Self-Discipline in Difficult Times

Pressing Ahead (or Not) When Your World Turns Upside Down (Self-Help Essays)

By: Martin Meadows

Narrated by: John Gagnepain

How to Press Ahead (and Should You?) When All Is Wrong

As much as we’d like to avoid suffering in life, all of us will occasionally face earth-shattering hardships. You might be dealing with one now, or perhaps your friend or a loved one is, or maybe you’d just like to prepare yourself for when one inevitably occurs in your life. Self-Discipline in Difficult Times is the right book for you if you want to learn how to press ahead as your world turns upside down.

Some of the topics I discuss in the book include:

• In which situations self-help advice helps and in which you should stay away from it
• How to avoid making a bad situation worse when you’re under too much pressure
• How to take care of yourself during difficult times without sabotaging your long-term goals
• How to begin the process of recovery with three fundamental strategies
• How to prepare yourself for inevitable future crises with an uncomfortable, but effective practice
• How to help a friend struggling with a crisis

Mental resilience is our most important tool for surviving a rupture. This book can give you some hope and comfort that you’re not alone in whatever you’re facing.

©2020 Martin Meadows (P)2020 Martin Publishing

Survival Guide for the Hurting

This book is different than his others on self discipline. It gives good practical stategies when dealing with loss. i am glad i listened to it before a crisis so i could benefit from his advice. Only a person who has dealt with loss could dig deep in the bowels of it to share this kind of advice. short and sweet, i would recommend this book

Stress Management For Stressful Times

This book may be called Self-Discipline in Difficult Times, but the subtitle actually seems to better sum up what this book is about: stress management so that you can actually take steps forward when you feel like shutting down.

And it covers that subject well in a succinct time frame (less than 90 minutes total listen time).

While the narration was adequate (not my favorite narration, but listenable), the content was good, and I found this worth my time to listen to.

I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

A timely and helpful guide

I am writing this review in the spring of 2020. I read this book while waiting for results of my Covid-19 test. Talk about a difficult time! I tested negative, but it still isn’t clear why I have symptoms. This book gives me something to hold onto in a very uncertain time. It points out that priorities change and it’s good to be gentle with ourselves, but going too far into a lack of structure has its own pitfalls, too. Changing circumstances may mean it’s time to work on something altogether different. For instance, he mentions taking a yoga class on YouTube when he can’t go to the gym, thus improving his flexibility, which really needed it. My only concern was the emphasis on “voluntary suffering.” This concept would have worked better for me with a focus on increasing resilience. Also, I don’t know how to judge when something is going too far in either the direction of self-indulgence or stress. I must be careful about not entering abusive situations, so this is an important distinction for me. I am grateful for this book. I reviewed it in exchange for a free copy.

For you and your loved ones

While I am a fan of Martin Meadows and all of his books, this one is different from his others. With that being said, I find this book prudent and crucial in this time.
This book is for those being adversely affected by the quarantine. However, if not impacted deeply by this pandemic, this is beneficial for any difficult moment in life: Job loss, financial status change, diagnosis, etc. Furthermore, if you are not currently experiencing a difficult life transition but a loved one is, this book can help you in supporting this loved one.
Many self-help books come from a “toughen-up” perspective, which can be helpful at times. Martin Meadows, however, approaches the reader with much-needed compassion. This is some thing I have not come across in other self-help books. This can be very soothing for readers and helpful in the healing process. He speaks to the true feelings of the experience and honors the reader’s current position.
While this book was offered for free in exchange for a review, I would still purchase this book, not only for myself, but to support those I love.

Empathetic and Understanding

Great first step. Reminds you of what’s important, slow down, and remember to be patient and accepting of yourself and circumstances.