I read this one in almost one sitting. Although I don't normally struggle with anxiety, this pandemic season and all the uncertainty had me stuck. This proved to be a valuable resource to help me process all the emotions I was having. Always a Jennie fan, this is one I have already recommended to several people.

You know how you can stand in a swimming pool, holding the rope between the deep and shallow end? That is how this book felt for me. Deep moments of spiritual truth and scripture, paired with lighter advice and encouragement.
I can not argue with her personal 18 month journey of wrestling with anxiety. I am grateful for her vulnerable reflections. The graphics and mind maps felt like an afterthought. I wish GOOYH had taken a deeper plunge into content such as scripture studying the attributes of God, as her daughter requests near the conclusion of the book.

This book is wonderful and practical and just what I needed to read at this time!

Allen's book is based on Scripture, personal experience, and science. The author shows the reader that you truly are what you think, and how changing your thinking can change your life. A variety of topics are included, and some will probably resonate with the reader more than others, but it's very likely that there's an area that everyone will be able to relate to. There's a lot of helpful advice on how to stop the toxic, negative thoughts from spiraling and taking control of your mind. By taking thoughts captive, it's possible to stop the anxiety cycle, or as I've found, at least slow it down. Satan wants to keep us tied to those negative thoughts and keep us enslaved to him. We have to make the choice daily.

If you are dealing with fear, worry, or anxiety, this is a great book to check out.

There is a reason why this book is a New York Times Bestseller! "Get Out of Your Head" is a highly practical Christian guide to overcoming anxiety and self-sabotage - something I have been guilty of. It combines religion, science and friendly common sense advice to help you understand why our thoughts, whether positive or negative, neurologically lead to the creation of more of the same thoughts.

"When we think new thoughts, we physically alter our brains.
When we think new thoughts, we make healthier neural connections.
When we think new thoughts, we blaze new trails.
When we think new thoughts, everything changes for us."

I love how Allen writes in a warm and friendly tone which doesn't make me feel like a "bad" Christian, which some such books do. I read this book at an absolutely perfect timing when I needed it, and it certainly has a potential of changing lives. This book proves that mental health can never be ignored by religion, as church leaders often give us an impression that prayer is enough. God is enough, but we do need to cultivate our mental health in order to cherish Him.

“Our emotions were leading us to thoughts, and those thoughts were dictating our decisions, and our decisions were determining behaviors, and then the behaviors were shaping our relationships, all of which would take us back to either healthy or unhealthy thoughts.”

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

"Get Out of Your Head" is an inspiring, helpful book full of practical tips and suggestions for those who struggle with thinking too much. Jennie Allen offers personal anecdotes and a variety of Bible verses that will help the reader learn how to focus her thoughts. This book may appeal more to believers because of its firm Christian stance, but I believe that everyone can find something in this book that will help them. I will be keeping this book to re-read as needed.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and WaterBrook and Multnomah Publishers for the advance readers' copy of this book. In exchange for the ARC I am writing an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.

Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen was just the book I needed to read during this worldwide pandemic. I truly enjoyed this book and all of it’s insight and encouragement. As someone who struggles with anxiety, the words Jennie so eloquently writes, pointed me back to the truth, as well as taught me ways to not be captive to my thoughts.

I’d recommend this to all my friends. Especially to women and to those who battle with anxiety and fears. Thank you Jennie for such a positive and encouraging read!

Wooooooow. I cannot praise this book enough. It is definetely the best book I've read so far in 2020. So helpful in many ways. It is great for people (like me) who can't keep their thoughts from spiralling! I learned a lot from this book and I'm sure I will re-read it at some point. The scientific and psychological aspects are very well explained. Loved it!!!

A game changing and life affirming book. Allen makes sense of the downward spiral that keeps us from moving forward in faith, truth, relationships, and worthiness. She thoughtfully discusses these matters, and unlocks how toxic thoughts damage, with heartfelt understanding. Readers will walk away equipped with proven ways to turn those thoughts to upward spirals. A must read and purchase for every collection

As soon as I read the title of this book, I knew that it would be the perfect read for me! Sometimes I can be my own worst enemy, and I know that I am not alone in that! Our thoughts really do control our actions, and can make or break every day. Jennie Allen shares her own struggle with her thoughts causing anxiety and depression, how to conquer the enemy in our mind, and learning to think the way Jesus thinks.

