Damon Ashworth Psychology

Tag: meditation

Ten Books for Deep Thinking: Focus, Compassion, and Life’s Big Questions (30-21)
My top 100 non-fiction books countdown explores some of life’s most profound challenges. It addresses how to make a meaningful difference and overcome our mental limitations. It also delves into facing mortality and cultivating wisdom in an increasingly complex world.

For earlier books in the countdown: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41, 40-31.

Here are books 30-21…

30. Doing Good Better: How Effective Altruism Can Help You Make a Difference by William MacAskill

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.19/5

MacAskill introduces effective altruism—using evidence and reason to determine how to do the most good possible. This approach does not rely on intuition or emotion. It evaluates causes and charities based on effectiveness. This helps assess scalability and how neglected causes are to maximise positive impact.

What makes it special: This book transforms charity from an emotional impulse into rigorous science. It shows how small donations can save lives when directed effectively. It challenges conventional wisdom about giving and career choices with data-driven analysis.

Perfect for: People who want to make a meaningful difference in the world, such as donors, philanthropists, and social entrepreneurs. Additionally, anyone curious about rational approaches to ethics and giving.

Key takeaway: Consider cost-effectiveness when giving—some interventions are thousands of times more effective than others. Choose careers based on your ability to have a positive impact. You can do this directly through your work or by “earning to give.”

29. ‘The Brain that Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science’ by Norman Doidge

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.20/5

Doidge reveals the revolutionary discovery of neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to reorganize and form new neural connections throughout life. Through compelling case studies, he shows how people have overcome strokes, learning disabilities, and brain damage by harnessing the brain’s capacity to rewire itself.

What makes it special: This book fundamentally challenged how we understood the brain. Doidge encouraged us to stop thinking of it as a “fixed machine” to a more dynamic, adaptable organ. The real-life stories of recovery and transformation are both scientifically rigorous and deeply inspiring.

Perfect for: People interested in neuroscience, psychology, rehabilitation, and self-improvement. Patients recovering from brain injuries or neurological conditions or their family and friends may be interested. Also, educators and therapists looking for evidence-based approaches.

Key takeaway: “Use it or lose it”—neural circuits strengthen with practice and weaken without use. Mental practice, visualisation, and focused attention can physically reshape your brain, making learning and recovery possible at any age.

28. Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress by Steven Pinker

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.20/5

Pinker presents overwhelming evidence that human progress is real and measurable. Despite negative news cycles, metrics like life expectancy, poverty reduction, literacy rates, and declining violence show dramatic improvements. These improvements are driven by Enlightenment values of reason, science, and humanism.

What makes it special: This meticulously researched book counters pessimism with hard data. It shows that the world is actually getting better by most objective measures. Pinker doesn’t ignore current challenges but provides essential perspective on long-term trends.

Perfect for: Readers interested in history, science, philosophy, and social progress. It also suits skeptics and optimists seeking a data-driven perspective. Educators, policymakers, and advocates of reason and humanism will find it appealing too.

Key takeaway: Progress is fragile and requires active defense through education, critical thinking, and continued application of scientific methods. Optimism should be grounded in evidence, not ideology.

27. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.20/5

Burkeman argues that traditional productivity advice fails because it ignores our fundamental limitation. We don’t have an infinite amount of time. Therefore, we will always have to prioritise some things and not do others. Instead of trying to optimise everything, we should embrace our finitude, accept uncertainty, and focus deeply on what truly matters.

What makes it special: This book is an antidote to toxic productivity culture. It offers a philosophical approach to time management that prioritises meaning over efficiency. It challenges the entire premise of most time management advice.

Perfect for: Anyone overwhelmed by time pressure or productivity culture. It’s also ideal for people seeking a more meaningful, balanced relationship with time. Additionally, it suits readers interested in philosophy, psychology, and self-help with a realistic approach.

Key takeaway: Stop trying to control everything and instead focus on a few meaningful projects. Embrace the “joy of missing out” and accept that some things will remain unfinished—this reduces pressure and increases presence.

26. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers – Straight Talk on the Challenges of Entrepreneurship by Ben Horowitz

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.21/5

Horowitz provides unvarnished advice for entrepreneurs and leaders facing the brutal realities of building companies. Unlike business school theory, this book focuses on making tough decisions with incomplete information. It emphasises managing during crises and maintaining psychological resilience as a leader.

What makes it special: This is a rare business book. It honestly addresses the emotional and psychological toll of leadership. Horowitz combines practical advice with vulnerable personal stories from his experience as a CEO and venture capitalist.

