Book Summary: Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith is a hands-on manual for handling mental wellness issues, based on her years of work as a psychologist.

The purpose of the book is to assist individuals in comprehending and managing emotional challenges like anxiety, stress, and self-doubt. Smith employs understandable language and insights from therapy to simplify intricate psychological concepts, offering strategies to enhance emotional resilience and mental health.

In this book, Smith seeks to correct misunderstandings about mental health and urges readers to actively work on bettering their emotional well-being. She stresses the importance of viewing mental health as an ongoing effort to improve daily life, rather than just during emergencies.

By providing practical examples and simple methods, she enables readers to address their mental health struggles with assurance.

This book is particularly beneficial for individuals seeking to improve their emotional comprehension, handle everyday stressors, and acquire strategies for maintaining long-term mental well-being. It has an informal style, backed by scientific evidence, providing a balance of simplicity and complexity.

Dr. Smith aims to equip everyone with the education and resources required to manage their mental health, a service she believes should have been more readily available in the past.

Book Summary Contents

1 Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Book Details
2 Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Book Statistics
3 Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Quotes
4 Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Table Of Contents
5 Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Book Summary
6 About the Author: Julie Smith
7 Get Your Copy Of The Book: Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Book Details

Title	Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
Author	Julie Smith
Publisher	HarperOne
Publication Date	January 11, 2022
Language	English
Format	Hardcover
Pages	368
ISBN-10	0063227932
ISBN-13	978-0063227934

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Book Statistics

Title: Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
Author: Dr. Julie Smith
Publication Date: January 11, 2022

Ratings:

Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (11,150 ratings)
Goodreads Rating: 3.9 out of 5 stars (34,908 ratings)
Goodreads Awards: Goodreads Choice Award nominee

Audience:

Reading Age: 1 year and up

Genres:

Nonfiction
Self Help
Psychology
Mental Health
Audiobook
Personal Development
Health
Science
Philosophy
Education

Rankings:

Best Sellers Rank: #2,803 in Books
Category Ranks:
- #12 in Dysfunctional Families (Books)
- #37 in Self-Esteem (Books)
- #68 in Happiness Self-Help

Customer Reviews:

Amazon Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (11,150 ratings)

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Quotes

Confident is not the same as comfortable.
So don’t concentrate on sleep, concentrate on relaxation, rest and calm. Your brain will do the rest.
Grief is a normal part of human experience. It is a necessary process to go through when we experience the loss of someone or something that we loved, needed, felt connected to and that held meaning in our life.
We naturally look for evidence that confirms our beliefs. We then experience what we believe, even when there is evidence to suggest otherwise.
Thoughts are not facts. They are a mix of opinions, judgements, stories, memories, theories, interpretations, and predictions about the future.
The thing about the human brain is that, when you believe something, the brain will scan the environment for any signs that the belief is true.
When we focus on trying to fix the problem, it is easy to underestimate the power of simply being there.
When we feel anxious about something, the most natural human response is to avoid it. We know that if we stay away, we’ll feel safe, for now. But avoidance not only maintains anxiety, it makes it worse over time.
The more work we do on building self-awareness and resilience when all is well, the better able we are to face life’s challenges when they come our way.
Physically moving your body can help to shift your mind when it is otherwise very difficult.
Something that I have come to realize over the years of working as a psychologist is how much people struggle with low mood and never tell a soul.

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Table Of Contents

Introduction
On Dark Places
- Understanding low mood
- Mood pitfalls to watch out for
- Things that help
- How to turn bad days into better days
- How to get the basics right
On Motivation
- Understanding motivation
- How to nurture that motivation feeling
- How do you make yourself do something when you don’t feel like it?
- Big life changes. Where do I start?
On Emotional Pain
- Make it all go away!
- What to do with emotions
- How to harness the power of your words
- How to support someone
On Grief
- Understanding grief
- The stages of grief
- The tasks of mourning
- The pillars of strength
On Self-Doubt
- Dealing with criticism and disapproval
- The key to building confidence
- You are not your mistakes
- Being enough
On Fear
- Make anxiety disappear!
- Things we do that make anxiety worse
- How to calm anxiety right now
- What to do with anxious thoughts
- Fear of the inevitable
On Stress
- Is stress different from anxiety?
- Why reducing stress is not the only answer
- When good stress goes bad
- Making stress work for you
- Coping when it counts
On a Meaningful Life
- The problem with ‘I just want to be happy’
- Working out what matters
- How to create a life with meaning
- Relationships
- When to seek help

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith Book Summary

Chapter 1: Understanding Low Mood

Dr. Smith introduces the concept of low mood, explaining that everyone experiences it to varying degrees. She emphasizes that mood fluctuations are normal and not indicative of a permanent personality flaw. Smith encourages readers to understand the internal and external influences on mood, providing strategies to recognize early warning signs of low mood and practical tools to manage it.

Chapter 2: Mood Pitfalls to Watch Out For

Smith outlines common cognitive traps that worsen low mood, such as overgeneralization, mind-reading, and perfectionism. She explains how these thought patterns perpetuate negative emotions and offers ways to identify and avoid them. The chapter encourages readers to be mindful of their thinking habits and to challenge unhelpful thoughts.

Chapter 3: Things That Help

This chapter focuses on actionable strategies for improving mood. Smith stresses the importance of self-awareness and using evidence-based techniques, such as cognitive reframing and physical movement, to combat low mood. She provides practical exercises for developing resilience and emphasizes the need for daily practice in managing emotions.

Chapter 4: How to Turn Bad Days into Better Days

Here, Smith discusses decision-making when in a low mood. She advises making small, positive decisions, emphasizing progress over perfection. Smith highlights the importance of self-compassion and consistency, encouraging readers to focus on gradual, sustainable changes rather than dramatic shifts.

Chapter 5: How to Get the Basics Right

Smith talks about the “basics” of mental health, including sleep, exercise, nutrition, and social connections. These foundational elements are crucial to maintaining mental well-being and are often the first things neglected during tough times. Smith explains how strengthening these areas can significantly improve mood and resilience.

Chapter 6: Understanding Motivation

In this chapter, Smith explains the science behind motivation and why it often fluctuates. She provides strategies for nurturing motivation, especially during difficult periods, and offers advice on how to keep going even when motivation is low.

Chapter 7: How to Nurture that Motivation Feeling

Smith gives further insights into maintaining motivation. She suggests setting realistic goals, celebrating small wins, and practicing self-care as ways to keep motivation levels high.

Chapter 8: What to Do When You Don’t Feel Like It

This chapter is about pushing through resistance. Smith explains how to manage the gap between what we want to do and what we feel like doing, offering tips for overcoming procrastination and maintaining momentum in personal growth.

About the Author: Julie Smith

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Julie Smith — Author’s image source: youtube.com

Dr. Julie Smith is a clinical psychologist with over ten years of experience. She became widely recognized for her mental health education videos on TikTok, amassing millions of followers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Smith’s accessible, engaging approach to mental health has made her a popular figure in the self-help world.

She is also the BBC Radio 1 Life Hacks psychologist and has appeared on various media platforms like Good Morning Britain, CNN International, and BBC Breakfast. Smith’s mission is to make high-quality mental health education accessible to all, encouraging individuals to take control of their well-being.