The central message of the book is that we have a choice. "If you have trusted in Jesus as your Savior, you have the power of God in you to choose! You are no longer a slave to passions, to lusts, to strongholds, to sin of any kind. You have a God-given, God-empowered, God-redeemed ability to choose what you think about. You have a choice regarding where you focus your energy. You have a choice regarding what you live for." We all have negative thoughts, but we can choose to change our thought patterns and turning those negative thoughts into positive thoughts. Jennie talks about how we can choose to be still with God, choose to be known, choose to surrender our fears to God, choose to delight in God, choose to serve God and others, choose to be grateful, and choose to seek the good of others.

I enjoyed the positive message of this book, and the encouragement that with God's help, we can take control of our lives, starting with our thoughts. Some quotes from this book that stood out to me was:

"When we think new thoughts, we physically alter our brains. When we think new thoughts, we make healthier neural connections. When we think new thoughts, we blaze new trails. When we think new thoughts, everything changes for us."

"If you ask Mr. Google how many of our many thoughts per day are positive and how many are negative, you will discover that the vast majority - a full 70 percent, some researchers say - are negative."

"One God-honoring thought has the potential to change the trajectory of both history and eternity."

"Then you have to make a choice: Will you believe God or believe the lie?"

"When we allow our thoughts to spin out of control with worry and fear, either consciously or unconsciously, we try to elbow our way into the all-knowing role that only God can play. We forget that it's actually good news that He is in control and we are not. You and I may have many gifts and talents, but being God is not one of them."

"Delight in God and His goodness tears down our walls and allows hope, trust, and worship to flood us."

I would recommend this book for anyone who is looking to control their thoughts, and to rely on God to have a more positive mindset. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Waterbrook and Multnumah, through Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

I adore Jennie Allen and have read every one of her books. This wasn't my favorite, only because I don't struggle with this issue as much as I used to (thank God!). But I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who is struggling with toxic thoughts, self defeating feelings, and struggling to stay realistic in their own head.

I began to read Get Out of Your Head a few months after I lost my father to cancer. My Dad was my North Star, the one who kept me grounded, yet encouraged me to reach for the stars. I lost my biggest cheerleader. The one who I went to for advice, guidance, and a big hug when life seemed overwhelming.

I also inherited a brother with special needs and a mom who could just not cope. I was breaking under the pressure and without my Dad to guide me, I felt lost and as though life would never be what it had been with him.

Along comes, Jennie Allen and this amazing book. We all experience turmoil and treacherous waters in life, and Jennie helps us to realize that those seas of doubt can be handed over to the one who created us. He never leaves us.

This is one of the most profound and emotionally raw books I've read. If you or someone you know is drowning, run, don't walk to your local bookstore.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher and author for an advanced copy of this book! I have loved Jennie Allen since I completed her bible study Proven! Get Out of Your Head is a must read for every woman!

With everything happening in our world today, could there be a better book to help with toxic thoughts? Jennie Allen is the founder of IF:Gathering and has written several books including Restless and Nothing to Prove. With Get Out Of Your Head, she has taken her own life experience and combined it with God's truth in order to deliver a strategy to fight and win the war of toxic thinking.

*Side note: mental illness is REAL and this is not a replacement for medical assistance. She makes that clear in her book as well.*

With that being said, Get Out of Your Head focuses on how to break the downward spiral that our thoughts can take us on. It felt like I was sitting in a room with a friend who wasn't afraid to speak the truth. Not just the truths of how to stop the toxic thoughts, but also the real life stories that you can relate to. I am not alone in this, others feel this way to. This book gives you tools that you can put into practice and they work! If you are looking for change and freedom from destructive thoughts, I promise you will find this book helpful and eye opening.

