Freedom from worry
 |
Description
Book Introduction
- A word from MD
-
The future isn't as difficult as you might think.Modern people's minds are full of worries.
For those who find it difficult to tolerate the uncertainty of the future, German neuroscientist Volker Busch suggests strengthening your mental immune system.
It contains everyday methods to manage anxiety and restore confidence by focusing on positive things rather than focusing on negative emotions.
February 11, 2025. Self-Development PD Oh Da-eun
*** Immediately after publication, ranked #1 on Amazon Germany and was selected as a Der Spiegel bestseller! ***
Break free from the pattern of wasting your life on negative emotions.
The ultimate mental prescription to regain control of your life!
Today, our minds are constantly battling with "worry," amidst various crises, accidents, negative and provocative news, and the uncertainty of rapidly changing events.
The deep anxiety, fear, tension and sensitivity about the future that this brings infects us like a virus and increases stress.
Professor Volker Busch, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist, emphasizes that we have not properly learned how to deal with uncertainty and anxiety, and that to regain control of our lives without being swept away by negative thoughts and emotions, we need to strengthen our “mental immune system” that helps us protect and defend, recover and heal, and mature and grow.
In this book, "Freedom from Worry," he explains why modern people are so vulnerable to negative emotional viruses and what happens to our brains in times of crisis, prescribing solutions that support our already innate mental immune system and help us face challenging situations.
This means learning to tolerate uncertainty, focus on the good, pause and relax, maintain inner peace, and overcome fear.
The author also introduces 33 interesting tips that anyone can easily implement in their daily lives, based on the latest research in brain science and psychology, various papers, and extensive clinical experience.
This book resonated with German readers who had been hit hard by the economic downturn and deep depression following the pandemic, and immediately became a bestseller on Der Spiegel and Amazon.
The power to face danger and turn fear into opportunity—we've long forgotten this ability! Through this book, readers will be liberated from the swamp of unproductive worry, learn to use their limited energy wisely, and gain the confidence to boldly take on any challenge, trusting in their own "mental immunity."
Break free from the pattern of wasting your life on negative emotions.
The ultimate mental prescription to regain control of your life!
Today, our minds are constantly battling with "worry," amidst various crises, accidents, negative and provocative news, and the uncertainty of rapidly changing events.
The deep anxiety, fear, tension and sensitivity about the future that this brings infects us like a virus and increases stress.
Professor Volker Busch, a neuroscientist and psychiatrist, emphasizes that we have not properly learned how to deal with uncertainty and anxiety, and that to regain control of our lives without being swept away by negative thoughts and emotions, we need to strengthen our “mental immune system” that helps us protect and defend, recover and heal, and mature and grow.
In this book, "Freedom from Worry," he explains why modern people are so vulnerable to negative emotional viruses and what happens to our brains in times of crisis, prescribing solutions that support our already innate mental immune system and help us face challenging situations.
This means learning to tolerate uncertainty, focus on the good, pause and relax, maintain inner peace, and overcome fear.
The author also introduces 33 interesting tips that anyone can easily implement in their daily lives, based on the latest research in brain science and psychology, various papers, and extensive clinical experience.
This book resonated with German readers who had been hit hard by the economic downturn and deep depression following the pandemic, and immediately became a bestseller on Der Spiegel and Amazon.
The power to face danger and turn fear into opportunity—we've long forgotten this ability! Through this book, readers will be liberated from the swamp of unproductive worry, learn to use their limited energy wisely, and gain the confidence to boldly take on any challenge, trusting in their own "mental immunity."
