Open When…

A Companion for Life’s Twists & Turns

By: Julie Smith

Narrated by: Dr Julie Smith

Brought to you by Penguin.

A SUNDAY TIMES BEST SELLER.

THE NEW BOOK FROM MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING PSYCHOLOGIST DR JULIE.

Start the New Year with fresh insights, renewed purpose, and strategies for personal development
"This is the book for us all, for ourselves when we need to find a way through, for our children as they fly the nest, our friends that live out of reach, and for our family when we can't find the words to say."

This is the book for life's twists and turns, when being human starts to get complicated.

A must-have companion to Dr Julie's international bestseller Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, which taught us the skills to strengthen our future mental health, Open When... is the book to turn to when you find yourself in the eye of the storm.

Within this book are a series of Open When style letters from Dr Julie to help navigate the moments of overwhelm, confusion or self-doubt that we all face when life gets messy. Offering calm, clarity and a laser focus on the best way forward, each personal letter is followed by real-time tools that will help you re-frame the situation and decide on your next move.

Every chapter covers a new scenario; universal problems that each of us will likely face at some point. So, whether you are experiencing stress, pressure to perform, dealing with difficult people, trying to fit in, making big decisions, arguments with your partner, or big emotions that are causing anxiety, Open When... brings the words you need to hear to put you back on the front foot, feeling ready to take on everything life throws your way.

Praise for Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?

'Sound wisdom, easy to gulp down. I'm sure this book is already helping lots of people.' MATT HAIG, bestselling author of REASONS TO STAY ALIVE
'If you want to feel like you have a therapist sitting across from you, empowering you with how to be your best self, this book is for you!' Nicole LePera, New York Times bestselling author of How to Do the Work
'Full of sound, helpful advice with life skills, from building confidence to managing stress' Sunday Times

© Julie Smith 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

Critic reviews

Absolutely extraordinary...I needed this book 30 years ago.

Praise for the author

Full of sound, helpful advice with life skills, from building confidence to managing stress

It's so engaging that it's even led me to switch off my phone for several hours so I can read it, and in this social media-obsessed age, I don't think I can give a bigger recommendation than that (Bryony Gordon)

This book is a goldmine. I truly treat it like a handbook now - when I feel an unpleasant feeling brewing or come up against a tricky moment at work or in my relationships, my first thought is to wonder what Smith might suggest

So much advice on such a wide variety of things: it's brilliant. So helpful

The book's great. It's real, it's authentic . . . Very practical and very, very helpful

Great listen, highly recommend

This book is a great lil companion and I already know I'll return to certain chapters from time to time. It's super helpful that you can jump to particular chapters of interest and listen/read in any order and can return in times of need to specific sections to help in the moment.

Also love that this was narrated by the author herself.

Highly recommend.