This was by far the best self-help book I have read recently. I definitely have a busy brain. I look forward to implementing the tips included in the book to improve my sleep.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy of this novel, received in exchange for an honest review.
Dr. Romie Mushtaq is a licensed neurologist and the Chief Wellness Officer of a large hotel conglomerate. In her novel, “The Busy Brain Cure: The Eight Week Plan to Find Focus, Tame Anxiety and Sleep Again”, she reveals the steps she believes are necessary to solve what is called “The Busy Brain”. Now, what is a ‘busy brain’? Well, any Type A personality (like me), who believes in “churning and burning” while pursuing a professional goal, yet always seems to be both “wired and tired” when the end of the day comes, who quite can’t get their mind to turn off- that may be someone suffering from the “neuroinflammation” penned by Mushtaq as the “busy brain”.
Mushtaq uses her own personal health scare as a jumping off point for what refocused her career aspirations and made “The Busy Brain Cure” come to life. Using anecdotes from real-time sufferers, scientific background in both neurology and endocrinology and personal stories from the author herself, Mushtaq presents a fully-developed and well-researched plan to turn off an overactive brain while still pursuing all of your personal goals and aspirations.
The first two sections of the story cover all of the background information you want to know about the author and the science behind her discovery. The last section breaks down the eight-week “BrainSHIFT” plan in digestible components, detailing what comprises of the “SHIFT” program; sleep, hormones, inflammation markers, food and technology.
Mushtaq is open and honest and it is very obvious that she suffers from a busy brain herself and can relate to her readers. She uses funny anecdotes from her culture to make the story readable and enjoyable, while still managing to unveil her eight-week plan to less stress. The reason I enjoyed Mushtaq’s book so much is really for one main reason- she does not resort to the “meditate and do yoga” philosophy that is the modern go-to (as a doctor and a yoga teacher, she encourages these methods but understands that they don’t work for everyone, and you won’t get any judgment about it!)
“The Busy Brain” is really quite simple in principle, and Mushtaq does her best to not inundate the reader with heavy scientific jargon, and it almost seems “too good to be true” yet it also seems extremely doable. Although I can’t speak to its success, as I haven’t attempted Dr. Mushtaq’s plans yet, I thoroughly enjoyed reading about its influence, and this may be a plan that this skeptic will actually try and succeed at!

We can all take away information from this read. Even the things I knew provided a reminder that we can let the calm and focus "get away" from us if we don't take the time we need. I can see me re-reading the parts that I most related with.

Interesting content, although the tone might be off-putting to some readers. A recommended purchase for collections where self-help books are particularly popular.

In "The Busy Brain Cure," Dr. Romie Mushtaq, a noted neurologist and Chief Wellness Officer, unveils a groundbreaking connection between insomnia, anxiety, and adult ADD/ADHD. With a wealth of clinical experience and a compelling personal journey, Dr. Romie introduces a science-backed plan to heal burnout and tame the Busy Brain in just eight weeks.

The book is a comprehensive exploration of the interplay between anxiety, insomnia, and ADD/ADHD, introducing the concept of a "Busy Brain" to describe the overwhelming mental state that many individuals experience. Dr. Romie draws from her background in neurology and personal health challenges to offer a transformative eight-week protocol designed to bring focus, ease anxiety, and restore healthy sleep patterns.

I tried reading this one but, couldn’t get into it. I struggle with anxiety and thought this book would help me in my everyday management. The book starts by talking about designer brand clothes which doesn’t relate to me at all. This part made me feel uncomfortable and caused me to compare myself. I even asked myself, “Am I enough because I can’t afford designer brands.”

I won’t be finishing this one.

Neurologist and lecturer Dr. Romie Mushtaq uses the phrase Busy Brain to describe the insomnia, anxiety, and adult ADD/ADHD that many type-A high achievers have. This type of person is at high risk of burn-out and serious health issues, as Dr. Mushtaq herself experienced. She has developed an eight-week plan to find focus, tame anxiety, and sleep again.

