24 languages. Her best-selling books include Switch On Your Brain, Think and Eat Yourself Smart, The Perfect You, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, and How to Help Your Child Clean Up Their Mental Mess. Her research and insights have touched millions through widely read journal articles, viral videos, her top-ranking podcast, and inspirational TV episodes. Dr. Leaf is a sought-after speaker, captivating audiences at prestigious academic, medical, and neuroscience conferences, as well as in churches and organizations across the globe. Her expertise has been featured in renowned media outlets such as Forbes, BBC, Mindbodygreen, CNN, Men’s Health, Vogue, Elle, TEDX and many others, solidifying her as a trusted voice in neuroscience, personal development, and mental health.

Help In a Hurry Book

Even though it’s uncomfortable and sometimes even distressing to us, it’s perfectly normal to feel lost, anxious, or overwhelmed at times. It’s okay to be a bit of a mess! But none of us wants to stay that way for long.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in crisis mode, the strategies in this book will help you cope in the moment, manage a chaotic mind, and start living each day with intention and inner peace.

With actionable, evidence-based strategies to handle our most common challenges in life, this practical guide from bestselling author and clinical neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Leaf offers the tools you need to prevent a descent into chaos and instead find peace and strength amid the turmoil of daily life.

Takeaways:

1. The way this book is set up is great. Dr. Leaf dedicates a separate chapter each to common issues a lot of us face and provides tools and information that will help process our responses to these circumstances. We covered one in our conversation – yes, one of the chapters really is titled “Help, I want to punch that person in the face.” Other chapters include “Help, I’m under pressure!”, “Help, my brain won’t shut up!”, “Help, I don’t understand what the heck is happening!”, and more.
2. One of the main things I like about the book is the empowering notion that our minds actually make up 99% of who we are. There’s so much out there about brain science – all of which is great. But, as we discussed, that can get a little overwhelming in terms of the science behind how the brain is built and how it functions. To hear Dr. Leaf describe how the mind controls the brain and that WE can manage our minds – that’s powerful and should make us all feel like we actually can control everything a lot more than we may have thought before. If we pursue mind management, our brains and even our bodies will end up in a good place.
3. I like how Dr. Leaf says we have 3 time periods in which we can manage our minds. We can prepare beforehand – practice before the situation arises, we can take charge of that 60 second short period before we respond immediately to the circumstances, and then we can do a deep dive for 63 days following our triggering event and transform it into a positive habit or memory. All of this is described as Mind Management.
4. One of the benefits of mind management is that when we choose to be intentional, self-reflective, and manage our own minds, as Dr. Leaf and I discussed, we can avoid following that that that has become all too common of falling into an identity that is based on the surface information and outside sources. If we simply allow the processes and tools of our own mind take over, we will no longer be interested in the quick-hit or “trendy” identity.
5. I also like how Dr. Leaf said that Winning with Class simply is Mind Management. As she said this, she confirmed that when we manage our minds, it allows us to be both strong AND nice as people. This balance is exactly what winning with class – and the pursuit of complete - is all about.
6. Finally, I like how Dr. Leaf referred to PEACE as FUEL. Ultimately, all of this – mind management, winning with class, pursuing complete…it’s all about achieving a level of PEACE. This peace is, as Dr. Leaf says, FUEL – fuel that will free us and allow us all to maximize our time and our talents and the resulting POSITIVE IMPACT that we will have on ourselves and all those surrounding us.

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