Who says it’s easy to constantly improve and re-invent yourself?
While we can work out at the gym for a better physical look, who would have thought you need to go the gym just as regularly, if not even more often, to improve our mental health.
The book, “The Mind Gym: Wake Your Mind Up” sells us the idea that our minds operate on autopilot.
A rather convincing theory, I must say. Just ask yourself… how many times do we find ourselves stuck in certain ways of thinking, despite the fact that this often doesn't help us get what we want.
And many a times, we don’t even realise this! In these days of high levels of stress in the workplace, we sometimes lose touch with ourselves and others.
This is where ‘The Mind Gym’ comes into play. It’s a wake up call for us to open our eyes and see what we’re really doing.
It’s about changing our mental habits. The book tells us that we can choose how we think, how we can all improve, and by making use of the various workouts, techniques and tips contained in “The Mind Gym”, readers will be able to achieve more in less time.
The book has been written in such a way that it is really reader-friendly. Like a book of short stories, you can pop in and out as you like.
There are five sections in this book: Taking Control, The Right Impression, Tough Conversations, Stress and Relaxation, and Creative Juices.
Each chapter can be explored in isolation so you can focus on depending on your immediate need.
For example, if you simply want some practical guidance on how to connect with people and build a rapport, just go straight to the relevant chapter.
The directions are simple and it’s packed with tips and techniques, not to mention its informal style of writing makes it both entertaining and easy to read.
But, if you think this is one of those books that you can grab on a lazy Sunday afternoon, reading in bed… then you’re wrong.
Remember, it’s The Mind Gym we’re talking about, so that means we need to workout.
There are many questionnaires and exercises (i.e homework) in the book that you need to finish.
These will give you a clearer understanding of where you are and what you need to do. So get your pen and paper, and get ready to let your brain juices flowing.
An added plus to the book would be its online added-value features, which I have not visited yet.
You’ll find little mouse icons in certain sections of the book, indicating that there is something at The Mind Gym Online that is directly relevant if you want to find out more.
But not to worry if you’re too lazy to do that, everything you read in the book makes complete sense without any further support.
Just one nugget which I really like, “To understand the ingredients for influencing, we have to understand that people make decisions for their reasons not ours… therefore, it’s essential that we understand what the other person’s reason might be and so use tactics that would work for them as opposed to tactics that would work on us if we were in their situation.”
Sounds simple, but how often do we practice this? So are you ready now to wake your mind up for a refreshing start?
Suzanne Jung, is a presenter with Prime Time Morning. | 
