The Easy Way to Mindfulness: Free your mind from worry and anxiety

by Allen Carr

Do you want to free yourself from worry and anxiety?Allen Carr's Easyway method has brilliantly transformed lives all over the world, setting out a wonderful practical pathway to help free millions from a whole variety of addictions.It strips away the illusions that leave us prey to negative thoughts and behaviours, showing us how to gain clarity and control if we focus on who we truly are rather than being distracted by those things that harm and trouble us. The key to peace of mind lies within.Mindfulness lies at the heart of Allen Carr's philosophy and this book shares the proven principles of mindfulness with a wider audience in simple accessible terms that apply to real life and provide a tangible, practical YOUR HAPPINESS.What people say about Allen Carr's Easyway "The Allen Carr program was nothing short of a miracle."Anjelica Huston"It was such a revelation that instantly I was freed from my addiction."Sir Anthony Hopkins"His skill is in removing the psychological dependence."The Sunday Times

Genres: Nonfiction, Personal Development, Self Help, Psychology, Health, Meditation

258 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2017

About the author

Allen Carr was a British author and the founder of the global Allen Carr’s Easyway method, renowned for helping millions overcome smoking and other addictions. Born in Putney, London in 1934, Carr began smoking at 18 during National Service and struggled with the habit for over three decades. A qualified accountant, he finally quit in 1983 following a revelatory visit to a hypnotherapist. The experience didn’t directly cause him to quit, but it led to two key insights: that smoking was simply a form of nicotine addiction, and that withdrawal symptoms were minor and psychological in nature. These revelations inspired Carr to develop a revolutionary approach to quitting, one that did not rely on willpower, scare tactics, or substitution therapies.
Carr’s philosophy centered on removing the smoker’s fear of giving up. He argued that smoking merely relieves withdrawal symptoms from the previous cigarette, and that the supposed satisfaction gained is merely a return to the non-smoker’s normal state. Through live seminars, books, and multimedia resources, the Easyway method encourages smokers to continue smoking while they reframe their beliefs, ultimately extinguishing their final cigarette with clarity and confidence.
In 1985, Carr published The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, which became a bestseller and was translated into more than 45 languages. The success of his London clinic led to the establishment of over 100 Easyway centers in 35 countries, offering seminars to treat smoking, alcohol dependency, sugar addiction, and even fear of flying. His method’s credibility was bolstered by independent clinical trials, including studies in Ireland and the UK which found it as effective—if not more so—than standard cessation methods. This led to its adoption by NHS-approved services in England.
A key element of the Easyway clinics is that all facilitators are former addicts who successfully quit using the method themselves. They must complete extensive training and become licensed members of the Association of Allen Carr Therapists International.
Throughout his career, Carr also co-authored a wide range of Easyway books addressing various addictions and behavioral issues, often collaborating with Robin Hayley and John C. Dicey, the current Chairman and Global CEO of Allen Carr’s Easyway. Dicey, whom Carr mentored, continues to lead the organization’s development and public outreach.
Carr died of lung cancer in 2006 at age 72, though he had not smoked for 23 years. He attributed his illness to second-hand smoke exposure during seminars. Before his death, he remained committed to his mission, challenging governmental ties to nicotine replacement industries and advocating for wider access to his method.
Carr’s legacy continues through his clinics, books, and online programs, which have reached over 50 million people worldwide. His message remains consistent: quitting is not a sacrifice—it’s liberation.

Reviews

[A Reader's Heaven · Rating 1 out of 5]

(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

Do you want to free yourself from worry and anxiety?
Allen Carr's Easyway method has brilliantly transformed lives all over the world, setting out a wonderful practical
pathway to help free millions from a whole variety of addictions.
It strips away the illusions that leave us prey to negative thoughts and behaviours, showing us how to gain clarity and control if we focus on who we truly are rather than being distracted by those things that harm and trouble us. The key to peace of mind lies within.
Mindfulness lies at the heart of Allen Carr's philosophy and this book shares the proven principles of mindfulness with a wider audience in simple accessible terms that apply to real life and provide a tangible, practical outcome: YOUR HAPPINESS.

This was a DNF.

I wanted to learn more about mindfulness - which is why I requested the book.

Basically, what I got was a 250 page advertorial for the Easyway Program. "Here are my products, go and buy them." That was so uncool on multiple levels, especially in a book that is supposed to help reduce stress and anxiety - and all it does is pressure the reader into trying out his programs.

It was shoddy, in poor taste and an embarrassment to authors and publishers.


Paul
ARH

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have a huge interest in mindfulness and meditation, having experienced some benefits already from both. However, I'm still a beginner so all help is useful!

