Book summary
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before: book summary
by Dr Julie Smith
Learn the big ideas and best quotes from Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before. Written for practising leaders, not students of theory.
Notes by Toby Sinclair · 19 Feb 2022 · 3 min read
A practising leader's notes on this book.
3 big ideas
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before summary of big ideas:
When we understand a little about how our minds work and we have some guideposts on how to deal with our emotions in a healthy way, we not only build resilience, but we can thrive and, over time, find a sense of growth.
We can democratize mental health and therapeutic services by sharing the tools to help people.
It's not a replacement for trained professionals. However, a little education can go a long way to help people live healthier lives.
With a few simple tools, you can be better prepared to tackle some of life's biggest challenges: grief, low mood, lack of motivation, fear and self-doubt.
Written from the seat of a practising organisational leader — not an AI recap of the book. Cite as Toby Sinclair, book summary of Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before by Dr Julie Smith.
Toby's takeaway
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before is one of the most practical self-help books I've read. The practical nature of the book is important. You cannot think your way to well-being. Many self-help books focus on mindset. This can easily create the assumption that thinking is all you need to fix problems. Our mindset is formed by what we do, not just what we think. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before shares the tools to help you act your way to better mental health.
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before is one of several self-help books seeking to democratize mental health support. You Coach You is another great book that provides tools to help your wellbeing. One of my other favourites is The Coaches Casebook which explores the 12 Traits That Trap Us.
At the heart of Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before is behaviour change. To change ur thinking we must change our behaviour. This isn't easy. Especially when low mood leads us to those "I can't be bothered days". Starting with small, easy steps helps you make progress. Atomic Habits and Tiny Habits are two additional self-help books that reinforce this idea.
I've curated a collection of 50 coaching tools. Many of these are shared in Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before. These tools can be used for self-coaching or helping the people you support at home and work.
Buy Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before on Amazon
Should you read this?
Toby's Rating: 8/10
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before is one of the most practical self-help books I've read. The practical nature of the book is important. You cannot think your way to well-being. Many self-help books focus on mindset. This can easily create the assumption that thinking is all you need to fix problems. Our mindset is formed by what we do, not just what we think. Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before shares the tools to help you act your way to better mental health.
Big Ideas Expanded
Dr. Julie Smith is a clinical psychologist with 3 million TikTok followers.
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before explores many of the similar topics shared in her videos.
Here are a collection of the best videos to expand on the ideas in this Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before summary.
Chapter 1 - Low Mood
Chapter 2 - Motivation
Chapter 3 - Emotional Pain
Chapter 4 - Greif
Chapter 5 - Self-Doubt
Chapter 6 - Fear
Chapter 7 - Stress
Chapter 8 - Meaning
Best quotes
To me, working on maximizing our mental health is no different to working on our physical health.
Lots of self-help books tell us to get our mindset right. They tell us, ‘What you think will change how you feel.’ But they often miss something crucial. It doesn’t end there. The relationship works both ways. The way you feel also influences the types of thoughts that can pop into your head, making you more vulnerable to experiencing thoughts that are negative and self-critical.
Questions
- Should I read Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
- Learn the big ideas and best quotes from Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before. Written for practising leaders, not students of theory.
- Who is Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before for?
- Practising leaders, coaches, and anyone doing the work — not students of theory.
If the ideas landed, read the book.
Buy Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before on Amazon