what i'm reading

In the last twelve months I've realised that reading self-help books at bedtime isn't great for my mental health. I know, I know... sounds weird, but I've decided to stick to easy-breezy, not too brow-crunching fictions for my bedtime fix instead.

I made the decision after I started to see a direct correlation between the quality (or lack thereof) of my sleep and my reading choices at night. Self-help books are written to inspire and motivate, not to render you sleepless with anxiety, worrying that you know what you should do but you just can't see your way to doing it. Analysis paralysis sets in and then it's all over.

Sometimes though, a short, easy to follow book catches your eye and you just can't bring yourself to put it down when time for bed rolls around. Brené Brown's book 'The Gifts of Imperfection: Let go of who you think you're supposed to be and embrace who you are', was exactly that for me. I found myself armed with a yellow highlighter and a pen, resisting hitting the lights and thinking 'just one more chapter', and it didn't impact on my sleep at all. Yippee!

Brené's a great storyteller and I love that the ten guideposts to living a wholehearted life outlined in her book are easy to digest and make perfect sense. I had quite a few 'oh, thank god it's not just me' moments, which just adds to my respect for Brené  and her honesty and open-heartedness.

I found a beautifully drawn graphic by the most excellent (and inspiring) Leonie Dawson, who has kindly offered it for free on her website and encouraged people to share. It's a super helpful way of seeing Brené's guideposts in a snapshot. 

Have you read this book? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!

Lisa x