oooh! you sound just like me! I also do research and in fact I'm reading a textbook on schema therapy right now (yes, actually a textbook for practitioners) --that said I'm also reading the popular book for clients called Reinventing your Life which is schema therapy for the layperson. That's helpful too but you know I found it a bit too emotionally difficult to read too much on my own so I only read a little at a time. I think it's best I work through that one with my therapist because it tends to make me anxious and cause panic attacks.

Other books however are very helpful for me to read and "work on" between sessions. Books on mindfulness and meditation. Pema Chodron. Tara Brach. So I read those and then I practice the deep breathing and relaxation exercises and I try to do as many things as mindfully as possible throughout the day. I also try to start each day with just ten minutes of meditation. I'm not very good at it yet but I feel good about trying.

(I haven't been able to meditate yet this morning because I feel so unsettled from last night's nightmares so I did deep breathing instead).

I agree with Perna if she's saying what I *think* she's saying about not thinking about it as "work" so much as "lifestyle changes" that you practice so regularly they become unconscious. You learn how to live differently than you have in the past and that's just a matter of practice. Slowing down the mind, relaxing the body, getting in tune with Wise Mind etc.

Just throwing some thoughts out there. I'm in the same place so can't pretend I have all the answers here. Good luck!