Wow… this book felt like it was speaking directly to me. Rowan James doesn’t sugarcoat a thing—and that’s exactly what makes this so refreshing. This isn’t another fluffy “just breathe and be zen” mindfulness book. It’s real, raw, and honest about what it actually feels like to have a brain that won’t shut off.

I loved how Rowan breaks down the lies our minds tell us in a way that’s both sharp and compassionate. The 7-second interrupts and the 21-day walk-through felt doable and real—not just theory, but practical tools I could actually use in the middle of an anxious spiral. The stories sprinkled throughout made me nod along because they sounded like my own life on the page.

If you’ve ever felt like mindfulness “just isn’t for people like me,” this book will change that. No gurus, no perfection, no pretending—just tools and truth that help you finally take the mic back from your racing thoughts.

There’s a lot of self help books out there and this one really stood out to me because of the title - for adults who can’t switch off. This book had great tips and advice for dealing with these overwhelming feelings that come up. I appreciate the way it was laid out in an easy to understand format.

In The Mindfulness Book for Adults Who Can’t Switch Off, Rowan James introduces some excellent concepts and how to add mindfulness practices to your daily life.

The book opens with a very personal episode and then segues into more universal truths. For instance, the author points out our minds constantly lie to us; our “default modes” catastrophize just about everything.

The book goes on to walk the reader through mindfulness exercises that anyone can easily add to their normal routine, and then build on.

Chapter 9 walks the reader through a “21-day wake-up journey.” On each day, the author describes a unique but simple practice for the day. They’re small and short exercises, making it easy to practice these skills.

On day one, you practice the “60-second drop-in.” For just one minute, you quiet all those distractions. You set those 60 seconds aside. You notice your breath, your feet, and what you feel in that moment.

And then you move on.

The author highlights a vital point for mindfulness: There’s no such thing as perfect, just practice.

Every page of this book is written in an incredibly informal tone. At times, I felt like the overly casual tone actually diminishes the value and import of the material itself.

On content, I’d give it four stars.

On style, three stars feels generous.

Still, I felt the author shares excellent information. They introduce meaningful exercises that anyone can easily find time for and practice.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

"It nags you about the things you can't change. It replays old conversations at 3 AM just to remind you what an idiot you sound like."

"Learn how to work with your mind, instead of constantly against it."

I was so excited when I acquired this book. The part of the title "Adults Who Can't Switch Off" resonated with me so deeply that I had to read it asap! I can't even begin to tell you what it's like to live that way. It's one of those IFYKYK scenarios. If you are someone who feels the same way, I highly suggest you get your hands on this book and read it. It isn't a very long or intimidating read. It's light but insightful. The author goes over multiple different ways in which your brain can get unconsciously programmed through scenarios that can be harmful and keep you stuck in bad mental habits. Not only do they supply ways to help retrain your brain out of these habits, but they also emphasize how this isn't something that you necessarily did wrong, you just weren't aware to it.

Thank you to BookBuzz.net and NetGalley for giving me the wonderful opportunity to read and review this book. My thoughts and opinions on this book are my own. I really do think that this is not only a great read because it is insightful, but the exercises contained within to retrain your brain have already started being useful for me. It's allowed me to become more aware at the start of my thoughts drifting off into those patterns and begin to slowly correct them.

This book doesn’t feel like those gentle let go mindfulness books you see everywhere it’s raw, honest, and pulls no punches. From the first few pages, it’s clear this is for people whose brains feel like they’re on fire all the time. The pace is fast, chapters are short, sentences punchy it’s meant to grab you mid anxiety, not lull you into calm. Some moments feel slightly jarring or aggressive in the best way, if you’re overthinking nonstop and need something grounded. I appreciated that it calls out the bullshit behind overthinking and doesn’t promise peace, it offers clarity.

The writing is blunt and sometimes swears, not in a forced way but like someone who’s been through the chaos is teaching you the real toolset. That tone makes you feel seen, even when it feels raw. It can feel dismissive of traditional mindfulness tools it positions itself as almost the only real answer, which might turn some readers off. But others will find that fire helpful. The mental exercises are straightforward and feel doable, even when your brain is flipping out. It’s like getting advice from a friend who’s been there, speaks your language, and refuses to patronize you

I waffle on what to rate this book, because I did feel like it had some valuable encouragement and insights, but these were offset by a few issues.
Firstly, it's extremely dismissive of all other mindfulness tools (even though the apps I've tried offer essentially the same approach as this book), and it presents itself as superior to any other resource. Full of itself, much?
Secondly, it sprinkles in more swearing than one might expect, and not just in a way that adds emphasis or a little bit of force. The amount is just plain gratuitous: I can't figure out whether the author thinks that makes it more relatable, or more "adult," or... who knows. But it undermined the respect that I otherwise wanted to give the text.
Now, for what I liked: I did appreciate that it explained that dealing with anxiety is not a one-time skill acquisition. It can start in very small ways, or we can forget what to do and need reminders, and that's not something to feel bad about. All of that was a nice approach to take.
It had a very staccato rhythm, lots of short sentences and short paragraphs. While I found this a bit jarring, I can see how it also makes for easier reading, especially if one is currently in the grasp of anxiety.

This self help manual is a guide on how to calm your mind, reclaim your mind.and feel like yourself again written iin informal tone
Discusses mindfulness and other practices for changing your your thinking.

I think that this book gives great advice for people who are neurotypical or maybe have anxiety, but unfortunately not too helpful/accessible for people who are neurodiverse so I can't really judge the book due to being ND, but ot never claims to be good for someone who is not NT. So while it may help a lot of people, unfortunately, the brain matter and hormones are slightly different with me so I am not able to accurately judge or review.

The Mindfulness Book For adults who can't switch off is a mindfulness book but not like you are used to! A great resource for those of us who cannot quiet their minds.

A No-Nonsense Guide for Overthinkers Like Me - This book doesn’t just talk about mindfulness—it calls you out in the most helpful way. It’s raw, honest, and written for people who’ve tried meditation apps, deep breathing, and podcasts but still wake up with a racing mind. I really appreciated how it used everyday moments (like panic spirals in your car) to show you how mindfulness actually works. The tools were simple but powerful, and the stories made me feel seen. It felt like someone finally wrote a book for my kind of brain—and I didn’t have to pretend to be calm to read it.

Okay, so let’s be clear—this isn’t your whispery “go to your happy place” mindfulness fluff. 😤 This book gets it. It’s messy, it’s loud, it’s hilarious (yep, I laughed while spiraling), and it actually works. I’ve got a brain that won’t shut up, a to-do list longer than my leg, and this thing cut through the chaos like a ninja with a flashlight. If you’ve ever yelled “I can’t even!” inside your own head, this is the book you didn’t know you needed. 🙃🧠🔥

Mindfulness for the Mentally Maxed-Out

The Mindfulness Book for Adults Who Can’t Switch Off is like a verbal smack and a warm hug rolled into one—no fluff, no crystals, just raw truth, real tools, and the “aha” moments your overworked brain’s been begging for. 🔥🧘‍♀️📖

A wonderful resource for those of us who cannot quiet their minds. This book will help you find that "presence" you need when everything is not only overwhelming, but also just exhausting. It is written simply, which only helps the notion of calm and mindfulness. A must have in their library for anyone with a busy mind.