Sadly, this book promised far more than it delivered. While there are snippets of good information - the chapter on going with the flow of change, directing it rather than stressing out fighting it, for instance - it's written with very poor flow, jumping around concepts and intent on cramming in as much advertising as possible for the EasyWay anti-smoking clinics and the previous books.

As a lifelong non-smoker, I guess I wasn't the target audience for this, either, given that most of the examples given come back to smoking and other addictions. Overall, disappointing.

My full review is on my blog, as ever!

[Justkeepreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a world full of smart phones, computer games, iPods, kindles and technology at our fingertips. It is easy to get caught up with the virtual world and forget to be at one and take notice of the things around you.

With babies on iPads ect before they can even speak and generations who would rather talk via txt messsge then face to face. Is the real world just passing us by? Are we spending enough quality time with the people we love? Or is technology stripping this all away from us?

Well for anyone concerned that they do spend too much time on technology and feel like they would like to become more socially away. There is a fabulous way of being. That is by being mindful, and this book will get you started on the road to mindfulness.

Mindfulness is when we actually experience the events and people around us. It makes you aware of sounds, sights, hearing, taste and well just basically everything in the real world.

Allen Carr (this is the writer man and not the funny comedian on channel four. Who presents Allen Carr Chatty man. You know the small man with glasses. Incase anyone was wondering 😊) has written many, many books on how to quit things. Alcohol, smoking and now technology. By doing things the easy way and by telling yourself you simply do not need it.

Granted. It isn't that simple with technology. I mean the world has drastically moved on from when the only phones your had were landlines and the only Mail you would get is snail mail.

Now I'm not here to tell you that you simply do not need technology in your life. Because you do. To a certain degree. Ie emergencies ect.

But what I am saying is that things like Facebook, Instagram and twitter should not be running and ruining our lives! I know touchy subject right? But when you think about how much damage these apps cause and how detrimental they are to people it all becomes very startlingly worring.

Now I'm not telling you all that you should come off these apps. Well I kinda am in a way. Because they are so dangerous. The amount of information that people can get from your Facebook page ect is really quite scary.

You know those harmless little quizzes you play?? Do you know how much they know about you from linking to your Facebook page? They gleam loads and loads and I for one am rather worried about all that. Something that I thought was harmless really really isn't. I can thank the film the circle for my raging comments above. (If you haven't seen this film. Then you really should. It is mind opening)

But in all seriousness if you want to be on these apps fair enough. But just imagine for an instance if you didn't have these apps. Imagine all the things that you could talk to each other about!

Let's for a wild moment imagine that Facebook, twitter and Instagram didn't exist.

Let's say you arrange to meet up with your best mates. Let's say those times that you kept saying you would meet up and then things came up and you didn't actually meet up. Went on for a few months. I know we have all been there. Remember there is no Facebook, Instagram, twitter, snapchat ect, ect in this new world. Imagine the plethora of things that you would have to say to each other. There would be no awkward silences. No one glancing at their phones, no one caught up with technology. It would just be you and your favourite people sitting down and having a conversation. Those pictures that they took. You would be able to see them for the first time right there and then and you would be able to talk about them in depth. You would simply have loads to talk about and I bet you anything that the frequency that you met up with those people would increase. Because you would be desperate to know what has been going on in their lives.

Let's imagine that you go out to dinner with your significant other, your family, your children, your friends ect. Imagine a scene where not a single person had any technology out. I know crazy right. Instead of your loved one being engrossed in social media. They were completly present and wanting to tell you all about their day and what they got up to and how they are doing ect. Can't you just imagine how great that would be?

Instead of making memories purely on your pefferred choice of technology. You could live in those moments and make memories that would last forever and that would mean so much more to you because you could remember them completly.

Well this book is a great first step in achieving said life. It shows you how you can free yourself from the pressures and stresses of modern life. It gives you hints and tips to stop you worrying and stressing. Teaching you how to clear your mind and it includes lots of breathing techniques and relaxation exercises.

Someone once said this to me:

Do you have problems?
Yes
Can you do anything about it?
No
Then why worry

Do you have problems?
Yes
Can you do anything about it?
Yes
Then why worry?

Do you have problems?
No
Then why worry?

I suffer from anxiety attacks and I stress a lot! and this little mantra helps to calm me down and makes me see things rationally.

I really believe mindfulness is a great way to help everybody and I also believe that spending a little less time on technology devices and living in the present. Can also help solve a lot of problems. Why not try it for a while? Why not just try it with something simple to start. Like not having technology devices at any table you eat at. See how you feel and what a difference it makes and progress from there. I know that you will glad that you did.