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
User's Manual for this Book
Prologue: Neurosis in a Civilized Age
Briefing: Why You Should Focus on Your Mental Immune System
Chapter 1: Becoming More Flexible: How to Cope with Uncertainty
● Problem
What will happen tomorrow? | Uncertainty and instability | The burden of 'maybe' | People who cannot tolerate uncertainty | Crisis amidst stability | Chasing false certainty | Alice in Wonderland | The era of excessive prediction | Why zero risk is expensive | The black hole called safety | The courage to face the danger right before your eyes | A new freedom gained by letting go of obsession
● Solution
Harness the energy of anxiety | The power that emerges when the brain faces uncertainty | Build tolerance | 'Not knowing' is not 'dangerous' | Step out of your comfort zone and draw a new map | Small adventures that build confidence | Do something you've never done before | Live without a plan | Improvisation training that stimulates life | Stumbling blocks are the driving force | Give yourself feedback | Life moves only through challenges and experiments | Be flexible like a dancer | Live like Snoopy
[Summary] The most beautiful discovery in life
Chapter 2: Focusing on the Good: How to Protect Yourself from the Negative
● Problem
A world of 'junk' information | The information virus that infects our minds | Our emotions are 'contagious' | Could I be a carrier of an emotional virus? | Disasters, terrorism, and trauma | A world where everything is fake | The snowball of lies | The tragedy caused by the information virus | Our brain is vulnerable to bad news | Negativity bias that causes cognitive distortion | The power of the amygdala to dominate a crisis | The optimism filter in our brain | Falling into a vortex of negative thinking | Habitual stimulation and fatigue
● Solution
Eliminate the bad bits one by one | Establish a sterile zone | Pull more and push less | 'Short-term quarantine' to stop the spread of information viruses | Get vaccinated against misinformation | Stories need a good ending | News should inform, not shock | Maintain mental health with realistic thinking | Practice seeing differently | Good news breeds good actions | Find the right balance of good and bad
[Summary] Develop Your Own Media Capabilities
Chapter 3: Turning Off Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying and Take a Break
● Problem
Where is the switch to turn off your thoughts? | The imaginary world your brain creates | Thoughts are not reality | Rumination | Overcoming emotions stops thinking | The media world and constant self-examination | Thought addiction
● Solution
If you can't solve it, stop thinking about it | Find opportunities and inspiration around you | Create an immersive hobby | The power of purposeless work | The detox benefits of nature | Embark on a spiritual journey | Dissociate yourself from your thoughts | Zoom out from the center of your problems | Self-distancing: The ultimate detoxification principle | See things from the perspective of a fly on the wall | A thought detox routine to end the day
[Summary] You lose nothing by stopping thinking.
Chapter 4: Staying Cheerful: How to Heal Your Inner Wounds
● Problem
People Who Don't Smile | Germany, the Most Unfunny Country | Constant Collective Anger | Information Stimuli That Provoke Inner Inflammation | Effective Ways to Heal Psychological Wounds
● Solution
Laughter Makes You Healthy | Fake Laughter vs.
Real laughter | Dopamine and catharsis | Satire, the art of crisis | Laughing at others comes from anxiety | He who humbles himself wins | Humor, the art of playful living | Save your life from tragedy | Humor reduces stress | The better the teamwork in your brain, the better your sense of humor | Some tips for developing a sense of humor | Let humor run wild | The world's most famous smile
[Summary] Let's add laughter to my life.
