The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary

Gray, Catherine

ISBN 10: 1783253371 / ISBN 13: 9781783253371

Edité par Aster, 2020

Cover may have light wear, pages in very good condition and binding is sturdy; may have other light shelf wear or creases. May have notes or highlighting. N° de réf. du vendeur EVV.1783253371.VG

Synopsis :

**From the Sunday Times Bestselling Author**

Life-affirming - THE TELEGRAPH

Wonderful - INDEPENDENT

She made it her mission to learn how to be default happy rather than default disgruntled - RADIO 4 - WOMAN'S HOUR

Take a leaf out of Gray's book and be kinder to yourself by appreciating life just as it is - IRISH TIMES

This book came to me in an hour of need - during lockdown when I had to focus on the positive, appreciate simple things, not lose my shit, and value each day. It was a pure joy for me and held my hand - SADIE FROST

Interesting and joyful. Lights a path that could help us to build resilience against society's urging to compare life milestones with peers - LANCET PSYCHIATRY

Underwhelmed by your ordinary existence? Disillusioned with your middlin' wage, average body, 'bijou' living situation and imperfect loved ones?
Welcome to the club. There are billions of us. The 'default disenchanted'.

But, it's not us being brats. Two deeply inconvenient psychological phenomenons conspire against our satisfaction. We have negatively-biased brains, which zoom like doom-drones in on what's wrong with our day, rather than what's right. (Back in the mists of time, this negative bias saved our skins, but now it just makes us anxious). Also, something called the 'hedonic treadmill' means we eternally quest for better, faster, more, like someone stuck on a dystopian, never-ending treadmill.
Thankfully, there are scientifically-proven ways in which we can train our brains to be more positive-seeking. And to take a rest from this tireless pursuit. Whew.
Catherine Gray knits together illuminating science and hilarious storytelling, unveiling captivating research showing that big bucks don't mean big happiness, extraordinary experiences have a 'comedown' and budget weddings predict a lower chance of divorce. She reminds us what an average body actually is, reveals that exercising for weight loss means we do less exercise, and explores the modern tendency to not just try to keep up with the Murphys, but keep up with the Mega-Murphies (see: the social media elite).
Come on in to this soulful and life-affirming read, to discover why an ordinary life may well be the most satisfying one of all.
PRAISE FOR CATHERINE GRAY'S WRITING:
"Uplifting and inspiring" The Evening Standard
"Not remotely preachy" The Times
"Jaunty, shrewd and convincing" The Telegraph
"Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying" The Guardian
"An empathetic, warm and hilarious tale from a hugely likeable human" The Lancet Psychiatry

À propos de l'auteur: Catherine Gray is an award-winning writer and author of five books, including Sunday Times Bestseller The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober. Her work has been published in the likes of Stylist, Marie Claire, The Lancet Psychiatry and The Guardian, and her books have been translated into nine languages. In 2017, Catherine founded charitable campaign Sober Spring, a three-month sabbatical from alcohol, and she runs it with Alcohol Change UK, for whom she is an ambassador. She's been sober since 2013. Catherine lives in Hove and when not writing she enjoys falling off a paddleboard, giving her plants names like 'Cassandra' and 'Miguel', and spamming Instagram with pictures of dogs.

Twitter.com/cathgraywrites
Instagram.com/unexpectedjoyof

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary
Éditeur : Aster
Date d'édition : 2020
Reliure : Couverture rigide
Etat : very_good