Some very useful tips. As somebody who has recently had a difficult time with burnout and terrible mental health due to work strains this will be a book that I re-visit if times get tough again.

Thank you NetGalley at the publisher for this ARC.

I found this a really easy and accessible read.

I've been given plenty of food for thought for investing in improving my own mental health and wellbeing but also for encouraging my family, friends and colleagues to do the same.

It was really interesting to read about Petra's life as a member of a cult and quite difficult to read about some of the harrowing trauma she has unfortunately experienced.

She provides really useful tips and a different perspective to what I have found in other books on the same type of topic.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

In a world that often glorifies the grind and overlooks the toll it takes on our mental health, Petra Velzeboer's "Begin With You" emerges as a beacon of hope and a manual for self-preservation. This book is not merely a collection of well-meaning advice but a profound journey into the heart of what it means to thrive in today's fast-paced work environment.

Velzeboer, with her rich background in mental health advocacy, brings a personal touch to the narrative, making it resonate on a deeper level. Her own experiences with trauma and hardship lend credibility to her words, transforming the book from a theoretical guide to a companion that understands and empathizes.

"Begin With You" is structured around the premise that true success and happiness stem from within. It challenges the reader to confront the often uncomfortable truths about burnout and the sacrifices we make in the name of career advancement. Velzeboer's approach is not to shun the hard work but to recalibrate our relationship with it, ensuring that our well-being is not the price we pay for professional success.

The book is replete with case studies and psychological research, but it never becomes overwhelming. Instead, it serves as a testament to the universality of the struggle for balance and the power of informed strategies to overcome it. Velzeboer's writing is accessible, her insights actionable, and her message clear: invest in yourself.

As a reviewer, I found "Begin With You" to be a refreshing take on the self-help genre. It doesn't promise quick fixes but offers a sustainable path to a rewarding life and career. It's a must-read for anyone who has felt the weight of the world on their shoulders and wondered if there's a better way to bear it. Velzeboer might just have the answer.

It was ok, some great points. It's hard to bring something new to the table in this field, the author definitely tried and if one person is helped by reading this book, then it's done it's job.

I have read many self-help books, but this one takes a long way around the basic ideology of the main idea. It is well written and full of case studies, but I don't know that it will change your life.

I'm not sure this book actually did what the author thinks it does. I read the blurb as being a self help book, or at least a guide of some sort, but it actually falls somewhere in a strange hinterland between memoir and I’m not quite sure what. I was initially much more interested in the detail of the author’s early life in a cult and how she was de-programmed when she left, but as the book went on, I was less sure that the author had actually fully dealt with her traumatic past and got herself into a potion to be offering advice to others. I’m still not sure she is. Emily Nagoski’s Burnout is cited several times, and I definitely found that much more helpful than this sadly.

Based on case studies, a different look at prioritising your metal health and wellbeing at work. Nothing particularly new but a focused look at making yourself a priority which can still lead to a successful career.

I did find this book quite interesting with lots of great tips, but it was a bit repetitive at times and it was nothing I haven't read in other self help books.

I have read many self help books and I found some points in this one helpful. However it was quite repetitive. There were many tips on managing stress and has done good story telling. But wasn’t anything I hadn’t read before

I found lots of aspects of this book useful, although I didn't finish the entire thing. The author has had a very traumatic start to her life, and uses this to look at how people deal with trauma and examine strategies to look after our mental health. It's a good way of introducing the reader to mental health issues because reading about her experience draws us in, and gives an engaging start to the book.

It's a book that you can dip in and out of, and also use bits that are most relevant to you without reading the whole book. There's a chapter on how to support others, which I found interesting.