Chapter 5: Building Confidence: Overcoming Fear and Shaping Your Future
● Problem
Change and Fear | People Who Believe in Dystopia | Anticipating Threats Causes Stress | The Brainstem's Coup | The Mistakes of Survival Instinct | The Fear of Fake News | The Age of Over-Prophecy | Why Forecasts Fail | Fear Makes Us Defensive | Uncertainty Drives Us Forward
● Solution
The Weapon of Mindfulness | How to Reduce Fear | The Courage to Think Critically | The Energy That Sustains Us | Think in terms of Possibilities | Action Defeats Fear | Focus on What You Can Do | Confidence Comes from the Here and Now | Break Big Goals Down into Small Steps | Why We Avoid Risk | Look Back with Courage | Everything Comes and Goes
[Summary] Half the battle is already won
Outlook: Strong Mind, Bright Future
Epilogue: The Courage for a New Beginning
Acknowledgements
main
Prologue: Neurosis in a Civilized Age
Briefing: Why You Should Focus on Your Mental Immune System
Chapter 1: Becoming More Flexible: How to Cope with Uncertainty
● Problem
What will happen tomorrow? | Uncertainty and instability | The burden of 'maybe' | People who cannot tolerate uncertainty | Crisis amidst stability | Chasing false certainty | Alice in Wonderland | The era of excessive prediction | Why zero risk is expensive | The black hole called safety | The courage to face the danger right before your eyes | A new freedom gained by letting go of obsession
● Solution
Harness the energy of anxiety | The power that emerges when the brain faces uncertainty | Build tolerance | 'Not knowing' is not 'dangerous' | Step out of your comfort zone and draw a new map | Small adventures that build confidence | Do something you've never done before | Live without a plan | Improvisation training that stimulates life | Stumbling blocks are the driving force | Give yourself feedback | Life moves only through challenges and experiments | Be flexible like a dancer | Live like Snoopy
[Summary] The most beautiful discovery in life
Chapter 2: Focusing on the Good: How to Protect Yourself from the Negative
● Problem
A world of 'junk' information | The information virus that infects our minds | Our emotions are 'contagious' | Could I be a carrier of an emotional virus? | Disasters, terrorism, and trauma | A world where everything is fake | The snowball of lies | The tragedy caused by the information virus | Our brain is vulnerable to bad news | Negativity bias that causes cognitive distortion | The power of the amygdala to dominate a crisis | The optimism filter in our brain | Falling into a vortex of negative thinking | Habitual stimulation and fatigue
● Solution
Eliminate the bad bits one by one | Establish a sterile zone | Pull more and push less | 'Short-term quarantine' to stop the spread of information viruses | Get vaccinated against misinformation | Stories need a good ending | News should inform, not shock | Maintain mental health with realistic thinking | Practice seeing differently | Good news breeds good actions | Find the right balance of good and bad
[Summary] Develop Your Own Media Capabilities
Chapter 3: Turning Off Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying and Take a Break
● Problem
Where is the switch to turn off your thoughts? | The imaginary world your brain creates | Thoughts are not reality | Rumination | Overcoming emotions stops thinking | The media world and constant self-examination | Thought addiction
● Solution
If you can't solve it, stop thinking about it | Find opportunities and inspiration around you | Create an immersive hobby | The power of purposeless work | The detox benefits of nature | Embark on a spiritual journey | Dissociate yourself from your thoughts | Zoom out from the center of your problems | Self-distancing: The ultimate detoxification principle | See things from the perspective of a fly on the wall | A thought detox routine to end the day
[Summary] You lose nothing by stopping thinking.
Chapter 4: Staying Cheerful: How to Heal Your Inner Wounds
● Problem
People Who Don't Smile | Germany, the Most Unfunny Country | Constant Collective Anger | Information Stimuli That Provoke Inner Inflammation | Effective Ways to Heal Psychological Wounds
● Solution
Laughter Makes You Healthy | Fake Laughter vs.
Real laughter | Dopamine and catharsis | Satire, the art of crisis | Laughing at others comes from anxiety | He who humbles himself wins | Humor, the art of playful living | Save your life from tragedy | Humor reduces stress | The better the teamwork in your brain, the better your sense of humor | Some tips for developing a sense of humor | Let humor run wild | The world's most famous smile
[Summary] Let's add laughter to my life.
Chapter 5: Building Confidence: Overcoming Fear and Shaping Your Future
● Problem
Change and Fear | People Who Believe in Dystopia | Anticipating Threats Causes Stress | The Brainstem's Coup | The Mistakes of Survival Instinct | The Fear of Fake News | The Age of Over-Prophecy | Why Forecasts Fail | Fear Makes Us Defensive | Uncertainty Drives Us Forward
● Solution
The Weapon of Mindfulness | How to Reduce Fear | The Courage to Think Critically | The Energy That Sustains Us | Think in terms of Possibilities | Action Defeats Fear | Focus on What You Can Do | Confidence Comes from the Here and Now | Break Big Goals Down into Small Steps | Why We Avoid Risk | Look Back with Courage | Everything Comes and Goes
[Summary] Half the battle is already won
Outlook: Strong Mind, Bright Future
Epilogue: The Courage for a New Beginning
Acknowledgements
main
Detailed image
Into the book
“The concept of resilience originates from materials physics and refers to the ability of a physical object to return to its original shape when an external stress is relieved.