Perfect for: Startup founders, CEOs, and business leaders. Entrepreneurs navigating uncertainty and growth. Anyone interested in leadership, management, and entrepreneurship.

Key takeaway: There is no recipe for success in real-world business—you must be comfortable making decisions without perfect information. Lead with candor, focus on building strong culture, and develop systems to manage your own psychology during difficult periods.

25. Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind: Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice by Shunryu Suzuki

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.22/5

Suzuki introduces the essential Zen concept of “beginner’s mind”—approaching life with openness, eagerness, and freedom from preconceptions. Expert’s mind, filled with fixed ideas, limits perception and learning, while beginner’s mind remains curious and receptive.

What makes it special: This slim, profound book distills centuries of Zen wisdom. It offers accessible insights about mindfulness, acceptance, and presence. It’s both a meditation guide and a philosophy for approaching all of life with greater awareness.

Perfect for: Beginners and seasoned practitioners of meditation and Zen. It is ideal for anyone seeking a mindful, open, and grounded approach to life. It also suits people interested in spirituality, philosophy, and self-awareness.

Key takeaway: Maintain beginner’s mind in all activities—approach each moment with fresh attention rather than assumptions. Practice with full attention while letting go of attachment to specific results.

24. Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of RAIN by Tara Brach

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.22/5

Brach presents the RAIN practice—Recognize, Accept, Investigate, Nurture—as a method for developing radical compassion toward ourselves and others. This mindfulness-based approach transforms difficult emotions and experiences through kind, curious awareness rather than resistance.

What makes it special: This book provides a practical, step-by-step method for developing emotional resilience and compassion. Brach combines Buddhist wisdom with modern psychology, making ancient practices accessible for contemporary healing.

Perfect for: People struggling with self-criticism, anxiety, or emotional pain. It is also suitable for those seeking a practical path to mindfulness and compassion. Therapists, caregivers, and anyone interested in emotional healing might find it beneficial.

Key takeaway: Instead of pushing away discomfort, use RAIN to befriend and understand difficult experiences. Self-compassion creates the foundation for genuine compassion toward others and healing in the world.

23. Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death by Irvin D. Yalom

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.23/5

Yalom, a renowned existential therapist, explores how fear of death underlies much of our anxiety and psychological suffering. He argues that facing mortality directly, rather than avoiding it, actually enhances life appreciation and reduces existential anxiety.

What makes it special: This book tackles the ultimate taboo—death—with therapeutic wisdom and philosophical depth. Yalom combines clinical experience with personal reflection, showing how death awareness can be liberating rather than paralyzing.

Perfect for: People struggling with death anxiety or grief. Therapists and Counsellors working with existential issues; anyone interested in existential psychology and personal growth.

Key takeaway: Awareness of mortality does not create despair. Instead, it motivates us to prioritise what truly matters. It encourages us to live more authentically. Love and connection provide meaning that transcends individual existence.

22. Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention – and How to Think Deeply Again by Johann Hari

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.23/5

Hari investigates the modern attention crisis, revealing how technology companies, work culture, and environmental factors systematically fragment our focus. He argues that reclaiming deep attention requires both personal practices and systemic changes to how society is organized.

What makes it special: This book combines personal narrative with investigative journalism. It reveals how the “attention economy” exploits human psychology for profit. Hari provides both individual solutions and calls for broader societal reform.

Perfect for: Anyone struggling with distraction or seeking better focus. It is also ideal for educators, employers, and policymakers interested in attention and productivity. Additionally, it suits readers concerned about the impact of technology on society.

Key takeaway: Technology companies profit from fragmented attention, deliberately designing platforms to maximize engagement at the cost of deep thinking. Reclaiming focus requires both personal boundaries and systemic changes to protect human attention.

21. The School of Life: An Emotional Education by Alain de Botton

Goodreads.com star rating = 4.24/5

De Botton argues that traditional education fails to teach the most important life skills: understanding emotions, building relationships, handling disappointment, and finding meaning. He presents emotional education as essential curriculum for navigating adult life with wisdom and resilience.

What makes it special: This book fills the gap left by formal education. It teaches practical emotional and social skills through philosophical reflection. De Botton makes psychology and philosophy accessible while addressing universal human challenges.

Perfect for: Anyone seeking practical emotional skills to improve life quality. It suits those interested in personal growth, relationships, and mental well-being. It is also for readers frustrated by traditional education’s lack of emotional focus.

Key takeaway: Self-knowledge is foundational to emotional health—understanding your triggers, fears, and desires enables wiser choices. Balance ambition with contentment, and practice compassion and forgiveness as learnable skills.

