Few expressions convey as much care as the phrase ‘mind yourself ’. Quintessentially Irish, it is a blessing, an injunction, an endearment and a solicitous farewell. Like many simple phrases, ‘mind yourself ’ has layers of psychological meaning, so that while it trips off the tongue at the end of conversations, there are depths of kindness that accompany it.
It is in this spirit of recognising the importance of self-care that the MindYourSelf book series has been designed; to bring safe, researched, peer-reviewed information from front-line professionals to help people to mind themselves. While, at one level, information – about everything – is now on multiple platforms at the touch of a screen, relying on internet sites is a problem. What is true? Who can you trust? How do you sift through the data to find what you need to know?
Because it is not lack of access to facts, but fact overload, that makes people increasingly conscious of the dangers of misinformation, contradictory perspectives, internet prognoses and the risk of unreliable or exploitative sources. What people want is simply the information that is relevant to them, delivered by professionals who care about their specialities and who are keen to help readers understand the topic.
This is the basis of Cork University Press’ MindYourSelf series. It is hoped that the books will find their way to all who need them, and give readers the tools and resources to really mind themselves.