It will be easy to understand if you think of a rubber ball.
The concept of resilience is scientifically well-established and has been used effectively in coaching and therapy.
The problem is that this concept gives people the false impression that they are 'unbreakable'.
Humans are not like rubber balls that return to their original shape no matter how much they roll, and they do not necessarily follow the laws of physics.
We can be broken by external forces or our shape can be changed forever.
Not everything in life bounces off of us.
And that shouldn't be the case either.
Because we grow and mature by forming our inner selves through interaction with our environment and by constantly changing.”
--- From "Briefing, Why You Should Pay Attention to Your Mental Immune System"
“Today we waste a lot of energy focusing on gaining certainty.
Rather, it would be better to focus our energy on becoming more tolerant of uncertainty and strengthening our mental immune system to prepare for a world that is unpredictable in many ways.
Not having to chase certainty all day saves a lot of time, effort, and money.
Economist Herbert Giersch once said, “Anyone who has never missed a flight has spent too much time in airport waiting rooms.”
What a wonderful saying! It perfectly illustrates the problems caused by the desire for certainty!”
--- From Chapter 1, 'Becoming More Flexible'
Have you ever been denied entry by a surly bouncer standing at the club door on a Saturday night? I've had that happen to me many times.
When you try to enter a club, the security guard will usually say, “Sorry,
“It’s full inside!” he said.
Now that I have somewhat overcome the humiliation of that time, I can understand that situation.
To ensure sufficient space for guests inside, a screening process must be implemented at the entrance.
This gatekeeper role can be transferred to the act of selecting news. Stand in front of your TV, smartphone, or newspaper and think about what you want to let into your head.
“What should be left outside to prevent internal (meaning brain) clutter and create a bad atmosphere?”
--- From Chapter 2, 'Focusing on the Good'
“So to speak, diffusion is not to deny thoughts, but to recognize that thoughts are merely mental products, nothing more, nothing less.
Thoughts may be meaningful, but they don't have to be.
It's natural for thoughts to come to mind, but that doesn't mean you have to necessarily consider them.
My thoughts want to give me directions, but I don't have to follow them.
When thoughts and reality are separated, a powerful distance is created.
When we realize that they are 'just thoughts,' the compulsive and destructive nature of those thoughts disappears.
For example, there's no need to yell at your neighbor if you think he won't lend you a hammer.
We have thoughts, but our thoughts are not us.
This fact must be clearly kept in mind.”
--- From Chapter 3, 'Turning Off the Thinking Switch'
“The reason why people who slip on a banana peel or crash into a closed glass door are funny is because they basically assume that such stupid things could never happen to them.
All incident and accident videos posted on YouTube are based on these emotions.
Until now, this has been the case, but now we must realize the following facts:
That's to say, laughing at others often stems from our own insecurities.
Giving ourselves a boost by seeing other people's stupid behavior might feel good in the short term, but it doesn't calm our minds in the long term.
“Ultimately, we end up dwelling on other people’s mistakes.”
--- From Chapter 4, 'Maintaining Cheerfulness'
“There is no need to panic if something turns out to be as bad (or worse) than expected.
Because we overestimate the emotional impact negative situations will have on us.
This (in)ability to accurately assess one's future emotional state is called affective forecasting.
In fact, most of our predictions are completely wrong.
For example, if you change jobs and your income decreases or you have to move to a smaller house, you might initially think you'll be unhappy, but in reality, you won't be that unhappy.
