Self help advice book

Rewild Your Mind: Use nature as your guide to a happier, healthier life by Nick Goldsmith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rewild Your Mind is a non-fiction book written by former Royal Marine Commando Nick Goldsmith. He left the military after developing Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and turned to nature to help heal himself.

He now lives in Cornwall surrounded by woodland and he has created a Woodland Warrior Programme of therapeutic activities centred on the natural world which helps other armed forces members.

In this book Nick shares some of his knowledge so that others with mental health problems might benefit from being out in nature. Chapters in the book include the benefits of sitting around a camp fire enjoying conversations, foraging for food, making a wild cup of tea and both survival and responsible camping tips.

I like walking in the woods and already understand the benefits of being among trees and nature while putting away my phone. However, I’ve never camped or been one to want to go camping. Nick’s simple approaches and advice make it all more appealing. Certainly a wild cup of tea sounds very inviting.

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Book description:

Rewild Your Mind shows you how to connect with nature to be happier, healthier and more at peace with the world around you.

Packed with wilderness skills and traditional crafts – from fixing a hammock in the woods and foraging for hedgerow medicine to finding moments of ‘wild’ in the everyday – this unique book enables readers to boost their wellbeing through getting outside. It is an invitation to reset, recharge and ‘rewild’ yourself.

Weaved through the book is Nick Goldsmith’s personal story of using nature to aid his recovery from PTSD. After several tours serving as a Royal Marine Commando in Afghanistan, Nick was left in a dark and desperate place. He tried conventional therapies but found true solace amongst nature, and now enables others to do the same.

AmazonUK | AmazonUS

4 stars

Stand Out is a non-fiction self-help book. It asks us to consider what individual attributes might be needed in a future when the world becomes even more technologically advanced.

A robot or AI intelligence may be very efficient, but cannot replace the finer aspects of listening skills and empathy, at least not yet. Author Debra Stevens focuses mainly on the workplaces of the future with a five week programme to help the reader recognise the type of human they are and the strengths and weaknesses of their communication techniques.

I thought that the advice could also be used outside of the workplace, and I was interested in improving my own areas of weakness. The more time that we spend behind a keyboard, the less time we take to have human contact with others. I was able to adapt some of the exercises as I currently have a very small number of people that I interact with at work.

There are five short exercises to complete each week and the book is set out in easy-to-read chunks with a ‘fitness’ theme that runs through each of the masterclasses. I especially liked the book layout with diagrams, highlighted areas, quotes and top tips; it kept my interest, but also made it quick to read in smaller sessions.

I thought that the book made some very useful points and presented them in a way that lots of readers could understand and therefore might implement so that they can brush up on their communication methods.

We’re online and communicating all day, but with less and less impact.

We need to build on what makes us human. Skills such as listening, socialising and storytelling have been lost in the world of digital and are needed more than ever, both personally and professionally. These soft skills give you the advantage in a changing world, allowing you freedom, flexibility and the ability to collaborate with others.

Stand Out will get you ahead of the curve and give you the tools you need to rediscover your human skills so you can pursue your passions, achieve your goals and thrive in your career.

AmazonUK (Due out 2nd March 2022)