How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend

'Riveting and enlightening, this book should be handed out to all humans as mandatory reading'- Stylist 'Fun, but still deeply, rigorously researched' - Professor Neil Shyminsky 'A true masterpiece. Rachel Barr has done a phenomenal job breaking down the complexities of the human mind' - Jeffrey Meltzer, LMHC 'Insightful and relatable. . . it’s a resource I’ll proudly keep on my shelf as a therapist' - Joshua Fletcher, anxiety therapist THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER Your brain is the most remarkable thing in the known universe. Always trying to mend itself, and always trying to protect you, it’s in a constant state of flux — adapting, reconfiguring, finding new pathways . . . And it has an astonishing capacity for recovery. Only it doesn’t always get it right. Rachel Barr struggled through years of devastating loss, heartache, and uncertainty until neuroscience gave her the first spark of self-belief she had felt in her adult life — and proof that, because of the brain’s near-infinite potential for neuroplastic change, it’s never too late to carve out neural pathways to form new habits, new skills, and new ways of thinking. Whether you want to nerd-out on Neuroscientific acronyms, finally understand what’s going on in your head, or take refuge in a book that’s like a warm hug for your mind, How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend is a delight-filled, evidence-based guide to taking better care of your brain — so it, in turn, will take better care of you.

'Riveting and enlightening, this book should be handed out to all humans as mandatory reading'- Stylist 'Fun, but still deeply, rigorously researched' - Professor Neil Shyminsky 'A true masterpiece. Rachel Barr has done a phenomenal job breaking down the complexities of the human mind' - Jeffrey Meltzer, LMHC 'Insightful and relatable. . . it’s a resource I’ll proudly keep on my shelf as a therapist' - Joshua Fletcher, anxiety therapist THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER Your brain is the most remarkable thing in the known universe. Always trying to mend itself, and always trying to protect you, it’s in a constant state of flux — adapting, reconfiguring, finding new pathways . . . And it has an astonishing capacity for recovery. Only it doesn’t always get it right. Rachel Barr struggled through years of devastating loss, heartache, and uncertainty until neuroscience gave her the first spark of self-belief she had felt in her adult life — and proof that, because of the brain’s near-infinite potential for neuroplastic change, it’s never too late to carve out neural pathways to form new habits, new skills, and new ways of thinking. Whether you want to nerd-out on Neuroscientific acronyms, finally understand what’s going on in your head, or take refuge in a book that’s like a warm hug for your mind, How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend is a delight-filled, evidence-based guide to taking better care of your brain — so it, in turn, will take better care of you.

'Riveting and enlightening, this book should be handed out to all humans as mandatory reading'- Stylist 'Fun, but still deeply, rigorously researched' - Professor Neil Shyminsky 'A true masterpiece. Rachel Barr has done a phenomenal job breaking down the complexities of the human mind' - Jeffrey Meltzer, LMHC 'Insightful and relatable. . . it’s a resource I’ll proudly keep on my shelf as a therapist' - Joshua Fletcher, anxiety therapist THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER Your brain is the most remarkable thing in the known universe. Always trying to mend itself, and always trying to protect you, it’s in a constant state of flux — adapting, reconfiguring, finding new pathways . . . And it has an astonishing capacity for recovery. Only it doesn’t always get it right. Rachel Barr struggled through years of devastating loss, heartache, and uncertainty until neuroscience gave her the first spark of self-belief she had felt in her adult life — and proof that, because of the brain’s near-infinite potential for neuroplastic change, it’s never too late to carve out neural pathways to form new habits, new skills, and new ways of thinking. Whether you want to nerd-out on Neuroscientific acronyms, finally understand what’s going on in your head, or take refuge in a book that’s like a warm hug for your mind, How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend is a delight-filled, evidence-based guide to taking better care of your brain — so it, in turn, will take better care of you.

'Riveting and enlightening, this book should be handed out to all humans as mandatory reading'- Stylist 'Fun, but still deeply, rigorously researched' - Professor Neil Shyminsky 'A true masterpiece. Rachel Barr has done a phenomenal job breaking down the complexities of the human mind' - Jeffrey Meltzer, LMHC 'Insightful and relatable. . . it’s a resource I’ll proudly keep on my shelf as a therapist' - Joshua Fletcher, anxiety therapist THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER Your brain is the most remarkable thing in the known universe. Always trying to mend itself, and always trying to protect you, it’s in a constant state of flux — adapting, reconfiguring, finding new pathways . . . And it has an astonishing capacity for recovery. Only it doesn’t always get it right. Rachel Barr struggled through years of devastating loss, heartache, and uncertainty until neuroscience gave her the first spark of self-belief she had felt in her adult life — and proof that, because of the brain’s near-infinite potential for neuroplastic change, it’s never too late to carve out neural pathways to form new habits, new skills, and new ways of thinking. Whether you want to nerd-out on Neuroscientific acronyms, finally understand what’s going on in your head, or take refuge in a book that’s like a warm hug for your mind, How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend is a delight-filled, evidence-based guide to taking better care of your brain — so it, in turn, will take better care of you.

THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER ______ 'Riveting and enlightening, this book should be handed out to all humans as mandatory reading.' - Stylist 'Fun, but still deeply, rigorously researched.' - Professor Neil Shyminsky 'Insightful and relatable psychoeducation that demystifies the brain . . . it’s a resource I’ll proudly keep on my shelf as a therapist.' - Joshua Fletcher, anxiety therapist Your brain is the most remarkable thing in the known universe. Always trying to mend itself, and always trying to protect you, it’s in a constant state of flux — adapting, reconfiguring, finding new pathways . . . And it has an astonishing capacity for recovery. Only it doesn’t always get it right. Rachel Barr struggled through years of devastating loss, heartache, and uncertainty until neuroscience gave her the first spark of self-belief she had felt in her adult life — and proof that, because of the brain’s near-infinite potential for neuroplastic change, it’s never too late to carve out neural pathways to form new habits, new skills, and new ways of thinking. Whether you want to nerd-out on Neuroscientific acronyms, finally understand what’s going on in your head, or take refuge in a book that’s like a warm hug for your mind, How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend is a delight-filled, evidence-based guide to taking better care of your brain — so it, in turn, will take better care of you. The Irish Times Bestseller 06/09/2025

THE INSTANT IRISH TIMES BESTSELLER ______ 'Riveting and enlightening, this book should be handed out to all humans as mandatory reading.' - Stylist 'Fun, but still deeply, rigorously researched.' - Professor Neil Shyminsky 'Insightful and relatable psychoeducation that demystifies the brain . . . it’s a resource I’ll proudly keep on my shelf as a therapist.' - Joshua Fletcher, anxiety therapist Your brain is the most remarkable thing in the known universe. Always trying to mend itself, and always trying to protect you, it’s in a constant state of flux — adapting, reconfiguring, finding new pathways . . . And it has an astonishing capacity for recovery. Only it doesn’t always get it right. Rachel Barr struggled through years of devastating loss, heartache, and uncertainty until neuroscience gave her the first spark of self-belief she had felt in her adult life — and proof that, because of the brain’s near-infinite potential for neuroplastic change, it’s never too late to carve out neural pathways to form new habits, new skills, and new ways of thinking. Whether you want to nerd-out on Neuroscientific acronyms, finally understand what’s going on in your head, or take refuge in a book that’s like a warm hug for your mind, How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend is a delight-filled, evidence-based guide to taking better care of your brain — so it, in turn, will take better care of you. The Irish Times Bestseller 06/09/2025

Your brain is the most remarkable thing in the known universe. 'Fun, but still deeply, rigorously researched.' - Professor Neil Shyminsky 'A true masterpiece. Rachel Barr has done a phenomenal job breaking down the complexities of the human mind.' - Jeffrey Meltzer, LMHC 'Insightful and relatable psychoeducation that demystifies the brain . . . it's a resource I'll proudly keep on my shelf as a therapist.' - Joshua Fletcher, anxiety therapist Always trying to mend itself, and always trying to protect you, it's in a constant state of flux -- adapting, reconfiguring, finding new pathways . . . And it has an astonishing capacity for recovery. Only it doesn't always get it right. Rachel Barr struggled through years of devastating loss, heartache, and uncertainty until neuroscience gave her the first spark of self-belief she had felt in her adult life -- and proof that, because of the brain's near-infinite potential for neuroplastic change, it's never too late to carve out neural pathways to form new habits, new skills, and new ways of thinking. Whether you want to nerd-out on Neuroscientific acronyms, finally understand what's going on in your head, or take refuge in a book that's like a warm hug for your mind, How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend is a delight-filled, evidence-based guide to taking better care of your brain -- so it, in turn, will take better care of you.

Your brain is the most remarkable thing in the known universe. 'Fun, but still deeply, rigorously researched.' - Professor Neil Shyminsky 'A true masterpiece. Rachel Barr has done a phenomenal job breaking down the complexities of the human mind.' - Jeffrey Meltzer, LMHC 'Insightful and relatable psychoeducation that demystifies the brain . . . it's a resource I'll proudly keep on my shelf as a therapist.' - Joshua Fletcher, anxiety therapist Always trying to mend itself, and always trying to protect you, it's in a constant state of flux -- adapting, reconfiguring, finding new pathways . . . And it has an astonishing capacity for recovery. Only it doesn't always get it right. Rachel Barr struggled through years of devastating loss, heartache, and uncertainty until neuroscience gave her the first spark of self-belief she had felt in her adult life -- and proof that, because of the brain's near-infinite potential for neuroplastic change, it's never too late to carve out neural pathways to form new habits, new skills, and new ways of thinking. Whether you want to nerd-out on Neuroscientific acronyms, finally understand what's going on in your head, or take refuge in a book that's like a warm hug for your mind, How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend is a delight-filled, evidence-based guide to taking better care of your brain -- so it, in turn, will take better care of you.