It may be a little uncomfortable at first, but you will get used to your new financial situation very quickly.
We also overestimate the fear of exams, the heartbreak of a breakup, and the struggle to adjust to a new job.
But things that we think will make us unhappy in the future are not so bad when we look back later.
Most losses and setbacks don't have as much long-term impact as the emotional shock felt in the moment of the event.
“So to speak, the future is less dramatic than our brains imagine.”
It will be easy to understand if you think of a rubber ball.
The concept of resilience is scientifically well-established and has been used effectively in coaching and therapy.
The problem is that this concept gives people the false impression that they are 'unbreakable'.
Humans are not like rubber balls that return to their original shape no matter how much they roll, and they do not necessarily follow the laws of physics.
We can be broken by external forces or our shape can be changed forever.
Not everything in life bounces off of us.
And that shouldn't be the case either.
Because we grow and mature by forming our inner selves through interaction with our environment and by constantly changing.”
--- From "Briefing, Why You Should Pay Attention to Your Mental Immune System"
“Today we waste a lot of energy focusing on gaining certainty.
Rather, it would be better to focus our energy on becoming more tolerant of uncertainty and strengthening our mental immune system to prepare for a world that is unpredictable in many ways.
Not having to chase certainty all day saves a lot of time, effort, and money.
Economist Herbert Giersch once said, “Anyone who has never missed a flight has spent too much time in airport waiting rooms.”
What a wonderful saying! It perfectly illustrates the problems caused by the desire for certainty!”
--- From Chapter 1, 'Becoming More Flexible'
Have you ever been denied entry by a surly bouncer standing at the club door on a Saturday night? I've had that happen to me many times.
When you try to enter a club, the security guard will usually say, “Sorry,
“It’s full inside!” he said.
Now that I have somewhat overcome the humiliation of that time, I can understand that situation.
To ensure sufficient space for guests inside, a screening process must be implemented at the entrance.
This gatekeeper role can be transferred to the act of selecting news. Stand in front of your TV, smartphone, or newspaper and think about what you want to let into your head.
“What should be left outside to prevent internal (meaning brain) clutter and create a bad atmosphere?”
--- From Chapter 2, 'Focusing on the Good'
“So to speak, diffusion is not to deny thoughts, but to recognize that thoughts are merely mental products, nothing more, nothing less.
Thoughts may be meaningful, but they don't have to be.
It's natural for thoughts to come to mind, but that doesn't mean you have to necessarily consider them.
My thoughts want to give me directions, but I don't have to follow them.
When thoughts and reality are separated, a powerful distance is created.
When we realize that they are 'just thoughts,' the compulsive and destructive nature of those thoughts disappears.
For example, there's no need to yell at your neighbor if you think he won't lend you a hammer.
We have thoughts, but our thoughts are not us.
This fact must be clearly kept in mind.”
--- From Chapter 3, 'Turning Off the Thinking Switch'
“The reason why people who slip on a banana peel or crash into a closed glass door are funny is because they basically assume that such stupid things could never happen to them.
All incident and accident videos posted on YouTube are based on these emotions.
Until now, this has been the case, but now we must realize the following facts:
That's to say, laughing at others often stems from our own insecurities.
Giving ourselves a boost by seeing other people's stupid behavior might feel good in the short term, but it doesn't calm our minds in the long term.
“Ultimately, we end up dwelling on other people’s mistakes.”
--- From Chapter 4, 'Maintaining Cheerfulness'
“There is no need to panic if something turns out to be as bad (or worse) than expected.
Because we overestimate the emotional impact negative situations will have on us.
This (in)ability to accurately assess one's future emotional state is called affective forecasting.
In fact, most of our predictions are completely wrong.
For example, if you change jobs and your income decreases or you have to move to a smaller house, you might initially think you'll be unhappy, but in reality, you won't be that unhappy.
It may be a little uncomfortable at first, but you will get used to your new financial situation very quickly.
We also overestimate the fear of exams, the heartbreak of a breakup, and the struggle to adjust to a new job.
