Switch Craft: The Hidden Power of Mental Agility

by Elaine Fox

Overview

“In clear and accessible language, Elaine Fox shows how psychological science can help you to be agile in meeting challenges and to be flexible when things change. Drawing on personal experience and years of applying her research in coaching elite performance, she shows how adopting a few key skills can transform your life in profound ways. A book full of important insights.”—Mark Williams, Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology University and coauthor of the international bestseller Mindfulness: An Eight Week-Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World

“Switch Craft is a fascinating book, packed full of practical advice on how to help you survive and thrive in an uncertain world. Written by a leading academic, it offers real insights in how to cope with the stresses and strains of a post-covid world.”—Michael Mosley, New York Times bestselling author and science journalist

Discover how expanding and improving your mental agility—your ability to flex your thoughts, feelings, and actions—can transform your life, bolster your resilience, and foster your zest for living.

Endless self-help approaches claim to have the answer. It's important to be mindful, we are told, and to stay in the moment. Sometimes, we are advised to keep going no matter what, to be 'gritty'. Others tell us that adopting a 'growth mindset' is key.

However, the truth is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to dealing with life. Elaine Fox, one of the world's leading psychologists and performance coaches, has witnessed this time and again. In her work coaching top athletes, military leaders and business professionals, she has seen that it's the people who know how and when to switch between different approaches - people who have an agile mind - who achieve the best performance.

Drawing on 25 years of scientific research, Fox shares with us her step-by-step guide to what she calls 'switchcraft': the set of skills we need to navigate a complex and uncertain world. Whether it's coping with a difficult boss, overcoming a fear, dealing with hyperactive children, resolving a dispute with a friend or making a difficult choice about where to live or what to do, switchcraft helps us thrive in any situation.

Like your own personal life coach, Switch Craft shows you how to break out of a rigid mindset to restore your fulfilment, curiosity and zest for life.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063030084
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	1,021,536
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 6.10(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

Elaine Fox, PhD is a psychologist, author, and the Head of the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide, Australia. Prior to her move to Australia, Dr. Fox founded and directed the Oxford Centre for Emotions & Affective Neuroscience (OCEAN) at the University of Oxford, a renowned research center exploring the nature of resilience and mental wellbeing. A cognitive psychologist by training, she is a leading mental health researcher combining genetics, psychology, and neuroscience in her work. Dr. Fox also runs Oxford Elite Performance, a consulting group bringing cutting-edge science and psychology to those at the top levels of sport, business, and the military. Her 2012 book Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain is an international bestseller.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

The Fundamentals Why Switch Craft Matters

Chapter 1 Accepting Change and Adapting to It 15

Chapter 2 Managing Uncertainty and Worry 32

Chapter 3 The Flexibility of Nature 51

Chapter 4 Agility and Resilience 59

The First Pillar of Switch Craft Mental Agility

Chapter 5 The Benefits of Mental Agility 73

Chapter 6 The Nuts and Bolts of Agility in the Brain: Cognitive Flexibility 90

Chapter 7 The ABCD of Mental Agility 108

The Second Pillar of Switch Craft Self-Awareness

Chapter 8 Know Thyself 141

Chapter 9 Beliefs and Values 165

The Third Pillar of Switch Craft Emotional Awareness

Chapter 10 Understanding Your Emotions 187

Chapter 11 Learning to Regulate Your Emotions 209

The Fourth Pillar of Switch Craft Situational Awareness

Chapter 12 The Nature of Intuition 237

Chapter 13 Looking Outside: How Context Fuels Intuition 251

Conclusion: Some Key Principles of Switch Craft 270

Appendix 1 281

Appendix 2 282

Notes 287

Acknowledgments 325

Index 329

Editorial Reviews

Switch Craft is a fascinating book, packed full of practical advice on how to help you survive and thrive in an uncertain world. Written by a leading academic, it offers real insights in how to cope with the stresses and strains of a post-covid world” — Michael Mosley, New York Times bestselling author and science journalist

"A book full of important insights. In clear and accessible language, Elaine Fox shows how psychological science can help you to be agile in meeting challenges and to be flexible when things change. Drawing on personal experience and years of applying her research in coaching elite performance, she shows how adopting a few key skills can transform your life in profound ways." — Mark Williams, co-author of Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World and Professor Emeritus of Clinical Psychology University of Oxford

From the Publisher

Switch Craft is a fascinating book, packed full of practical advice on how to help you survive and thrive in an uncertain world. Written by a leading academic, it offers real insights in how to cope with the stresses and strains of a post-covid world

Michael Mosley

"A book full of important insights. In clear and accessible language, Elaine Fox shows how psychological science can help you to be agile in meeting challenges and to be flexible when things change. Drawing on personal experience and years of applying her research in coaching elite performance, she shows how adopting a few key skills can transform your life in profound ways."

Mark Williams

Gráinne Gillis’s deep, well-trained voice, with its light Irish accent, is a perfect match for performing Irish-born psychologist Elaine Fox’s audiobook on managing life transitions. The audiobook is a treasure trove of research, stories, and assessments to encourage and guide listeners to build their mental agility. Fox shares her experiences of coaching athletes, military leaders, and business professionals, as well as the wealth of research and knowledge that support her recommended strategies for handling life’s challenges. Gillis delivers the information clearly at a slow, even pace, which is helpful for taking it all in. While listeners will certainly be engaged and gain insights, some learners might find it more helpful to read this in print so they can complete the many assessments provided. E.Q. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2022 - AudioFile

Gráinne Gillis’s deep, well-trained voice, with its light Irish accent, is a perfect match for performing Irish-born psychologist Elaine Fox’s audiobook on managing life transitions. The audiobook is a treasure trove of research, stories, and assessments to encourage and guide listeners to build their mental agility. Fox shares her experiences of coaching athletes, military leaders, and business professionals, as well as the wealth of research and knowledge that support her recommended strategies for handling life’s challenges. Gillis delivers the information clearly at a slow, even pace, which is helpful for taking it all in. While listeners will certainly be engaged and gain insights, some learners might find it more helpful to read this in print so they can complete the many assessments provided. E.Q. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2022 - AudioFile