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‘An anthem! A permission slip! Freedom to be us in full glory and messiness … a fun and freeing read’ Melissa Hemsley

‘What a powerful, freeing, thought-provoking read this is. I let out a breath I hadn’t even realised I was holding’ Anna Mathur

You do not have to be good.

At some point, you’ll have absorbed the message that being good is to be calm, efficient and tidy. Wise and well-meaning people offer to help you become worthy, to be positive and productive and to always say ‘yes, I can!’ But what if this is wrong? And what if some of the things we’ve been told are bad, are just as useful as the good?

Blending science, expert interviews and practical advice, here is the flipside of everything we’ve been told we should be – and how the bad parts are really not so bad after all. You’ll discover:

– Why it’s helpful to feel angry
– How it’s counterproductive to always be productive
– How laziness can improve your relationships
– Why your body is, and has always been, absolutely fine
– How clutter inspires creativity and enhances your sense of place
– Why mindlessness is good for your mental health

Be Bad, Better is not an invitation to start misbehaving but it is about taking what you think are your worst bits and asking what they could do to serve you. Examining how society polices our behaviour and artificially constructs the good and bad, here is a thoughtful and eminently helpful guide to reassessing your ideas of success, embracing every part of yourself and being bad, better.

Publisher Review

What a powerful, freeing, thought provoking read this is. I let out a breath I hadn't even realised I was holding. In finding fresh acceptance of your badness, you can welcome a more authentic and fulfilling life. This is an invitation to stop labelling our behaviours and emotions as 'good' or 'bad', so that we might find compassion and transformative acceptance of all that lies in between. -- Anna Mathur As a recovering perfectionist and former try hard 'teachers pet good girl', Rebecca's book on being bad, better has been music to my ears. An anthem! A permission slip! Freedom to be us in full glory and messiness. It's amazing how exhausting and time consuming striving to be good is. This handbook of reassuring stories from around the globe on being truly you, all sides of you, is a fun and freeing read. -- Melissa Hemsley Kind, realistic and genuinely helpful * Observer * Wow. What a relief. This is the ultimate guide to letting yourself off the hook in the most productive and sensible way. A self-help guide for people who are resistant to self-help. Packed with reassuring advice and fascinating research, Be Bad, Better carefully debunks powerful cultural myths about productivity and "the perfect life". I loved it -- Viv Groskop, author of HAPPY HIGH STATUS: HOW TO BE EFFORTLESSLY CONFIDENT Praise for Solo: How to Work Alone (and Not Lose Your Mind): -- - Sound advice ... invaluable in years to come * Herald Scotland * Filled to the brim with advice ... a brilliant book -- Emma Gannon Bravo on the publication of this witty, wise guide to solo working -- Alice Lascelles Improve your home working routine * Guardian *