Psychologist Eckleberry-Hunt (Swear Your Way to Sanity) provides helpful tips for moving past negative self-talk in this light guide. Though she recommends mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy, she posits that sometimes one must use the “powerful mood changer” of self-talk to break oneself out of unhealthy patterns. To this end, swearing is recommended, as there is “power in profanity” and it can be helpful in reducing anger and making light of situations. However, the bulk of the advice is straight-forward self-help fare, and Eckleberry-Hunt uses the “second arrow” of Buddhist teaching as an extended metaphor to illustrate how self-criticism can create or add to personal problems, compounding the harm being caused. Chapters address various aspects of one’s life, including work, health, parenting, relationships, and trauma. Journaling and "noticing" questions, such as self-assessment questions for discerning one’s relationship or work style, are the main actions asked of the reader, and the book is loaded with irreverent asides and prompts to assist in gaining insight into why and when harmful self-talk is triggered. A final chapter explores the "transtheoretical” psychological model for making personal changes—consisting of precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance—focusing mainly on the final stage of maintenance to sustain change: “old habits never die, they just hibernate." This is an excellent wake-up call for those wracked by self-criticism.
Review in Publishers Weekly (US), June 2020