How to Calm Your Mind: Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times

by Chris Bailey

From the author of Hyperfocus, a treasure trove of practical, science-backed strategies that reveal how the key to a less anxious life, and even greater productivity, is a calm state of mind

“After rebounding from his own burnout, Bailey devised a clear-eyed, concise method that marries science and self-help; he’s equally proficient in probing the roles of serotonin and endorphins while charting concrete steps in chapters titled ‘The Mindset of More’ and ‘Heights of Stimulation.’ Slow down, breathe, and submerge into these pages.” —Oprah Daily


A PENGUIN LIFE BOOK

It took an on-stage panic attack for productivity expert Chris Bailey to recognize how critical it is to invest in calm at the same time that we invest in becoming more productive. Productivity advice works—and we need it now more than ever—but it’s just as vital that we develop our capacity for calm. By finding calm and overcoming anxiety, we don’t just feel more comfortable in our own mind—we build a deeper, more expansive reservoir of energy to draw from throughout the day. The pursuit of calm ultimately leads us to become more engaged, focused, and deliberate—while making us more satisfied with our lives. And because calm saves us time by making us more productive, we don’t even need to feel guilty about the time we spend investing in it.

How to Calm Your Mind is our crucial guide to achieving calm, navigating anxiety, and staving off burnout. It explains how our digital world drains us, and what we can do to abate the hidden sources of stress that burden our days. Bailey has learned to embrace the analog world and “stimulation fasts,” to use the science of “savoring” to become more focused and present, and to relax without guilt—and he shows us how we can reclaim calm, too. In an anxious world, investing in calm might be the best productivity strategy around.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Productivity, Psychology, Audiobook, Mental Health, Personal Development

288 pages, Hardcover

Published December 27, 2022

About the author

Chris Bailey is a productivity expert, and the international bestselling author of The Productivity Project, which has been published in eleven languages. His much-anticipated second book, Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction, comes out in September. Chris writes about productivity at Alifeofproductivity.com, and speaks to organizations around the globe on how they can become more productive, without hating the process.

Reviews

[Mikala · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was researched and had good information, but at the same time, a lot of this was information I already knew.

I don't mind that these kinds of nonfiction books can be repetitive once you've read a few of them because usually, I will still find something helpful. However, I don't feel that this "common sense" info and tips given were really rephrased or reexamined in a different enough way that unlocked anything new for me.

He has written this book for people with "sub clinical anxiety"...well I have clinical anxiety and depression and don't think this differentiation was necessary to continue to make throughout the book as I felt like it alienated me as the reader like this was something I shouldn't be reading.

Tidbits I found helpful or interesting:
"Unrelenting chronic stress causes burnout."
"When the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, every solution looks like a nail."

Overall, I was not hugely impressed despite there being some interesting tidbits. But I appreciate this was a very easy quick read that did help to relax me while reading it.

[Amit · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s hard to read a rich, white, non-parent 30-something man complaining about his 1st world problems. I am not suggesting in any way that they are not valid or real! Quite the opposite. I’m just saying it’s hard to be lectured by him, for about 8 hours (on the Audiobook version); going on and on about tasting wine, buying expensive mechanical keyboards and other very costly and time consuming endeavors - for the sake of simply being productive and “”in the moment””.

I agree with the overarching idea and suggestions of the book (which you can find plenty of online already). I just think the presentation of these suggestions is very condescending, non-empathetic and very unattainable by most. Some chapters are actionable, but most are just items off the bucket titled “rich white people activities”.

[Alex Fürstenau · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars, really. Come on. You already know a lot of stuff from this book, so why 5 stars?
First, it's good to be reminded of some thing again and again because we tend to forget things, even important things.
And I mean, a productivity coach, who already mediates and takes care of himself and who still suffers from anxiety and burnout and then tells you to focus on being calm instead of being productive? Sounds more like a novel than a non-fiction book, doesn't it? :-)

I picked the book up because I was pretty productive but I wasn't very happy. I wasn't very stressed, at least not in the common sense of working too many hours and so on but I wasn't calm either. I was overthinking a lot.
The book helped me, combined with other changes, to focus on what's important for me.