The Ultimate Integration

This collection reveals the deepest patterns in human flourishing:
- Face reality directly. Face death anxiety, attention fragmentation, or entrepreneurial challenges head-on. Growth comes from honest confrontation with difficult truths.
- Compassion can help you transform. RAIN practice and Zen acceptance are methods you can use. Approaching ourselves and others with kindness creates the conditions for healing and growth.
- Sometime evidence is more accurate than our intuition. Data-driven approaches often reveal counterintuitive truths. This is true whether in giving effectively or understanding brain plasticity.
- Focus on the present. From Zen mindfulness to mortality awareness, focusing on the here-and-now enhances both peace and effectiveness.
Your Wisdom Practice

Remember: the books that change your life aren’t necessarily the ones that comfort you. They are the ones that expand your understanding of what’s possible. This expansion occurs when you approach yourself, others, and life’s challenges with greater awareness, skill, compassion, and courage.

Stay tuned for the next 10 books…

Dr Damon Ashworth

Clinical Psychologist
October 8, 2025
Essential Non-Fiction Books for Personal Development: 90-81

Last week, I began my top 100 non-fiction books countdown. Here are books 90-81…

90. Paranoia: A Journey Into Extreme Mistrust and Anxiety by Daniel Freeman

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.81/5

Freeman tries to reduce the stigma around paranoia. He shows that it exists on a spectrum. At the extreme end, paranoia is a sign of schizophrenia or paranoid personality disorder. But people without a mental health disorder experience paranoia too. From everyday suspicion to clinical paranoia, mistrust is often rooted in real experiences like trauma or discrimination.

What makes it special: It connects paranoia to modern pressures like social media and surveillance. It offers both empathy and practical cognitive strategies.

Perfect for: Mental health professionals, anyone experiencing paranoid thoughts, and readers interested in how fear and mistrust shape society.

Key takeaway: Paranoia is not a mysterious or rare condition. It is a common human experience that exists on a continuum. It can be scientifically understood. Most importantly, it can be effectively addressed through proper recognition and empirically supported treatment approaches.

89. The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel H. Pink

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.83/5

Pink flips the script on regret. He argues that regret is not weakness, but wisdom in disguise. Based on the World Regret Survey findings, Pink identifies four core types of regret. These are 1. foundation regrets, 2. boldness regrets, 3. moral regrets and connection regrets. He shows how engaging with them constructively leads to better decisions.

What makes it special: It is a refreshing counter to toxic positivity. It treats regret as essential to growth. It comes with practical tools for self-compassion and onward movement.

Perfect for: Anyone reflecting on life choices, therapists and coaches, and fans of evidence-based emotional intelligence.

Key takeaway: Rather than avoiding or suppressing regret, we should embrace it as valuable emotional data. It reveals our deepest values. This data can guide us toward better decisions and a more fulfilling life.

88. Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnam

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.85/5

Putnam documents the collapse of social capital in the US from its peak in 1964. The decline continued until the book was published in 2000. He shows how we’ve become increasingly isolated in our real lives and less engaged in our communities despite technological connection. It was prescient about today’s loneliness epidemic and institutional distrust.

What makes it special: Rigorous social science that explains modern disconnection while offering hope through examples of community revival.

Perfect for: Community leaders, anyone interested in sociology and civic engagement, and those seeking to understand political polarisation.

Key takeaway: Putnam calls for rebuilding social capital through new forms of civic engagement suited to modern life. He shows that strong communities and democracy need active participation, not just individual achievement. Community connections aren’t just nice to have – they’re fundamental to both individual and societal well-being.

87. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir by Haruki Murakami

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.87/5

Murakami has written some amazing novels. His meditative memoir reflects on running as a metaphor for life, creativity, and getting older. It explores discipline, solitude, and the quiet satisfaction of showing up daily.

What makes it special: Beautiful simplicity that resists hustle culture in favour of sustainable, meaningful practice. It’s about the why, not the how.

Perfect for: Runners, writers, introverts, and anyone seeking insight into creative discipline and ageing gracefully.

Key takeaway: Success is measured in years and decades, not days or weeks. Both running and writing are about building something sustainable over time rather than achieving quick victories. Meaningful work, whether creative or physical, requires a long-term practice approach. It is not just a series of individual performances.

86. The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values by Sam Harris

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.90/5

Harris argues that science can and should inform morality, challenging the traditional divide between facts and values. He centres human well-being as an objective criterion for ethical judgment.

What makes it special: A secular, evidence-based approach to ethics that bridges neuroscience, philosophy, and practical morality.

