What I’m reading in Summer 2021

I really don’t want to sound like a well-being cliché but having time to read and taking time for yourself are really non-negotiables. We live in the world of 24/7 tech and we seemingly let these little moments of time for us to just slide by. Reading and creating “healthy habits” is one of those things that you really need to practice, almost like a muscle you need to build. As you know I am not one to tell you to do all the things when we are all time poor, like honestly how are these 20 step morning routines still floating around on the internet.

I am here to tell you how reading will affect your mindset when we are feeling stuck, a little lost: that is my entire job and why I am here and why you are reading this. One body of research has talked about how reading is like an “empathy workout” (hello sexy EQ over IQ any day) which is shown in brain-waves when we read. Eg, if your character in the book is playing tennis, you may then walk past someone playing and your brain will light up. Another line of research shows that deep reading, the kind that happens when you curl up with a great book for an extended period of time, also builds up our ability to focus and grasp complex ideas – isn’t that exactly what we are all looking for? Like the ability to really be able to understand where we are and where we want to go? (source www.inc.com)

Neuroscience aside, I wanted to share my top 5 books that I really recommend for anyone on their journey:

 

1: Untamed by Glennon Doyle

All hail Glennon Doyle firstly. If you are yet to read the book she has brought out a podcast too with her sister called “We Can Do Hard Things”, and honestly it’s just so real and what we all need. Untamed is a deep read but actually is really easy to read, there are tiny lessons in each bitesize story that in true Glennon style it just feels totally achievable.

 

2: Atomic Habits by James Clear

If you take one thing from this book, it is to learn to Habit Stack. Like Glennon let’s make these tiny changes in the day super accessible and then see the changes that we can create throughout the day. The way James writes is what I loved too, he is really simple and clear on what you can do to change your life for good – no wonder this book is a #1 NYT bestseller

 

3: Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield Thomas

I feel like Denise was inside my head when I was reading this book. She just gets it. It really plays on my core values as an adult to create more Freedom in my life. Her ethos is that your work does not need to take over and how you can create a wonderful like that works for you. If you are self employed or looking to embark on a journey I literally cannot recommend this book enough for you.

 

4: The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday

This book is a great one for anyone starting a more spiritual journey. Each day there is a passage to read which is taken from the Stoics ancient literature and then translated into a modern day language. Its thought provoking to pick up in the morning with your coffee and unpick what they were thinking and you can put this into your life. I really love the simplicity of it and I think you will too.

 

5: Game Changers by Dave Osprey 

The clue is definitely in the title. How do you want to change the game? This book teaches you how to up-level like a leader while also creating healthy habits. Gone are the days of working 16 hours a day and that being a measure of success. No thank you, I actually care about my health. This book is all about maximising human potential and to be honest I am here for it.

 

I’m always looking to add books to my list, and I’m usually reading about four at the same time. Let me know any recommendations that you have below. Maybe you feel like you need to literally plan reading into your day? If so download my free e-planner here.

 

Love

Kirstyx