[abby · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was marketed as a book of science-backed advice surrounding finding calm in your life while maintaining productivity. This is an infinitely difficult balancing act, and I was intrigued to read Bailey’s recommendations, considering his background as a productivity expert who has struggled with burnout. I think anyone trying to balance the pressures of work, personal life, study, and trying to find moments for relaxation and happiness can appreciate the need importance of calm and self-compassion in a busy life and a seemingly endless cycle of stress.

I was disappointed to find that this ended up being a book consisting mostly of recycled advice, lacking interesting research and ideas. Advice included reducing time spend in the digital world, decreasing caffeine intake and spending more time socialising in-person. I agree with the advice, all of the ideas presented can definitely help to reduce anxiety, however there was nothing presented that can’t be found after 5 minutes of research, and I felt that the extra information that made this a full-length book did not serve to deepen my understanding. Additionally, while clearly well-intentioned, I found this book very self-centred. Bailey presented the solutions which worked for him, and discusses exactly what the experience was like for him. I don’t have anything against personal anecdotes in general, but I found that a lot of time was spent repeating the same concepts, stories and experiences, with little insight or depth. Further evidence of this is that he continuously centred his own life experience in the advice given - repeatedly telling the reader to “discuss this with your spouse” (rather than a more general reference to loved ones), over-referencing his own hobbies and interests (I also think mechanical keyboards are cool but !!), and most importantly; failing to acknowledge his privilege in being able to implement certain solutions without barriers.

While Bailey has clearly found his own balance, I don’t think this really qualifies him to write a book intended to help people struggling in anxious times. While I agree with the sentiment, and appreciate his journey, I think there’s no information presented here that can’t be found elsewhere, and it is not presented in a particularly accessible, academic, or engaging way. I’m glad that others have found helpful advice in this book, but I would highly recommend more science-based books, or books written by psychological experts, over this one. A good alternative may be “Busy as F*ck” by Karen Nimmo, which gives a nice high-level exploration of coping with anxiety and burnout from the perspective of a professional mental health practitioner.

[Deborah McCabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Must-Read

Definitely a must-read for any modern human. Every one of us is vulnerable to the negative influences of social media, 24-hour news coverage and the dopaminergic effects of those as well as junk food and online shopping. Lots of scientific research is quoted as well as plenty of anecdotal reports to keep it interesting. Well written.

[Max · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this once. I've been on a bit of a self-help/productivity book binge this year, I am not sure why. Some stick, most I forget about instantly.. This one will stick, I think. I even started annotating and marking passages. Most information and techniques are not new to me, but the book helped me realize some things about chronic stress and how I could potentially minimize it in my own life. The author's writing is really enjoyable, a bit of humor, not too condescending. I will recommend this book to people in my life (definitely fellow PhD candidates.. hehe).

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended during a recent leadership course and I jumped on it right away. I've been struggling with more anxiety than usual lately with my mind feeling constantly overtaxed. The recommendations in this book are well researched and extremely timely for me. I'm making use of them already and beginning to see a difference in my mental health.

[Chiara Battaglioni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ho letto tutti i libri di Chris Bailey. Continuo a preferire il primo “The Productivity Project”, perché soprattutto in “Hyperfocus” ma un po’ anche in questo, non ho trovato punti di vista o suggerimenti pratici particolarmente innovativi.

Detto questo trovo la sua ricerca e la sua scrittura sempre fresche, intelligenti, pratiche.
Un libro che consiglio di leggere in ogni caso per riflettere e provare a ridurre l’iperstimolazione in cui siamo perennemente immerse.

[Ana Dias · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that besides very practical advice to apply to daily routines, also invites to a good reflection on the effects of the digital world vs analogue world. What I liked about it is that the book is not going completely unrealistic in advice to cut all your digital stimuli but rather on how to increase your non digital moments and routines.