Perfect for: Philosophy enthusiasts, scientists interested in ethics, and those seeking non-religious foundations for moral reasoning.

Key takeaway: Empirical evidence about what actually promotes human flourishing can help inform our morals. Ethics should be informed by evidence, rather than tradition or ideology. Moral progress requires treating ethics as a domain where objective knowledge is possible. It should not be just a matter of opinion or cultural preference.

85. Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence by Anna Lembke

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.90/5

Lembke explains how modern society’s excess of dopamine triggers—screens, sugar, social media—disrupts our brain’s balance, leading to addictive behaviours. She offers practical wisdom on finding balance in an age of endless temptation.

What makes it special: Combines cutting-edge neuroscience with compassionate clinical stories, providing actionable advice on “dopamine fasting” and mindful moderation.

Perfect for: Anyone struggling with digital overload, addiction, or compulsive behaviours, plus mental health professionals.

Key takeaway: In our pursuit of constant pleasure, we’ve created our own misery. True contentment comes from restoring balance through mindful consumption and occasional voluntary discomfort.

84. The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil by Philip G. Zimbardo

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.91/5

Zimbardo is well known in psychology circles for his infamous Stanford Prison Experiment. Some suggest that Zimbardo instructed the guards to commit the “evil” behaviours. This makes the studies on conformity and obedience to authority more interesting to me than his prison experiment. Nonetheless, he strongly believes that ordinary people can commit extraordinary evil under certain conditions. He shows that systems and situations often matter more than individual character.

What makes it special: Zimbardo’s research challenges simple explanations of evil. It raises crucial questions about power, authority, and moral responsibility.

Perfect for: Psychology students, anyone interested in ethics and human nature, and those seeking to understand abuse of power.

Key takeaway: We must understand the psychological mechanisms that enable evil to prevent it. The environment has a bigger impact on who does evil than we realise.

83. How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide by Peter Boghossian and James Lindsay

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.91/5

This practical guide offers concrete techniques for navigating difficult conversations with curiosity rather than confrontation.

What makes it special: It goes beyond vague advice. It teaches specific skills like Socratic questioning and active listening. It respects all sides while promoting genuine dialogue.

Perfect for: Anyone frustrated by polarised debates or mediators, teachers, leaders, and those interested in critical thinking.

Key takeaway: Even the most “impossible” conversations can become productive. This happens when we shift from trying to win arguments to genuinely seeking understanding. We need to find common ground through specific, learnable techniques.

82. Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain and Body by Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.91/5

Leading Neuroscientist Davidson and emotional intelligence expert Goleman reveal the hard science behind meditation’s effects on the brain. They distinguish between temporary states and lasting “altered traits.”

What makes it special: Rigorous neuroscience that cuts through the hype surrounding meditation. It focuses on how sustained meditation practice can create fundamental changes. These changes are lasting and alter the structure of the brain.

Perfect for: Meditators, sceptics wanting evidence-based insights, mental health professionals, and anyone interested in intentional mental training.

Key takeaway: Meditation can genuinely alter the brain in beneficial ways. But there are only four key benefits of regular and long-term meditation with strong scientific support. These are: 1. altered pain perception and reduced suffering from pain, 2. enhanced attention, 3. reduced stress reactivity, and 4. increased compassion. We should avoid making inflated claims about the benefits of meditation. It is better to just give people realistic expectations based on solid science.

81. Ethics in the Real World: 86 Brief Essays on Things that Matter by Peter Singer

Goodreads.com star rating = 3.93/5

The influential philosopher tackles contemporary ethical dilemmas in 86 brief, clear essays. Using utilitarian principles, Singer challenges readers on animal rights, global poverty, climate change, and how to live ethically today.

What makes it special: Uncompromising moral philosophy is applied to practical decisions. This ranges from what to eat to how to donate. It includes a consistent logical framework.

Perfect for: Philosophy enthusiasts, social justice advocates, anyone interested in applied ethics and utilitarian thinking.

Key takeaway: Ethics isn’t abstract philosophy. It’s practical guidance for making the world better. This is done through reasoned, evidence-based moral decision-making focused on reducing suffering.

Stay tuned for part 3 next week…

Dr Damon Ashworth

Clinical Psychologist

August 21, 2025
Can You Improve Your Sleep By Going to a Sleep Retreat?
Just the other week, I was featured in the Daily Telegraph and the Herald Sun on sleep retreats. It was weird because I had been planning on running some sleep retreats but hadn’t yet. Stranger still, I hadn’t told anyone about my idea yet, and it was the first article that I have been mentioned in that I am aware of without being interviewed or asked for permission first.