If Cara Putman’s Flight Risk is my mic-drop ficton read of 2020, Jennie Allen’s Get Out of Your Head is its non-fiction counterpart.

Challenging, convicting, entertaining, raw, honest … I could go on, but you get the picture. It’s particularly timely as we go on week number I don’t even know anymore of shelter-in-place, where coronavirus rules many the news feed — not just on social media, but news sites too. We need a break. We need hope. We need Christ. And Get Out of Your Head points us back to Him.

I started reading the book B.C. — before coronavirus — and saw so many truth bombs … yet set it aside as I took a small trip to New Zealand. 😀 Small trip. 7,000 miles from home. And it took three weeks after I got back to pick it up again. But thank God I did; it’s the kick in the pants I needed to, truly, get out of my own head. Enough scrolling mindlessly through social media (just one example), where panic often reigns. How about time in the Word instead, reminding myself of truth and who God says I am?

Allen pulls no punches in this book; her honesty and forthrightness are refreshing in an always-uncertain world. Her writing style engages the reader and challenges me, anyway, to really think about the thoughts I’ve let reign unchecked. I love that I am only 10 minutes away from literal brain change … and feel refreshed and encouraged to pursue Christ anew as a result of this read. Highly recommended.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This book has the potential to be of help to many who struggle with the “toxic thoughts” mentioned in the the subtitle of this book. The author’s writing style is personable and makes this book easy to read. She gives clear examples from her own life as to how she has struggled with these kinds of issues, and uses Biblical principles to help the reader battle the anxiety that comes from anxious thoughts. I was impressed enough that I’ll be looking for more books from this author. I’ll also be participating in a ladies’ study group that is using this book and the accompanying videos as the basis for the study, and may come back to add more to this review at that time as to my impressions of that full study.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I'm always a little hesitant to pick up faith-based books that would be found in the self-help or mental health aisle of the bookstore. The church, in general, has not always been the best advocate for those of us who struggle with mental health conditions. In this book, Allen deals primarily with the thought spiral, the neverending anxious thoughts about work, life, faith, family, and more. While I appreciate Allen's ideas on how to lean on Christ to help remove ourselves from these cycles of harmful thinking, these things don't always work with people who have diagnosed, long-term issues with anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive disorders. This book provides an interesting perspective, but read with a grain of salt. *Advance copy provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of the book is we have bought the lie that we're victims of our thoughts instead of warriors equipped to fight in the battle of our minds.

The main idea is we have a choice. We aren't victims, all the tools are at our disposal, we just need to use them.

The author goes on to present three main lies most of our toxic thoughts revolve around. Each chapter is structured around:
> exposing the main lie
> sharing a Bible verse that offers the tools to change/fight it
> present us with the alternative

The author states that "every toxic thought, every spiraling emotional cycle, every trap of the enemy we fall into somehow deep down involves a wrong belief about God".

Therefore, all the strategies offered are centered on the verse in 2 Corinthians 10:5 where Paul says, "We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

In my opinion, this book offers a simplistic solution to a complicated problem. As a Christian myself, I believe in the importance and effectiveness of taking every thought captive against the enemy's attempts to distract us. However, presenting it as an easy solution for anxiety, depression and other mental health issues is quite misleading.

To be fair, the author has a disclaimer somewhere stating that mental health issues caused by chemical imbalances in the brain need proper medication.

The target audience is Christians who want to gain practical insight into what "taking every thought captive" looks like for their day-to-day life.

All in all, I liked the book and I would recommend it as a healthy exercise on keeping our thoughts in check, even if I don't agree with everything in it.

Excellent book that really speaks to our current global anxiety. I really appreciate the Biblical truths coupled with the acknowledgment that mental health is a serious issue and should be addressed by professionals.

Such a good book to help with spiralling thoughts and anxiety. I also really enjoyed the writing style and felt I could relate easily.

I am a victim of my own thoughts all too often. I have reassurance seeking OCD and this book was wonderful. It helped to explain things and stop judging every move that I made.