[Kbeckermann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this because I have been reading/listing to Bailey since his first book. I wasn't finding much new so was expecting more of the same. I was pleasantly surprised. How to Calm Your Mind is true to his style including research, interviews and personal experiments to test different approaches. What was different (in hindsight not surprising) is it fit with much of what I experience right now given the impact of the pandemic both personally and professionally. The content isn't really new to me but his own experience and the research were the right fit. For this genre, it is fine, but each reader will have a different experience depending on their own situation.

[Claudia Silk · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing in here that you don't already know but it certainly doesn't hurt to be reminded. I listened to the audio and the author has a good presence and a great speaking voice. There was a lot of food for thought and I will probably buy a copy to refer back to.

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I dipped into this book a little at a time because, perhaps unsurprisingly, I started reading it during a time when I was so burnt out, anxious, and depressed that I had trouble focusing. I needed to find calm. So I picked up this book.

As others have said, if you read enough nonfiction on a topic you inevitably start to feel like you’ve heard it all before. It’s rare that a self-help book is truly groundbreaking. But that isn’t the strength of this book—it’s strength lies in the ways the author presents his ideas, the research that supports them, and the practical steps you can take to achieve more calm in your life.

As a chronic overachiever who struggles not to identify my value as intimately tied to my accomplishments, I really loved how this author pairs the idea of wanting to be more productive with the need to be more calm *so that you can be more productive*. It’s especially interesting coming from a guy whose previous books were all about increasing productivity. His willingness to share his personal journey and experiments contributed greatly to my enjoyment of the book. And this core concept is something I think we all need to hear over and over and then over again—even though we all recognize the whole “put your air mask on yourself before helping others” thing—because it’s soooo easy to backslide and forget and fall back into destructive habits and beliefs.

Overall I found this book enjoyable to read and full of fascinating science balanced nicely with practical advice. I appreciated that there were numerous suggestions and approaches and that they were presented as options to experiment with rather than one comprehensive program that might not work for everyone. It wasn’t too dense or too light, but just the right amount of all the elements I want in a self-help book. Definitely recommend.

[Hayley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book about finding a balance between productivity and calm, the accomplishment mindset, digital/dopamine detoxes and embracing analog activities.

[🌶 peppersocks 🧦 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reflections and lessons learned/the content of this book made me feel…
“…we derive an immense amount of engagement and motivation from our working relationships, and experience a great deal of stress in the face of unresolved conflict, or a lack of support from colleagues, or when a work environment fosters a lack of trust . An unsupportive work community can be disastrous, not only for our productivity, but also for experiencing burnout. It’s critical that we feel like we belong. Fairness is the fifth factor… the extent to which decisions at work are perceived as being just, and people are being treated with respect…”

This book was absolutely nail on the head for me at the moment - home and work life juggling are head testers, and it’s a time for a huge sense of change in how I have to think about both, and how to deal with them (you can’t stop the motion of the ocean… or other people being on totally different pages for an end result (oh the irony!)). I know that it should always be with a calm head that I go into conflict and change, but that’s easier said than done in the moment, and a sometimes the only way to get back your own control is to stop and consider the whys.

This book did make me stop and really consider so many frustrations that I couldn’t clearly articulate, but once heard, could point and smile at.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey goes deep into the research so you don't have to. I learned a lot about how our brains get hooked on the dopamine hits of social media, and other factors that contribute to anxiety. A useful book.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read, but it is more for younger generations who have let technology eat their brains rather than those of us old and wise enough to resist (for the most part). The book would also benefit from more stories about how other people -- besides the author and the researchers he discusses -- have dealt with the problem of how to find calm in an increasingly troubled and troubling world. I can't help but think that the older generations might be able to provide some insight.