But things that we think will make us unhappy in the future are not so bad when we look back later.
Most losses and setbacks don't have as much long-term impact as the emotional shock felt in the moment of the event.
“So to speak, the future is less dramatic than our brains imagine.”
--- From Chapter 5, “Having Confidence”
Publisher's Review
The power to protect and restore the mind, to help it heal and grow!
How to Strengthen the 'Mental Immune System' in Your Brain
# Let's say a parent monitors their child's location through a smartwatch.
As time goes by, parents become accustomed to the peace of mind that smartwatches provide.
Then, when there is a slight problem with the device, I suddenly feel anxious.
'I wonder if something happened to the child?'
# One study found that passengers were more upset when their train was delayed by 30 minutes without warning than when they knew it would be delayed by 60 minutes or more.
In a group of women suspected of having breast cancer, anxiety was highest when the test results were not yet known, and stress decreased the moment the results were heard, even if a malignant tumor was confirmed.
Today, modern people try to alleviate their worries and anxieties by checking various data, news, social media updated every second, and even bodily functions recorded 24 hours a day.
But heart rate doesn't provide meaningful health insights, and stock price trends don't tell you how your stocks will perform in the future.
Smartphone apps have a 50 percent chance of predicting the weather a week from now.
It's no different from the odds of flipping a coin.
In a world full of uncertainty, we find peace of mind through 'false certainty'.
Volker Busch, author of "Freedom from Worry," says that our brains have a system called the "mental immune system" that protects, maintains, heals, and helps the mind grow, and that self-stability depends not on any information but on each person's strategy for dealing with the "mental immune system."
This concept may sound similar to "resilience," but resilience, which focuses on returning to a previous state, does not account for improvement or growth.
The author argues that rather than 'resiliently' bouncing back from adversity, it is transformation through crisis that makes us stronger.
Strength here means knowing what you need to do to better protect yourself.
Just as eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals and dressing warmly can help reduce the risk of winter cold viruses, so can our minds.
Even if the world constantly coughs at us, if we protect our minds well and build up our resistance to fight off the stress virus, we will never become infected.
Save my life from fake misfortune!
Mental immunity strengthened through practice and training
The good news is that we are born with part of this mental immune system already in place.
However, the rest must be developed step by step through practice and training.
The book presents five ways to do this.
Chapter 1, "Becoming More Flexible," introduces how to cope well with uncertainty.
A study from Yale University School of Medicine found that the frontal lobe of the brain of rhesus monkeys was more active in unpredictable situations.
The author cites scientific evidence that uncertainty awakens our focus and creativity, and argues that rather than avoiding uncertainty, we should constantly engage with it and cultivate tolerance.
Chapter 2, "Focusing on the Good," suggests practicing choosing what's good and what's possible instead of habitually focusing on what's unpleasant, what's failed, and what's threatening.
This balances the brain's cognitive activity, improving our subjective reality without changing the objective world.
A research team at Queen's University has discovered that human thoughts are interconnected like the segments of an insect.
A seemingly endless series of thoughts soon fills our entire heads, crawling like insects and shaking our inner selves.
Chapter 3, "Turning Off Your Thoughts," covers how to distance yourself from your thoughts or detox them to reduce the toxicity of these "thought addictions."
Chapter 4, 'Maintaining Cheerfulness', advises us to loosen the screws of our hearts.
Just because a plan doesn't work doesn't mean you're unprepared, and just because an accident happens doesn't mean you're incompetent.
If we embrace our imperfections and give ourselves space, our mental immune system can become a powerful tool for suppressing inflammation and healing wounds.
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Toronto studied the diaries of about 2,000 people over several weeks and found that the more people tried to calm their minds and regulate their emotions, the less motivated they were to act.
Because most of my energy was spent protecting my mind, I lacked the strength to take action.
Chapter 5, "Building Confidence," argues that positive expectations about the future provide the creative power to create sustainable change.
