Oh, June. A month full of change everywhere you look. It’s a chaotic, yet wonderful time. Wouldn’t you say? The transition from spring to summer, the overwhelm of kids no longer in school AND this high and low pandemic roller coaster we continue to ride – can all undoubtedly lead to anxiety and stress. It’s been well over a year now and the gentle reminder to prioritize self care and staying connected with our loved ones is still so critically important. Take a moment amongst all the bittersweet change today, and drop those shoulders. Inhale deeply with me, dear ones. Remember that you, just as you are, is all we need.
Below are a few incredible reads that relate to post-pandemic anxiety and have helped me to learn to cope with the emotions that come with this wild ride we’re all on. Life is full of ups and downs these days and I hope you find these books as helpful and enjoyable as I did.
- Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle – Emily and Amelia Nagoski
This is easily one of my most favourite reads. Burnout captures the essence of why women experience burnout differently than men and provides readers a foundation to help women minimize stress, manage emotions and live their best life.
- Unfuck Your Brain – Faith G. Harper
Let’s be honest, sometimes our brains can be real assholes. We get addicted to things, we shut down at the worst possible moments and we even have meltdowns. Dr. Faith G. Harper explains what’s really going on in our brain and walks us through a process of retraining our brain to better respond to daily life. This is a must read filled with humor, patience, science and some good ol’ swearing!
- Taming your Gremlin – Rick Carson
From his laid back style, Carson gives readers an easy to understand, unique and practical system for banishing the demons within. Within the book there is an opportunity for readers to just notice and breathe through all the emotion as well as separate the light from their monster mind.
- Don’t Feed the Monkey Mind: How to Stop the Cycle of Anxiety, Fear and Worry – Jennifer Shannon
This read offers a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) based approach to help individuals recognize their anxious mind, how to stop feeding anxious thoughts and find the personal peace we all desire. We cannot switch the “monkey mind” off, but we can stop feeding it negativity and focus on the positives.
- Widen the Window – Elizabeth A. Stanley
Dr. Stanley reflects on her own personal stress, trauma and recovery journey and explains the science of how to better direct our attention to perform under stress and recover from trauma. With both personal experience and her expertise, this is a must read!
As we embrace another new month, sweet friends, take a few moments to just notice. Sink into all the emotions if you can. We must Name It To Tame it if we want any hope of becoming better for ourselves, and all of those around us.
