The "must-read" book to have better mental health in crazy, busy Asia
Most books on mental health are written for a Western context, and can be hard to relate to.
Written by a Singaporean, this book shares relatable experiences that can help you grow from your small and painful experiences.
You might be confused about what's going on in your mind.
And all that talk about it can make it hard to truly understand what it is, how people suffer through it, and how to help.
We make mental health easy to understand with client stories and interviews with experts.
If you don't know what's going on inside your mind, sometimes, taking time to read the stories of others can help you see your story in their story, and find empathy, and understanding.
You might be stuck with the big decisions.
Like what to study in university. Like whether to change a job. Me too. I was so stuck that I ended up being suicidal.
We took the best of research and made it simple to apply.
They Say
Cofounder, ARC Children's Centre
Believe in yourself, and let this book guide you towards a brighter you - beautiful, radiant and mostly grateful.
Deputy Director, Career and Attachment Office, Nanyang Technological University
A true companion read for any millennial and Gen Z finding one's identity and charting their way forward.
In essence, we often struggle with
How to deal with big questions of life
Who are you? What are you placed on this Earth to do? What's your life purpose? Big questions, with no easy answers.
This book helps you get a better frame on how to deal with these crazy and complex questions, in a simpler manner.
The emotional cuts of life which weigh us down
The small emotional cuts of rejection, say from another date, or the failure from getting a job you want, can get to you. Eventually you feel tired and jaded of life, and you're not sure why you're no longer excited anymore. Learn how to deal with them.
Loneliness and a lack of understanding
We aren't that great at keeping friends, are we? We treat them like low maintenance cactus that we can return to whenever we feel ready, and we slowly find ourselves lonely, and tired. We want and can grow these friendships intentionally.
the author
John went from thinking of suicide, to an overseas scholarship.
Through that process, he learnt that the small, inconvenient, and painful emotions could serve as greater avenues of growth within us.
We often discount them because they are messy and discomforting, but it's only when we are able to deal with them that we can grow.
why buy this?
Possibly the most relatable book on mental health
Strategies that are easy to apply
John shares easy to apply strategies like emotional first aid, which you can apply easily and learn from.
Story focused
Most books are academic, and dare we say, boring. This book shares personal stories of John's walk through mental health and how he managed to overcome it with practical strategies.
Singaporean, Asian context
We do know that most experts are based in the West, with their advice and stories often being distant and unrelatable. This shares John's personal narrative and something that can make it easier to understand.
The problem with most mental health books today
Too academic (and boring!)
Many mental health books can be written for academics to study and read, but may not necessarily be very interesting.
Examples are for a Western cultural context
Even if the content is a personal narrative, much of the work is often based on cultures in the West, which can be hard to understand in a more performance focused culture like Singapore and Asia. It can also be hard it within a context that is more conservative and speaks less about emotions.
They are not written by the young, for the young
We know that today's mental health epidemic is driven largely by the growth in mental distress between the 21-30s, with many of them suffering from the ill-effects of constant comparison over social media, amongst many others.
Yet most books today are written by older people, which may be unrelatable to the young.
testimonials
Check what experts have said
This book is raw, and real. A Singaporean child will read and be able to understand the yearnings and pains of the system.
Dr Geraldine Tan
A must-read for parents, educators, social workers, and anyone interested in the mental well-being of young people.
Dr Daniel Fung
It should benefit young people and those who care for and are responsible for them to face challenging issues with hope and confidence.