BOOK 1 OF 12 – LIFE IN GESTURES SERIES
The Facepalm
Self-Help for the Overcommitted, Under-Rested,
and Hilariously Human
Your mistakes aren’t the problem.
Your reaction to them is.
The Hook
It’s Monday morning. You’ve hit snooze three times. You’ve spilled toothpaste on your shirt, sent a “hey babe” text to your boss, and Googled “is being this tired permanent?” at 2 a.m.
Welcome to being human. Population: literally everyone with a pulse.
The Facepalm is Book 1 in the Life in Gestures series — and it’s not here to fix you. You’re not broken. You’re just mid-upgrade. This is the book that turns your cringe into comedy, your shame spiral into a standing ovation for effort, and your worst moments into the stories you’ll tell at brunch.
No five-step programs. No joyless manuals. Just permission to laugh at the chaos — and practical tools hidden inside every joke.
What’s Inside This Beautiful Disaster
Five reasons this book is different
18 Chapters of Guided Chaos
From the universal facepalm to career crisis karaoke, from self-sabotage 101 to saying no without the self-loathing — every chapter tackles the real mess of modern life with humour that pays rent by funding an actual tool.
Sonic Interventions
Every chapter ends with an original 2-3 minute song written and produced by Naomi Shiels. Not background music — emotional reset buttons designed to shift your nervous system when you’re spiralling. Think emergency first aid, but with better bass.
Coach’s Audio Summaries
Don’t have time to read? Every chapter comes as a 2-minute coach-style audio pep talk. Perfect for chaotic mornings, office bathroom emergencies, or when you’re already late for everything.
The Facepalm Manifesto
Ten laws of human ridiculousness. Including: “Mistakes are not failures; they are plot twists” and “Cringe is currency. Spend it on good stories.” You’ll want this on your wall.
Facepalm to High-Five Flips
Every chapter takes your worst moment and reframes it. Burnt your toast and burst into tears? That’s not a breakdown — that’s a delicious excuse to order cafe avocado toast. Dishes avoided. Sanity intact.
This Book Is For You If…
You’ve needed someone to say: you’re not failing —
you’re just facepalming your way through being human.
You’ve eaten Pringles for dinner and called it a food group.
You’ve cried in the bathroom at work and then walked out like nothing happened.
You’ve compared your life to someone’s Instagram and felt like you’re losing a game you didn’t sign up for.
You’ve whispered “I can’t even adult today” and meant it with your whole chest.
You’ve ever needed someone to say: you’re not failing — you’re just facepalming your way through being human. And that’s enough.
The Facepalm Manifesto
The Unofficial Declaration of Human Ridiculousness
• Mistakes are not failures; they are plot twists.
• Shame is compost. Let it rot, then grow something funny from it.
• Embarrassment is free entertainment. Own the stage.
• Regret is optional; humour is mandatory.
• Cringe is currency. Spend it on good stories.
• Above all: when in doubt, slap your forehead, laugh, and keep walking.
The Full Flight Plan
18 Chapters of Human Chaos
The Universal Facepalm
Why Adulting Feels Impossible Right Now
The Myth of Having It Together – Escaping the Comparison Trap
Digital Disaster – When Technology Makes You Facepalm
Bills, Breakdowns, and Burnt Toast
When Your Brain Becomes a Gymnast
Self-Sabotage 101
Money – The Monster Under the Bed
The Mental Health First Aid Kit
Saying No Without the Self-Loathing
People Are a Circus (and You Don’t Have to Be the Clown)
Career Crisis Karaoke (Sing It Off-Key Anyway)
Self-Compassion for Your Human Vehicle
The Facepalm Emergency Guide
The Facepalm Sonic Playlist
The “Good Enough” Mindset
Facepalm to High-Five
Facepalms Are Universal (and That’s the Point)
Plus: Coach’s Timeouts, 18 original Sonic Intervention tracks, and the Facepalm Glossary of Shame (featuring terms like “Cringe Echo,” “Oops Couture,” and “The Public Fart Rule”).
Every Chapter Has a Soundtrack
This isn’t a book you just read.
It’s a book you listen to.
Each chapter comes with its own Sonic Intervention — an original track designed to reset your brain when it’s stuck on replay. From “Bounce Back Ballad” to “Nope Is a Full Sentence” to “Dance with Debt,” these aren’t motivational anthems. They’re survival hacks with a beat.
18 Original Tracks Include:
Bounce Back Ballad • Messy Empire • My Lane, My Race • Tech Reset • Small Disaster Blues • Circus of Thoughts • Procrastination Parade • Dance with Debt • The Reset Button • Nope Is a Full Sentence • Exit the Tent • Anthem of the Misfits • Honk If You’re Human • Blooper Reel Anthem • Comedy Mic • Seventy Per Cent Victory • The Story Alchemy Track • The Global Blooper Reel
Perfect for: emergency resets in the office bathroom, chaotic mornings, or whenever life feels like a lot. Stream on Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube. Use access code FACEPALM123 at themomentumrule.com/TheFacepalm
A Taste of the Chaos
“Be honest: Did you pick up this book because your life feels messy, not flawless? Good. Perfect people don’t need this book — the rest of us do.”
“You won’t get flawless wisdom. But you will get funnier, lighter, and much better at telling the story of your own magnificent, chaotic life.”
Part of the Life in Gestures Series
12 Books. 12 Gestures. One Complete Guide.
Life in Gestures is a 12-book series where every book is built around a single everyday gesture — and the survival strategy hidden inside it. The books can be read in any order or as a complete set.
YOU ARE HERE
The Facepalm
Mistakes into fuel
Book 2
The Wink
Sly confidence
Book 3
The Shrug
Letting go
Book 4
The Swerve
Pivot in chaos
Book 5
The Twitch
Channel habits
Book 6
The Sigh
Release drama
Book 7
The Nod
Quiet power
Book 8
The Side-Eye
Spot the threats
Book 9
The Smirk
Irony as weapon
Book 10
The Stomp
Own your space
Book 11
The Stretch
Comfort zones
Book 12
The Nudge
Subtle influence
About Naomi Shiels
Naomi Shiels is a former linguist and lawyer turned author, publisher, and accidental chaos specialist. She’s the founder of Wild Hearts Publishing and the creator of the Life in Gestures series — 12 books built on the belief that being human is hilarious, survival is an art form, and the best self-help doesn’t take itself too seriously. She writes from Australia, fuelled by caffeine and the firm conviction that if you made it to work wearing pants, you’re winning.
Ready to Own
Your Disasters?
Available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook with full Sonic Intervention soundtrack. Join the ARC reader list and get early access.
Get Your CopyAvailable on Amazon, Apple Books, Kobo, Google Play, and wildheartshq.com