“Boardman’s most successful argument is that society’s focus on self-care does more harm than good, as building community and finding supportive friends and family is crucial to well-being, while focusing too much on the self can increase rumination and, ultimately, depression. . . . By encouraging readers to ‘override the urge to do what’s easy but empty,’ Boardman’s helpful suggestions rise above the standard self-help fare.”
—Publishers Weekly
“If you would like to live a more fulfilled life, Samantha Boardman has exactly what you need. Everyday Vitality is one part memoir, one part wisdom from years of experience as a psychiatrist, and one part cutting edge scientific evidence. Brilliant, warm, and best of all—an actionable guide to a life well-lived.”
—Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
“An insightful, uplifting read about how to bring more liveliness into our lives. Whereas most psychiatrists focus on alleviating mental illness, Samantha Boardman cares deeply about promoting mental health too. She combines an impressive command of science with deep empathy for her patients. If you’re depressed, burned out, or languishing, this book is brimming with practical ideas—and even if you’re flourishing, it’s full of valuable reminders for sustaining energy and well-being.”
—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again
“As its title promises, Samantha Boardman’s Everyday Vitality is an essential guide to building and maintaining a fundamental quality that promotes resilience and joy in daily life. Drawing upon her own clinical experience and a wealth of research, she demonstrates that the key to finding fulfillment is not only by focusing on ourselves, but by engaging with others and with the world—which now more than ever is a timely and welcome prescription.”
—Arianna Huffington, Founder & CEO, Thrive Global
“In this gloriously insightful, intimate, eminently readable book, Samantha Boardman has captured and extended the dynamics of positive psychology, teaching us how to rebuild our lives and invest them with joy. Mixing rigorous scholarship with sophisticated common sense and an underlying generosity of spirit, she writes in readable, accessible, captivating terms about how to experience the world more fully and richly. Her flashes of profound insight, her mastery of the complexities of her topic, her gentle sense of humor, and her cheerful celebration of our capacity to achieve positive change all make this a must-read for anyone who seeks meaning and fulfillment. This is a brilliant and necessary volume, written with grace, style, and, most of all, a deeply moving compassion.”
—Andrew Solomon, author of National Book Critics Circle Award winner Far from the Tree and National Book Award winner The Noonday Demon
“In this insightful book with wise and often counterintuitive advice for achieving vitality and combatting stress, Boardman turns the idea of ‘self-help’ on its head, reminding us the power of vitality comes from our orientation to worlds larger than our own. This is the book we all need!”
—Sarah Elizabeth Lewis, Associate Professor, Harvard University
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