In the article, the first recommended retreat was Golden Door in the Hunter Valley, NSW. From what others had told me about it, it is generally known as a well-being retreat rather than a sleep retreat.

An excellent Sleep Physician that I work with at the Melbourne Sleep Disorders Centre, Dr David Cunnington, did inform me that he often goes up there on weekends to be a guest speaker on sleep difficulties and how to improve them. He asked if I wanted to accompany him one time. I willingly obliged.

We flew up to Newcastle on Friday the 18th of May just after midday, drove an hour from the airport to the Hunter Valley, and settled into our rooms just before 4 pm. It was a charming private villa, with my own balcony with a view, a long couch to relax on, a nice big bathtub to relax in, and my own king bed to sleep in. And that was just the room.

The main building where the reception was consisted of a huge golden door opening up to steps and a waterfall running through the building. A chef was on-site to prepare healthy meals for everyone for breakfast, lunch and dinner (no red meat or processed carbs, no caffeine and no alcohol). Not to mention a day spa offering five pages of treatments, an indoor pool for deep water running or lap swimming, an outdoor pool for relaxing, a steam room and spa, a yoga studio, indoor basketball court, a huge gym, two tennis courts and even a table tennis table.

I wanted to get to it all but remembered that this was a perfect opportunity to switch off, relax, and unwind. So instead of participating in the afternoon activities on Friday, I decided to run myself a hot bath, listen to an audiobook, and rest until dinner time.

Golden door seemed to attract an eclectic mix of people, from stressed executives, burned-out executive assistants, and people needing a career, family or relationship break or change. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and most obliged with wearing their name tags across the weekend, making it easier to approach and ask people what brought them to Golden Door and what they were hoping to get out of it.

The staff were fantastic too, often mingling with the guests at meal times and participating in as many activities as possible. After dinner, at about 7 pm, those interested went for a leisurely walk and stopped to lie back and stare up at the stars. Living in the heart of Melbourne, this is an opportunity that I don’t often get, and I relished just looking up without feeling like I had to rush off and do something else.

After the walk, we headed back to our private villas, where I continued to try to stay away from bright screens. Instead, I did 10 minutes of meditation, listened to an audiobook while relaxing on the couch, and went off to bed once I felt sleepy.

On Saturday morning, I was awoken by a knock on the door, and a doorbell ringing at 6 am. If you don’t want this, you can put a do not disturb sign on the outside of the door, but it is to help people get up for the 6:30 am tai chi session up on meditation hill. I didn’t want my sleep to be over yet, but I managed to get dressed and strolled up the hill just as the sun rose across the Hunter Valley.

With 360 degree views of the valley, Meditation Hill is probably the most picturesque part of the Golden Door retreat (it’s all pretty nice, though). I’d never done tai chi before, but it wasn’t too bad, especially with the hot air balloons taking off for their flights from the valley below.

Following that, it was straight to the pool for some deep water running. I thought it would be some light aqua aerobics for oldies, but it was much more intense. Then there was breakfast and a 10km hike. Followed by tennis after lunch, and table tennis after that. Way more exercise than I expected to do, but I didn’t regret it. I then headed off to yin yoga, another activity I’d never tried before. I may have fallen asleep a little bit during this, but power naps are healthy for you.

A 50-minute deep tissue massage was next at the Elysium day spa. A bit pricey at $140, but it felt amazing after all of the activity I’d done, especially my calves. These treatments are optional, but quite a few guests seemed to be getting them.

David’s talk on sleep was after dinner. Then it was off to bed again. My second night of sleep was longer but not quite as deep as the first one.

When I compare it to how I slept two nights before the retreat and two nights after it, I can see that a wellness retreat really can improve your sleep on the nights you are there. This is because it gives you so many things that can help you to have a good night’s sleep, including:
- Lots of physical activity during the day but not too late at night
- A vast amount of morning sunlight helps entrain your circadian rhythms and wake you up for the day. This can also help you to fall asleep earlier that night.
- Healthy food.
- No caffeine.
- No alcohol.
- Plenty of activities to relax and unwind.
- More time in nature with beautiful scenery and less time indoors looking at bright screens.
- Opportunities for engaging conversation with friendly and welcoming people that are also wanting to improve their health.
It doesn’t offer clear guidelines or individual recommendations around sleep or how to keep improving it once you go home. For example, a 6 am wake-up call is perfect for some to help them not spend too long in bed. For others, it could cause anticipatory anxiety or lead to them putting too much pressure on themselves to get to sleep early the night before.

Dr Damon Ashworth

Clinical Psychologist
June 5, 2018