Self-help books have a bad reputation and maybe many deservedly so. There aren't really for me in general, but I thought I'd look at this one out of interest. However, this one has some useful advice in it. I don't especially like the focus on 'work' in the title - surely we should look after our health for us, not so we can be more productive workers?! - but nonetheless, this is probably better than many other books on this subject.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review.
The writer’s style is easy to read and she starts by sharing some of her life story as a basis to share where she is coming from.
I found the section on burnout particularly interesting, especially the different stages.
Lots of good ideas and recommendations to help manage stress, etc and lead more of the type of life you want.
When it comes to work and how to have a focus on well-being, these suggestions need to be implemented from the top down or to have a team implementing them - I could definitely implement some but for the effect mentioned, it would need a workplace buy-in.

I enjoyed parts of this book. I found snippets interesting and useful in life but maybe I wasn’t in the right head space as most of it I skimmed past as it seemed irrelevant to me and didn’t grab my attention.

I enjoyed this, simple clear advice and suggestions. We'll structured with useful advice throughout. Only negative points are I think the first chapter could have been shortened and a takeaway summary of each chapter would have been awesome.

I was so excited starting this book, the description sounded so great that I started it as soon as I could.
Well... The book is not what it says it is, and the author shouldn't be advising on well-being at work. The author got her first full-time job at the age of 31, and here is me at 28 with 9 years of full-time job experience with burnout and picking up self-help books to gain additional guidance and tips on top of the therapy I'm doing.

60 pages in, the author still is being led by a "self-obsessed survival ego" (not my words). Finishing off these 60 pages with "Well, enough about me". Oh, really, finally?! Sounds like my toxic ex-friend who rants about their life for 1 hour without even asking how I'm doing, then finally remembering to ask, and not giving much time for the answer, continuing to rant about them and problems they have with the world. Sadly, it's a pretty suitable description for this book before and after those 60 pages.
Well-being at work and life-work balance are important topics with real issues around those that a lot of people are dealing with, not just trending things to brush through giving your option about those while sharing your whole life story and not work-related trauma experience.

The rating would be higher if the description and name of the book would be more suitable for its content, and wouldn't lead readers to believe that it is something it is not. In this case, my rating wouldn't decrease the average, as I wouldn't pick it up in the first place. I love self-help books, but that's not it.
The writing itself is good and pretty easy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

New year, new you? I took my time reading this book and did not regret it. It’s definitely a book filled with knowledge and purpose. The book and content are bite-sized but this is a book that you can re-read and come back to over and over again depending on the situation you are facing in life.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.

This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

More of an autobiography than a self-help book, Petra details the trials and tribulations of her life, and the life lessons she walked away with, whilst giving the reader insight into situations that they may run into while they are on their journey to recovery.

An intersting read i found it mainly about Petra and her story but it was interesting and you can take things away from what she has learnt from her past.

Not quite what I expected, more an autobiography than a self help book. She does suggest sharing mental health issues with colleagues that could leave someone even more vulnerable although could also be useful.
Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for the preview copy.

To some this might seem to be just. another self help book for well being, but for others it will be far more.

The author takes the reader through her life from growing up within a cult, escaping and after brushes with serious addiction she 'finds herself, studies and qualifies in psychology and sets up her own company to help others who have mental health issues. All this gives her validation for the system that she has developed. The book then goes on to explain the system, giving copious examples.

What I found particularly interesting was a table with twelve stages that shows the way a mental health issue, if not dealt with can descend through the list until it reaches depression (no. 11) or full burn out (no.12).

She explains how she shows support for her staff in her own company, encouraging them to be self empowered and. Open about any mental health issues they may have or spot in their colleagues.

The system is what her company offers to other businesses.

Petra has been through quite the childhood and I was really interested in her point of view on trauma and the workplace. I have childhood trauma which makes me gravitate to certain workplaces / bosses which doesn't help my mental health, but means I'm 'safe' and I was hoping to gain some strategies to help me.

I found myself nodding along to the chapters, totally agreeing with Petra's view but I found it hard to understand how I could effect change on my own. A lot of the comments are to companies themselves and their lip-service to mental health. Yes I can adopt these methods myself and be a role model, but if no-one above me is modelling them too it's difficult, and can bring on guilt and shame that you are not acting as others do.

An interesting read but more beneficial for individuals who have responsibility at workplaces to put ideas into practice.