The author wrote this book like many speakers give talks: she informs you what she will tell you, then she tells her information, and finally she summarizes what she told you. So, the audience/reader receives the information three times. As a reader with a Busy Brain, I can understand how some people who can’t focus may need the information three times. However, I do better with more concise information presented once. From my viewpoint, I would rather read a shorter book that’s to the point.

The author provides a lot of her personal background, including multiple references to her outfits and Jimmy Choo heels. I would prefer that she just include her background in the introductory chapter. If she’s a medical doctor and Assistant Professor at a medical school, the reader knows that she’s knowledgeable.

The author provides many examples of habits that high achievers have, so every reader should feel that this book relates to them. When she finally gets to the actual steps of her brainSHIFT plan, there is nothing earth-shattering. Instead she provides a weekly list of achievable activities for the reader to take, and the next week adds additional activities to form healthier new habits. She makes multiple references to her brainSHIFT website, which provides additional information and resources.

I feel like Dr. Mushtaq understands her subject and conveys it very well, I just think that she can say it once and cut the book in half. Maybe she can release an alternate, concise on-the-go version in the future. I do recommend purchasing the book in paper form so that the reader can mark pages and quickly jump to highlighted passages. The e-ARC that I downloaded on release day was poorly formatted and doesn’t allow the reader to jump to different chapters.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you to Net Galley and Hanover Square Press for an early copy of The Busy Brain Cure by Romie Mushtaq MD

Millions of people have difficulty with sleep patterns and those seeking relief may turn to The Busy Brain Cure, written by Dr. Romie Mushtaq who experienced insomnia and fatigue in her own life while attending to the overwhelming demands of medical school.

This eight-week program for holistically getting back on track is not medication, diet or exercise driven but rather offers more everyday steps that should be taken in a particular sequence and built upon, resulting in better sleep, more focus during the day and renewed feelings of well being.

Dr. Mushtaq uses many examples in her own life to give agency to the program. In addition, she relates the experiences of patients and individuals who have attended her workshops in order to paint a broad picture of how everyone is different and there is no "one size fits all" or "magic elixir" to bring the body and mind into alignment.

There are instances of great humor, especially when Mushtaq looks to her "Aunties" (she later explains this as a culmination of family and friends) who interject their own ideas which Mushtaq must refute. Their advice can vary from the shoes Mushtaq is wearing to recipes for optimal health.

Dr. Mushtaq has included a website where a quick survey can be taken that will give some feedback on how serious a problem the reader may have with day-to-day functioning. She notes that a majority of people taking the survey do show signs of rumination or anxiety.

The 8-week plan offers everyday suggestions that should be continued and built upon. Caffeine use, supplements, white flour products, use of electronic devices, and lab tests are covered in detail.

Like so many "help" books, readers may decide to simply jump to the sections that pertain to their perceived issues. Dr. Mushtaq discourages this practice and instead reiterates that following the program in its entirety from start to finish has the best chance of success.

A lengthy list of suggested additional reading is invaluable and has been included in the book. Website support is also available for those who may waffle on their commitment to give this program a try.

I really enjoyed this book. As a chronically stressed type-a scientific minded person this resonated with me so much. This book explains medically what stress does to your body and puts together a plan of micro habits to follow to help.

As of my review on 1/10/2024 it was difficult to find some of the resources on the website. The website is extensive and it would be great to have the resources as a companion to the book. Otherwise I would give this five stars.

I really appreciate how this book is broken up. As someone who has ADHD, I’ve done or at least heard about before. The thing that is different about this book is that the chapters are broken out into the weeks of the challenge and goes very in-depth of why this will help from a scientific standpoint and a realistic understanding of what someone can do in a day. I think this book kind of even turns this “challenge” into a fun little game and one week is so much easier to focus on than “do this everyday for 8 weeks”.
I love how this book was written and brought every fact and study, but explained them in a way for anyone to understand.
I’m excited to start this challenge and be intentional with each week. This is the perfect reset for the new year.