TRUST YOUR INTUITION

In this motivational guide, Sylvester (The Land of Blue, 2017) offers advice on coping with anxiety and depression.

For those who are anxious or depressed, life can be a daily struggle, and the management strategies that work for some people don’t always work for others. Here, mental health counselor Sylvester provides 100 different approaches to banishing anxious and depressive thoughts in a single volume, providing numerous options for those who have yet to find methods that work for them. She suggests that those who feel mentally “stuck” should physically “get up and move. Literally, stand up and move out of the space.” One can experiment with dressing differently, she says, in order to show a more confident vision of oneself to the world—and to oneself. A harmless, leisurely “escape” can also help, she asserts, such as an addictive TV show, a hot shower, or an immersive hobby. No matter what method one chooses, she writes, the key is to be proactive: “The only way out of those difficult feelings,” writes Sylvester in her introduction, “is to make the choice to move through those feelings—to learn more about yourself in the process, coming to understand that when you do the work, you become better able to serve.” Sylvester describes herself as a “licensed mental health counselor with a holistic and alternative bent,” and this bent comes through in a number of suggestions. No. 62, for example, is “Get to Know Your Guides,” and these guides are spiritual in nature: “If you’re curious, start asking who guides you. What do they look like? What’s their name? Is your guide an ancestor or an even higher form of being?” This may strike some readers as a bit “out there,” as the author herself notes, but the inclusion of such unorthodox tips alongside more standard psychological fare feels appropriate. After all, Sylvester isn’t offering a one-size-fits-all hat, but rather 100 hats for 100 differently sized readers. Those in need of fresh ideas to tackle their anxiety or depression will likely find at least one or two helpful ideas here, which may be all they need.

A comprehensive list of easy-to-implement mental health tips.