A User's Guide to the Mind: Strategies for a better you

by Ian Hickie, James O'Loghlin

We’ve all heard advice for physical longevity – the steps we can take with our nutrition, exercise and lifestyle choices to maximise our number of years on earth. But what about our mental longevity? How do we fill those years with a better understanding of who we are and how our mind works? How do we achieve deeper happiness, better relationships and a life lived according to our values?

Drawing from the wide array of topics covered in their popular mental health podcast Minding Your Mind, psychiatrist Ian Hickie and broadcaster and author James O’Loghlin bring their signature compassion and curiosity, intelligence and humour, to this practical ‘user’s guide’ to our evolving mind and selves.

It takes an empowering, holistic approach to mental health, acknowledging that every season of life brings its own ups and downs, unique challenges and breakthroughs. Feelings of anxiety, stress, self-doubt, loss, longing and stagnation are inevitable, but those times are also opportunities to find out what works for us, so that we not only ‘get by’ but actually flourish.

Whether you’re looking for a wealth of practical tools to carry with you through the tough times, or want to develop an overall strategy for lasting mental wellbeing, A User’s Guide to the Mind meets you wherever you are along life’s journey.

Topics
- The search for identity, purpose, self-worth and belonging
- Identifying personal values and boundaries
- Navigating and nurturing our essential family, friends, partners and community
- The role of meaningful work and value-led goals
- Balancing desire and dreams with life’s increasingly complicated demands
- Embracing challenges and new opportunities
- Dealing with stress, conflict and burn-out, and finding your own unique path to peace and contentment
- The importance of novelty and moving on from old mental habits
- The enduring value of legacy and what it means to live a wise life.

Genres: Psychology

284 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2025

Reviews

[EmG ReadsDaily]

Accessible. Realistic. Encouraging.

[Farrells Bookshop]

From the hosts of the popular Minding Your Mind podcast, Ian Hickie & James O’Loghlin have come together to create a powerful mental health toolkit for anyone at any stage of life. With a holistic approach, A User’s Guide to the Mind brings together an all-in-one guide to not only help us navigate life’s challenges and bring about a deeper understanding of happiness, but shows us how to not just get by, but flourish!

Read by Tenniell

[Bec]

Felt accessible, appropriate and nonjudgmental in ways other self help books don’t. I would recommend to people who want to make some change or better understand themselves, but don’t know where to begin.

[Hannah]

Appreciate this books aim to touch on all areas of mental health, but this means it simplifies everything a bit too much.

[Kara Rowley]

Interesting