Constant exposure to information that bad things will happen can lead to resignation, passivity, and a loss of motivation, whereas the prospect of better things can ignite our passion and give us the courage to "just start."
Attention all anxious perfectionists!
Neuroscience and Psychology Reveal a Worry-Free Routine
The book is broadly divided into two parts: problem situations that hinder the growth of the mental immune system and solutions to deal with them.
Also hidden throughout the pages are fun, scientifically proven tips that can be used in real-world counseling and psychotherapy.
Here are some of them:
* Carry a dice: Roll the dice when you face a minor decision hurdle, like which dish to choose at a restaurant.
You can learn to adapt to unfamiliar choices.
* Wash your hands when you're stressed: Studies have shown that washing your hands can reduce stress and fear levels.
* Find and read complete news: Instead of articles with sensational headlines, read articles that explain the context and conclusion of the incident.
There are surprisingly many 'good endings' in the world.
* Set aside a time to worry: Setting aside a time to think negative thoughts will make it easier to let go of distracting thoughts at other times.
* Frame your thoughts: Imagine that the worries that are bothering you are 'pictures on the wall.'
And imagine moving back one step at a time, the picture getting smaller and smaller.
In this way, the distance between my thoughts and myself widens.
* Offer a bet: Ask a friend who often makes negative predictions to bet money.
The number of words will decrease.
A New York University research team followed 2,400 people for several years and found that those who didn't experience hardships were less happy than those who had to solve various problems.
This is evidence that crisis leads to the growth of the mental immune system.
A crisis forces us to focus our attention on what's right and what's necessary, to reset our priorities, to distinguish between what's important and what's not, and to easily separate the meaningless from the irrelevant.
This book, which offers exercises to strengthen your mental immune system with a unique approach based on brain science and psychology, offers comfort to anxious perfectionists living in an age of excessive anxiety, while reminding us that happiness ultimately lies within our own hearts.
If you find a worry-free routine that's perfect for you based on the mind training methods prescribed in "Freeing Worries," you'll be able to get closer to a happy life where you can let go of trivial things and focus on more important things.
How to Strengthen the 'Mental Immune System' in Your Brain
# Let's say a parent monitors their child's location through a smartwatch.
As time goes by, parents become accustomed to the peace of mind that smartwatches provide.
Then, when there is a slight problem with the device, I suddenly feel anxious.
'I wonder if something happened to the child?'
# One study found that passengers were more upset when their train was delayed by 30 minutes without warning than when they knew it would be delayed by 60 minutes or more.
In a group of women suspected of having breast cancer, anxiety was highest when the test results were not yet known, and stress decreased the moment the results were heard, even if a malignant tumor was confirmed.
Today, modern people try to alleviate their worries and anxieties by checking various data, news, social media updated every second, and even bodily functions recorded 24 hours a day.
But heart rate doesn't provide meaningful health insights, and stock price trends don't tell you how your stocks will perform in the future.
Smartphone apps have a 50 percent chance of predicting the weather a week from now.
It's no different from the odds of flipping a coin.
In a world full of uncertainty, we find peace of mind through 'false certainty'.
Volker Busch, author of "Freedom from Worry," says that our brains have a system called the "mental immune system" that protects, maintains, heals, and helps the mind grow, and that self-stability depends not on any information but on each person's strategy for dealing with the "mental immune system."
This concept may sound similar to "resilience," but resilience, which focuses on returning to a previous state, does not account for improvement or growth.
The author argues that rather than 'resiliently' bouncing back from adversity, it is transformation through crisis that makes us stronger.
Strength here means knowing what you need to do to better protect yourself.
Just as eating a diet rich in vitamins and minerals and dressing warmly can help reduce the risk of winter cold viruses, so can our minds.
Even if the world constantly coughs at us, if we protect our minds well and build up our resistance to fight off the stress virus, we will never become infected.
Save my life from fake misfortune!
Mental immunity strengthened through practice and training
The good news is that we are born with part of this mental immune system already in place.