[Arnas Raulinaitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bravo — visiškai mano skonio knyga. Apie tai, kaip rasti vidinę ramybę netuščiažodžiaujant — aiškios struktūros, konkretūs patarimai ir puikiai autoriaus išvyniota istorija. Didžiąja dalimi tapatinuosi su autoriaus mintimis, kaip pasiekti tai, kad galėtum mėgautis gyvenimu jau šiandien ir kad mintys būtų čia, o ne vakar ar rytoj. Labai stipriai sudėti taškai ant i apie pagrindinius greito pasaulio stimuliantus, verčiančius mąstyti per ,,daugiau” prizmę — gera atsifiltruoti, kas tikra, o kas primesta kitų.

[Tõnu Vahtra · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If anxiety is found in the digital world, calm is found in the analog.”
I completed Productivity Project by same author a few years ago when I was reading most of the productivity books I could find. It is definitely a timely book after the mental and behavioural shift triggered by COVID lockdowns. In the normal after "new normal" it is much more difficult to maintain or even reach focus and state of flow, major inhibiting factor being growing anxiety. If you have listened to Huberman Lab podcast for a while then there isn't that much new in the book but the angle is a bit different indeed and thus the book acts as reflection material to realize and maybe inhibit some of the distractions that have became inconscious parts of your daily life.

"Researchers have found that anxiety is the opposite of calm—and that experiencing any level of anxiety leads us to become less productive. Anxiety shrinks our mind. Finding calm makes us more deliberate, thoughtful, and present, leading us to far greater productivity"

1. Taking notice of how much of your life orbits around dopamine. Dopamine leads us to a sense of anticipation rather than pleasure: this sense of anticipation propels us forward into distracting ourselves further. In this way, dopamine creates a cycle of distraction: dopamine begets dopamine, stimulation begets stimulation, and distraction begets distraction. The more of our behavior that’s motivated by dopamine, the less present and calm we become—and this can lead us to greater anxiety and less focus when we’re not careful.

2. Conduct a stimulation fast. Identify dopamine-driven activities and distractions you want to weed out of your day i.e. the digital news (realtime blogs), websites you refresh, social media websites you tend to use out of habit, games on your phone. Then identify some well-rounded activities, preferably ones that exist in analog world rather than digital one and substitute in these activities for the digital ones (i.e. read more physical books).

3. Understanding the six triggers of burout. Exposure to chronic stress can be costly. When we face too much of it in our days, we can become anxious and less calm. This makes us less focused, present, and productive. Burnout is a psychological condition that is defined as having three characteristics, and we need all three in order to be fully burnt out. First of all, we need to feel exhausted. Second, we need to feel cynical. Finally, we need to feel ineffective, convinced that how we’re spending our time and attention and energy doesn’t make a difference.
Traditionally, burnout has been defined as an occupational phenomenon, something that occurs at work, and not at home. If you’re feeling any combination of those three burnout attributes—exhausted, cynical, and unproductive—these are six areas of your work that you need to dissect to understand where your stress is coming from:

*The first trigger of the six is workload: the more work we have on our plate, the more likely we are to burnout.
*The second is a lack of control: the less control we have over how, when, and where we do our work, the more likely we are to burnout.
*The third area of our work where stress tends to grow is with insufficient reward. The less fairly we’re rewarded, the more stress we face from our work and the more likely we are to burn out.
*The fourth area stress can grow in is in a lack of community at work: when we don’t feel connected with those we work closely with we’re more likely to reach a point of burnout.
*The fifth factor is fairness: we need to be treated fairly relative to others at the office in order to be motivated.
*The sixth factor is our values. We find our work more meaningful when we can connect how are spending our time with what we value on a deeper level.

4. We find greater depths of calm in the analog world compared to the digital one. The digital world is built around novelty, which means it releases far more dopamine when we tend to it. The analog world leads us to experience the effects of other neurochemicals that make us feel present, connected with others, and proud—chemicals like oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.

One way to connect more deeply with the analog world is to break down the activities you do in both worlds. We can do this by making a Venn diagram of activities we do in each world. In this case, our Venn diagram has two circles: one for our analog-only activities, like brushing our teeth and spending time in nature, and another circle for our digital-only activities, like checking social media and answering email. One simple rule for finding more of a balance between these two worlds is this: when you want to do something efficiently, do it in the digital world. When you want an experience to have more meaning, do it in the analog world. Over time, bring more of these activities into the analog world.

