The Art of Living in the 21st Century

Abstract

Psychology, the science that studies our overt and covert behaviors, is, of course, a science and not an art. We decided to design a collection for the general public whose name was inspired by a very old book called exactly ‘The Art of Living’, by Epictetus, a prominent Greek philosopher, because, although Psychology is a science, many of the solutions to our problems must be innovative and creative in order to cope with the complexity of the world we live in. Thus, it seemed appropriate that there should be some art associated with our science, a flexibility that supports us in developing divergent thinking. This collection is about ACT ( Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), and what ACT in general make us realise is that we often dwell on and get stuck in the past or imagine the future (often filling it with fears or giving it unrealistic perspectives) and in doing so we forget to live in the present, with so many beautiful things unfolding right in front of us, therefore missing opportunities. Our collection was not meant to provide self-help books. They are indeed books about mental health and well-being and are intended, on the one hand, to demystify/de-stigmatise these concepts; on the other hand, to alert people to what they can do for themselves and when it is necessary to seek professional help. A healthy work environment is not created with ‘cosmetic’ measures such as a basket of apples or an ad hoc skills class, trying to disguise the ‘dark circles’ that come from a relationship with an ambitious and short-sighted boss or an unfriendly and toxic work environment. Above all, a healthy environment is created by a change in organisational culture, promoting among employees (or pupils/students) a sense of belonging, social cohesion, effective participation in the life of the institution, and personal and professional development. Interpersonal relationships with colleagues, the perception of leaders as ‘benign’ and visionary, recognising, valuing, and adding value, and a balance between family/work. This is part of the ‘emotional salary’, and, of course, safety at work/school should not be forgotten. Poverty and job or school insecurity are real ‘killers’ of our well-being and devastating to our physical and mental health.