However, the rest must be developed step by step through practice and training.
The book presents five ways to do this.
Chapter 1, "Becoming More Flexible," introduces how to cope well with uncertainty.
A study from Yale University School of Medicine found that the frontal lobe of the brain of rhesus monkeys was more active in unpredictable situations.
The author cites scientific evidence that uncertainty awakens our focus and creativity, and argues that rather than avoiding uncertainty, we should constantly engage with it and cultivate tolerance.
Chapter 2, "Focusing on the Good," suggests practicing choosing what's good and what's possible instead of habitually focusing on what's unpleasant, what's failed, and what's threatening.
This balances the brain's cognitive activity, improving our subjective reality without changing the objective world.
A research team at Queen's University has discovered that human thoughts are interconnected like the segments of an insect.
A seemingly endless series of thoughts soon fills our entire heads, crawling like insects and shaking our inner selves.
Chapter 3, "Turning Off Your Thoughts," covers how to distance yourself from your thoughts or detox them to reduce the toxicity of these "thought addictions."
Chapter 4, 'Maintaining Cheerfulness', advises us to loosen the screws of our hearts.
Just because a plan doesn't work doesn't mean you're unprepared, and just because an accident happens doesn't mean you're incompetent.
If we embrace our imperfections and give ourselves space, our mental immune system can become a powerful tool for suppressing inflammation and healing wounds.
Meanwhile, researchers at the University of Toronto studied the diaries of about 2,000 people over several weeks and found that the more people tried to calm their minds and regulate their emotions, the less motivated they were to act.
Because most of my energy was spent protecting my mind, I lacked the strength to take action.
Chapter 5, "Building Confidence," argues that positive expectations about the future provide the creative power to create sustainable change.
Constant exposure to information that bad things will happen can lead to resignation, passivity, and a loss of motivation, whereas the prospect of better things can ignite our passion and give us the courage to "just start."
Attention all anxious perfectionists!
Neuroscience and Psychology Reveal a Worry-Free Routine
The book is broadly divided into two parts: problem situations that hinder the growth of the mental immune system and solutions to deal with them.
Also hidden throughout the pages are fun, scientifically proven tips that can be used in real-world counseling and psychotherapy.
Here are some of them:
* Carry a dice: Roll the dice when you face a minor decision hurdle, like which dish to choose at a restaurant.
You can learn to adapt to unfamiliar choices.
* Wash your hands when you're stressed: Studies have shown that washing your hands can reduce stress and fear levels.
* Find and read complete news: Instead of articles with sensational headlines, read articles that explain the context and conclusion of the incident.
There are surprisingly many 'good endings' in the world.
* Set aside a time to worry: Setting aside a time to think negative thoughts will make it easier to let go of distracting thoughts at other times.
* Frame your thoughts: Imagine that the worries that are bothering you are 'pictures on the wall.'
And imagine moving back one step at a time, the picture getting smaller and smaller.
In this way, the distance between my thoughts and myself widens.
* Offer a bet: Ask a friend who often makes negative predictions to bet money.
The number of words will decrease.
A New York University research team followed 2,400 people for several years and found that those who didn't experience hardships were less happy than those who had to solve various problems.
This is evidence that crisis leads to the growth of the mental immune system.
A crisis forces us to focus our attention on what's right and what's necessary, to reset our priorities, to distinguish between what's important and what's not, and to easily separate the meaningless from the irrelevant.
This book, which offers exercises to strengthen your mental immune system with a unique approach based on brain science and psychology, offers comfort to anxious perfectionists living in an age of excessive anxiety, while reminding us that happiness ultimately lies within our own hearts.
If you find a worry-free routine that's perfect for you based on the mind training methods prescribed in "Freeing Worries," you'll be able to get closer to a happy life where you can let go of trivial things and focus on more important things.
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: January 24, 2025
- Page count, weight, size: 416 pages | 604g | 152*225*22mm
- ISBN13: 9791162544051
- ISBN10: 1162544058
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