5. Reflect on what you value.
Researcher Shalom Schwartz has identified 10 basic human values from which all others stem. They are: Self-direction, stimulation, hedonism, achievement, power, security, conformity, tradition, benevolence, and universalism.
Often the fact that we’re not feeling present is a sign that we’re not able to express what we value through our everyday actions.

[Elias Marseille · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bailey is een vrij irritante schrijver die de helft van de tijd open deuren intrapt en de andere helft van de tijd interessante dingen zegt.

Veel herhaling, niet engagerend geschreven. Na blz 150 had hij rustig kunnen afronden. Dit was bij zijn vorige boek ook al het geval, dus dit is wel echt een irritant patroon aan het worden haha.

[Handpicked Books by Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a very anxious person myself, I found this book both relatable and eye-opening. It's bound to help people struggling with anxiety and everybody in between. I liked that it wasn't vague or hard to understand, but it was helpful in very specific, easy ways.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first that book, left me uncertain. But on the long run it was worth reading. It brings forward good ideas and practical ways to use them in the day to day life. I really think it could help some readers progress on their personal journey.

[Dalene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought Chris Bailey did a good job with giving tips to help anxiety. I plain to work on his tips and see the progress I make.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ik had gehoopt op concretere tips, nu voelde het soms nogal vaag

[Sionnach · Rating 4 out of 5]

felt very seen by this author and while none of the ideas I saw were new to me the backing research and contextualization of them was beneficial

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can be read quickly. A bit long winded and rehashing a lot of info already known in other books published earlier, but from a personal experience perspective.

A few useful points for me:

1. Beware of our "accomplishment" and "more" mindsets that are driving our behaviors
2. How dopamine drives us especially towards novelty, but especially how it makes us feel constantly dissatisfied (that's it's evolutionary job) - creating stress
3.That the calm network is actually the "here and now" network supported by serotonin oxytocin and endorphin.
4. How more of (2) will lessen (3) and vice versa (important point! it is like a see-saw or weighing scale with dopamine network on one side and the calm neurotransmitter on the other)
5. Some solutions include dopamine fasting from the hyper stimulation but also pointless stimulation we receive daily, and to practice being engaged especially with the present, savouring what is in front of us mindfully

I like the way the author describes dopamine - that our days (and our lives) revolve around this neurotransmitter. Yup, it just a neurotransmitter. And that meditation is one of the lowest dopamine stimulator on the dopamine chart (I like the chart- helps me visualise the type of activities I engage in that are highly stimulative yet pointless eg social media and internet scrolling)

*I try to read neuroscience from a Buddhist perspective. And it often affirms what Buddha taught. Our responses to pain and pleasure, as well as our constant craving (for the pleasurable and new), doing and planning drives all our activities. Meditation is a practise of awareness that helps us see and understand how our mind works, slows things down, and helps us make wiser choices rather than live a life of automacity.

[Jayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some new-to-me mindsets to consider and some practices that aren’t so novel but interesting to read about in this context. A number of tactics I will try.

[Katrina Sark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chapter Three – The Burnout Equation

p.95 – Unresponsive to Stress – As the World Health Organization defines it in its International Classification of Diseases, burnout is the direct result of “chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.”

p.117 – The Six Burnout Factors – The first factor of the six is our workload – how sustainable the amount of work on you plate is. There is a strong link between our workload and how exhausted we feel (one of the three burnout characteristics). Often, our work demands are too great, and we find ourselves working overtime, during evenings, weekends, and on vacation. The occasional spike in workload is normal – a deadline – but when every day we face down a workload level that pushes us beyond our usual limits, we never get a chance to recover.

p.118 – The second source of burnout is a lack of control, including how much autonomy we have, whether we have the resources to deliver work that we’re proud of, and whether we have the recourses to deliver work that we’re proud of, and whether we have the freedom to shape the projects we’re working on. Research shows that the more control we have over our work, the higher our job satisfaction and performance, and the more resilient our mental health.

p.119 – Third, insufficient reward dramatically increases our probability of burnout. While we tend to think about money when we think about the rewards of work, money is far from the only currency we derive from our job.