Happy reading everyone and remember live in the now in the real world and not the virtual world that you have created.

Have a magical day.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked a lot about this book, it does give information that is useful, and presents it in a non-spiritual way. It is easy to read and quite motivational.

However, it is a bit like an advertisement for his products. It reads sometimes like an infomercial: (and that’s not all! style). This book makes big promises about mindfulness and makes it sound so darn easy; however if it were that easy we wouldn’t refer to mindfulness and meditation as a practice. No shortcuts, no tricks or gimmicks, just a commitment to sit down everyday and practice. Then try to bring that calm and clarity into the rest of your day. That’s the simple, but far from easy, way to mindfulness.

Thank you to NetGalley and Arcturus for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.


You can find out more about the author and his work here: https://www.allencarr.com/canada/

[Dianna]

interesting

[Dan Lurie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written posthumously. Unimpressive.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This seems to be a book of two halfs. On the one hand it heavily goes on about smoking and the clinnics that Allen Carr runs and on the other it's about Mindfulness and how to become aware of your breathing, your thoughts and activities to do to overcome unwanted thoughts.

Through out the book there are helpful hints and tips and it also discusses our awareness of not just our bodies and how sometimes we forget to breathe or whether we actually notice how our bodies respond to stress, it also points out our reliance on technology and how whilst waiitng for a train, bus or to fill a void we are constantly checking social meida for updates instead of being aware of the noise, smells and views we seen around us or on our journeys.

We drive from a-b and not aware how we got there. We veiw others lives on social media as being fantastic when in reality we only show snippets. We are ocnstantly bombarded with adverts that make us believe our lives will be better with technology when years ago we lived quite happily without it and yet these days we are lead to believe that sitting still and doing nothing is a bad thing.

These days, as mentioned in the book, we are lead to believe reprogramming ourselves, changing our thoughts and perhaps just sitting still and doing nothing is a bad thing when in reality we need these times to rest and recover, so many pressures are put on us these days in our working life becuasse more and more technology is taking over and we are expected to do more with less time.

Although the book seemed focused on smoking and bad habits it does give a brief insight into mindfulness with some helpful hints and tips, some of which I will try and take forward and use.

[Erica · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is one of the few, maybe even the first, book I've read on mindfulness. I've been intrigued by the topic for quite a while but I've only done some light research on the Internet. When The Easy Way to Mindfulness became available on NetGalley I was very excited to give it a try, however, after finishing it I think I am more disappointed in this book despite it's few nuggets of wisdom and exercises it offers. I feel this way because the book was mostly aimed at heavy addictions. Despite this, there was some information that I can still use and implement in my life.

More than anything this book felt like an advertisement for Allen Carr and The Easyway to Stop Smoking. While how to quit smoking mindfully sounds like it may help some people with the mental part of their addiction, there is still a physical aspect to their addiction (nicotine, sugar, booze) that needs to be overcome. I think that needs to be acknowledged more in the book.

Also, even though I don't have an addiction I do consider Carr referring to addictions as "little crutches". I found it offensive and I don't even have a "little crutch". Methinks Carr should rethink how he speaks to people.

[Grace-Valerie Faubion · Rating 1 out of 5]

Note: Note: I am a fan of Allen Carr's original methodology, which uses not-so-subtle subliminal sewn-in language. For example, his book, The Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Join the Millions Who Have Become Non-Smokers Using Allen Carr's Easyway Method was a game-changer for me. I went from two packs a day to zero.

"The Easy Way to Mindfulness..." by Allen Carr is, without a doubt, the least impressive of his collection experienced so far. I abandoned this mindless dribble mid-way through chapter six. The expected formula for his past successful self-help books was utterly absent. It was a complete disappointment.

[Calum Mackenzie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well rarely have I read a book that’s (ironically) p’d me off and caused me this much stress! If you want a book about mindfulness only, then this isn’t the book for you. It’s self promotion of other books. It’s full of ridiculous statements like ‘sweets don’t taste good, it’s the sugar that tastes good’ - what???!

‘Alcohol doesn’t make you happy’ - long term maybe not but in the short term I’ve had many happy nights out p’d as a fart.

The book seems confused as to what it is - mindfulness/meditation techniques but with a real focus on promoting how to quit sugar/alcohol/smoking proselytising as the main ideas.

Thank god I got this from the library. What a pile of pish.

