The Book of Overthinking

Smith's book, based on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), provides a language to articulate things that can feel hard to express - compulsive unwanted thoughts, for instance, are called 'thought viruses'. Her table of worries, where she estimates that only 8 per cent of our worries are 'real' worries and only half of those can we actually do anything about, is intriguing. The message is not to stop thinking about the things that matter, but to stop thinking about the 96 per cent of things that don't and that we cannot do anything about. Smith's thoughts on the roots of overthinking resonate deeply with me. In particular the impact of 'role modelling' - whereby a child mimics the behaviour of their parent - prompts me to realise that my ruminative nature is, if not inevitable, then extremely likely, as I grew up in a family of overthinkers. -- Pandora Sykes * Sunday Times *
The Book of Overthinking . . . is guaranteed to help anyone whose life is being negatively impacted by worry. -- MiNDFOOD * MiNDFOOD *
full of techniques to help you get out of the downward spiral worry can take you on [...] this book could really help readers develop confidence in their ability to work through those worrisome moments that present in our lives. -- Kim Higginson * New Zealand Mental Health Foundation *
Gwendoline Smith . . . cleverly articulates her ideas, analogies, and solutions on how to deal with thought viruses that feed worry, low self-esteem, and negative thinking. It's food for anxious thinkers and written in simple, concise language that sticks. -- Grace Cahill * Irish Daily Mail *