Book review: When Life is Not Peachy
When Life is Not Peachy: Real-Life Lessons in Recovery from Heartache, Grief and Tough Times
By Pip Lincolne
Pip Lincolne is a Melbourne author, crafter and all round delightful person. Her latest book, When Life is Not Peachy, is both deeply personal and practical.
What do you do when a long relationship ends, a loved one dies or life is full of heartache? Pip knows first-hand about these un-peachy times. Her book offers gentle but practical advice to help you navigate it.
When Life is Not Peachy is very real and kind. It’s not a memoir or a perky expert trying to motivate you to snap out of your funk. Pip shares how she felt and her experience of journeying through grief, rather than mining the back story.
Do you need professional help?
The tangible support offered in this book is comprehensive, without being overwhelming.
It combines the best of what a great doctor, psychologist and naturopath could offer, wrapped up in the wisdom of the best friend ever.
One of the sections that makes this book unique is the patient’s perspective on seeking professional help. Pip shares her anxiety about consulting her GP who she’d not seen for eight years. It’s a very poignant story of how she prepared for the appointment, her fear of going off track and crying uncontrollably, and when she did, how that wasn’t the end of the world.
“Just like in the movies, she handed me a tissue. It was actually the last tissue in the box, which I found helpful because we had time constraints and I knew there was only one tissue.”
The GP chapter is followed by, “How does it feel to see a psychologist for the first time?” Pip spills her fears and misconceptions about seeing a psychologist, and what actually happened. Her therapist’s advice for those who are scared to reach out for help is spot on, so too is Pip’s practical information about resources for those who can’t afford seeing a psychologist.
A warm hug
The blurb on the back describes When Life is Not Peachy as “a warm hug in book form”, which is an apt description.
I read the book in two large gulps, over a rainy weekend. It was like sitting down with a wise friend who says, just in case you need a road map I’ve put one together, complete with a playlist and healthy snacks. Seriously, there is a playlist and food suggestions!
The book includes favourite self-help rituals from journaling, to being in nature and baths. Full disclosure, Pip sent me a Facebook message a year ago asking if I had some suggestions for DIY bath remedies to soothe stressed-out souls, which I was happy to share. There are also a few extra tips on how I like to de-stress. In retrospect, I realise the weekend that I read this book I managed to do seven out of my twelve favourite things!
Who is this book for?
Life is random, peachy one moment, crapola the next. You never know when you’ll need a book like this. But odds are, you will one day.
Right now if you’re broken hearted, it’s supportive, calming and practical. Layout-wise it’s easy to read, with an appealing font and splashes of soft pink. Either dive in and devour from cover-to-cover or cherry pick the sections you need the most.
But this book is also for those who want to support a devastated friend. Pip shares the things that helped her and others in a similar state. So read the book yourself (don’t skip the section on what it’s like to be on the receiving end of “people who want to fix your sadness”), and add a copy to a care package.
When Life is Not Peachy, is written with insight and love. Who knew that words could hug you like this.
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