The fourth burnout factor is community, which is about the quality of your relationships and interactions at work. We derive an immense amount of engagement and motivation from our working relationships, and experience a great deal of stress in the face of unresolved conflict or a lack of support from colleagues, or when our work environment fosters a lack of trust.

p.120 – Fairness is the fifth factor. Maslach defines fairness as “the extent to which decisions at work are perceived as being just and people are being treated with respect.” A fair workplace promotes employees in an equitable and understandable way, and treats employees with support and respect. Fair workplaces promote engagement instead of burnout.
The sixth and final burnout factor stems from conflict with our values. Essentially, values are what let us connect with our work on a deeper level. When our work connects with what we value, we feel as though we can manifest our values through action, which makes work feel more meaningful.

p.125 – Fixing the Six – One helpful tactic is to list all of the activities you do in your work over a month and pick the three (only three) that allow you to contribute the most to your team. […] If you’re burnt out, consider running through this activity with your boss to clarify what’s truly most important. Try ranking the tasks that remain by how much stress they cause you. Shrink, delegate, or eliminate the worst offending tasks if possible.
Chapter Four – The Mindset of More

p.143 – The Chemical of Dissatisfaction – Research shows that our brain rewards us with dopamine immediately before we engage in something pleasurable – when it’s sure that pleasure is on the way. In this way, our brain learns to associate the stimulating behaviours we engage in with a dopamine rush.

p.145 – Research suggests dopamine leads us to crave two things that compromise calm: more accomplishments and more stimulation.

p.147 – If you happen to be an ambitious person, do remember that constant striving will lead you further away from calm. Ceaseless ambition is often a result of an overreliance on dopamine. With our mind drenched in dopamine, we don’t even question why we’re striving for more, or why we so rarely savor the fruits of our accomplishments. Blinded by more’s allure, we may also forget to consider our values in the decisions we make, or in how we spend our time. We get yet another neurochemical hit whenever we make progress, accomplishing or obtaining something new. In the moment, this feels pretty damn great. So, we aim for more still, delaying the opportunity to enjoy a moment of mental calm and savor the fruits of our success.

p.158 – Driven by Purpose – [Christina Maslach’s research on burnout shows] that the polar opposite of burnout is engagement.

Chapter Six – Stimulation Fasting

p.245 – Chemicals of Now – Here’s the thing to keep in mind: any activity that leads your to enjoy the present moment will lead you to experience greater calm.

[Scott Kuffel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical tips to reduce stress and improve calm

Going on the digital/media fasting, adding meditation, thinking about physical wellness, creating the preventable and I preventable stress lists are all helpful ideas. Also taking these one at a time, rather than creating more acute stress by trying to make all the changes at once, is great advice from Chris Bailey. It seems that if one read this book first, before HyperFocus… we’d already be more ready to become focused at a more impressive level. Well written and aligns nicely with the podcast Mr. Bailey and his wife lead weekly- Time and Attention. Will definitely gift to some folks.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to on audiobook—ironically had to speed it up to 1.25 speed to make it easier to listen to. This was a good book overall. Be aware that much of it really is about taking a digital detox/disconnecting from the digital world. I think I was expecting a little more diversity in terms of the suggestions.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Immediate opinion: Man who made himself sick doing the thing that made him successful has come to offer the cure. In a topic area that is already so rich, it's wild that this author acts like these are things that are reasonable because now he has discovered them

Book initially abandoned during the second chapter, but because I can't let things go, I went back and finished it.

I can see how this book, and Bailey's narrative, would really appeal to some readers. There are some good points in here, but they aren't anything new in this field.