First published 2015
Richard O'Connor builds on his work from Undoing Depression to tackle destructive habits at their neurological roots. He presents a dual brain model where conscious intention competes with automatic responses that drive most daily decisions. O'Connor demonstrates how the automatic brain creates patterns like procrastination, excessive worry, internet addiction, overeating, dangerous risk-taking, and self-medication. His approach focuses on retraining these unconscious systems rather than relying solely on willpower. The book provides practical methods for developing mindfulness, building self-control, confronting fears directly, and eliminating unproductive guilt. O'Connor maps specific strategies for interrupting reflexive behaviors and resisting immediate temptations. Readers learn to redirect their automatic responses toward more beneficial patterns. The framework offers concrete tools for overcoming distraction and self-sabotage across multiple areas of life.
Genres: psychology, mental-health, self-help, non-fiction
Vibes: intimate, practical, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-development, self-improvement
304 pages · Paperback · Plume