[Yana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whereas I agree with most people that the book extended a bit too much into the smoking/addictions topics (which probably wouldn’t have been problem if I hadn’t read the easy way to quit smoking and actually stopped smoking!) beforehand..
regardless the book has actual mindfulness practices that can be exercised and applied into day to day life. They are valuable. I’ve picked a book or two on the topic of mindfulness before and didn’t get the practical stuff. There is valuable information in the book.
On that topic - the book is not written by Allen carr. He has died in 2006. It’s explained in the book.

[Ga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was ok.
I am very interested in mindfulness and I really wanted to learn about Carr’s “Easy Way” techniques, as I know people who have stopped smoking using it, plus i thought it may help me in my life somehow.

I got a few snippets of ideas I could use with myself and my family, but not a lot of interesting stuff in this book for me to keep it on my shelf and use again.

Doesn’t really explain a lot about his methods, but points a lot towards his other books.

Many more, better books to learn about mindfulness than this.

[Brad · Rating 2 out of 5]

I finished this a while ago (need to get into a better habit of reviewing after I've done to remember better), but I felt this book was quite repetitive. It's just reiterating over and over again to just pay attention and see things as they really are. It had a few exercises like a full body scan and mindful eating that were good, but nothing ground breaking. Also, most of the references in the book are applied to quitting smoking, which is what Allen Carr is known for but not helpful to a non-smoker like myself.

[Flo · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy it. This author, who I've never heard of, came up with a way to quit smoking called The Easy Way. Throughout the book, it felt like I was reading one big commercial on The Easy Way method. He kept talking about addiction and how to overcome it. The title does not indicate that the book is about those who have addictions. Had I known, I wouldn't have bought the book. I wanted to learn about mindfulness not how to use mindfulness to overcome an addiction.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

An intro book on the topic, that spent too much space on explaining how and why The Easy Way is so effective to quit smoking. The actual interest content could be put in a couple of chapters. It was my first book on Mindfulness, maybe they all end up being repetitive because the actual tools and explanations behind mindfulness are short.

Pay attention to your senses and you are not your thoughts.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Allen Carr book. I had high hopes.

It seemed to start off expaining that the program(s) work. They've worked for a lot of people. They've worked well. There's a whole section where there's an explaination of the idea that it would help me and how.

Sir, you don't need to tell me it works. You don't have to convince me.

I gave it three stars, because there are probably good steps and tips buried in there.

[Colin Gilreath · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in depth look at how we get brainwashed into self-destructive behaviors/habits, and how we can use mindfulness to remove ourselves from those situations. Being present and understanding that there is no real derivation of pleasure from smoking, or other similar addictive behaviors. Our mind is simply trapped in limiting beliefs.

[. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Супер добра книга, писана от човек който е спасил вероятно животите на милиони хора, отказвайки ги от пушенето на тютюн включае и мен.

Супер добре казано, нямам никаква критика.

Много по-добро и функционално въвеждане в медитацията и цялостната концепция за метакогнишън - майнфулнес в сравнение с прехвалени книги като Wakingup на Сам Харис или други които са много по-ууу..

10/10

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never really had a handle on mindfulness - but it's intrigued me over time. I was pleased I read this book first. It was an easy read and a down to earth introduction to mindfulness techniques. I liked it a lot.

[Veronica Vargo · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be boring. But I read it because I wanted an easy way to be less fearful! Who wouldn’t? Learned that a lot of us are fearful but mindfulness helps because running away from feelings makes them worse.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Allen Carr's method that he attached to different problems have helped a lot of people for the better. Some of this was pretty insightful if you can separate the few ideas that seemed to incorporate Eastern Mysticism.

[Fraser Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Throughly enjoyed reading my this book and found it helpful. Not sure why there are so many bad reviews. It’s definitely not a literary work of art. But it is easy to read and very positive. Would recommend to anyone looking for a light read on mindfulness

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. I don't know a lot about mindfulness but have always been intrigued by it and this was really interesting. I liked it a lot.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some little nuggets and an easy read.....but would recommend Derren Brown's Happy more.....more detail giving a better understanding.

[Subjuntivo Subjuntivo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy way is great; this book... is kind of unnecessary, and it takes a lot from the good ones (smoking, alcohol, addictions, etc).

[Josh Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of this content clicked for me much better than the Headspace app I had been using.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I found it to be informative but it seemed to have a main focus on addictions, mostly smoking. 70% addictions and 30% mindfulness, this was disappointing.

[Geoffwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Big Pharma have made a fortune by inventing (or as they'd claim 'discovering') hundreds of 'mental health conditions' for which they can sell a lifetime's medication."

Jog on

[Sarah Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

👍

Glad I read this. Alot of great tips. Allan Carr's Easy Way is a winner. I recommend this book to get more out of life.

[Alyssa Greenberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this.