Switch Off: How to find calm in a noisy world

A modern-day guide to slowing down in a fast paced world.

Switch Off shows you how to take that sorely-needed time-out. We all know about the benefits of slowing down and disconnecting: reduced stress, higher satisfaction, better performance, higher productivity, tighter focus, reduced depression and innumerable other positive health effects. The big question is, “How?” When we’re all stuck in a cycle of demands and pressure it feels hard to prioritise slowing down. How do we step back and find the time to take care of ourselves? This book shows you how to let go of the guilt, turn off the phone and step away to re-energise and re-focus. Whether you need a true vacation or just an uninterrupted cup of tea, you’ll learn how to integrate the skills of slowing down into your life so you can do what you need, when you need it. Written by a health professional who has witnessed the impact of being constantly switched on both professionally and personally, this book gives you more than permission to disconnect – it gives you a real-world blueprint for taking the time that you need.

This book shows you why it’s so important to slow down, and how it actually is possible in what can be a pressured and overwhelming world.

• Choose how you use your time
• Stop feeling guilty for practising self-care
• Boost your energy and productivity levels
• Harness the power of perspective and focus
• Learn how to create an environment that supports your health and wellbeing

From the executive needing time to contemplate big decisions, to the teenager closing their bedroom door to be alone, we all need time to disconnect. Switch Off shows you how to do just that, with expert guidance with you the whole way.

Table of Contents

Part I: The burden of connection
Chapter 1: Work–life integration
Chapter 2: Constant connectivity
Chapter 3: Workplace overwhelm
Part II: When to switch off
Chapter 4: Understanding your behaviours
Chapter 5: Understanding your triggers
Chapter 6: Flicking the switch
Part III: Regaining control
Chapter 7: We can choose
Chapter 8: Phase 1: Disconnect
Chapter 9: Phase 2: Re-energise
Chapter 10: Phase 3: Refocus
Part IV: Designing your habitat for health
Chapter 11: Setting up for success
Chapter 12: Your picture and your people
Chapter 13: Your time
Chapter 14: To be at your best