The time is now to start listening – to your body that is
It’s not uncommon, especially lately, at one point or another, to start asking ourselves some of the following questions: Am I working too hard? Why does life feel as if I can’t keep up? Why am I constantly feeling stressed and Exhausted? If any one of these questions resonant with you, it is very possible you are one of many experiencing burnout. But what exactly does the term burnout even mean?
Burnout can look like different things to different people, yet it is almost always is characterized by an overwhelming feeling of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion. Burnout is often the result of prolonged exposure to stress, but there is a nuanced difference.
Being stressed out means there is too much going on, but being burned out means not enough positive input causing a feeling of emptiness (such as; no motivation, not caring or ability to see hope or potential for positive change).
Usually burnout is associated with work, but there are definitely other factors that can contribute outside your job, including personal lifestyle (e.g. too much responsibility and not enough support) or even personality traits (e.g. type A or need for perfection).
Below are a few books that can help you recognize and take action to help better cope with the omnipresent burnout in our world, learn to listen to your body, and find methods to deal in healthier ways the many stressors and demands that today’s life can hold.
This book focuses on helping women identify and explain burnout and how we experience it very different than our male counterparts.
A best-seller that relies on science-based finding also lays out realistic ways in which women can recover from burnout to live a more joyful life by minimizing stress and managing emotions.
Also comes with worksheets and exercises that makes self-care and wellness within the realm of the possible. Click to see “Burnout“.
This hugely popular best-selling book delves into traumatic stress and how it impacts our body. Using scientific data, Van Der Kolk breaks down how trauma literally reshapes both the brain and body.
In addition he explores ways to retrain the brain by activating parts of the brain that can help including: sports, yoga, meditation, and much more.
Bad habits and unhealthy ways of thinking are part of what it is to be human. Author Groeschel understands that battle with negative thinking and helps you identify such “false thinking” and rewire your thought processes.
He also incorporates faith, allowing you to bring in a higher power to enable a life that brings more peace and joy. to Click for more on “Winning the War“.
Meditation is a proven way to improve mental and physical wellbeing: digital interruptions notwithstanding…
Very few activities, free no less, have the power to improve our lives as much a a regular meditation schedule, adhered to with fidelity and regularity. And yet, with digital interruptions and background static rising and increasing in intensity, it seems nearly impossible to find the time.
For me this transpires something like this: At 8am I set my timer for 15 minutes of peaceful, transcendental meditation that will, hopefully, start my day off right. Inevitably, within a minute or two there’s a text, then a “scam likely” phone call, then the leaf-blower from the street erupts in a cacophony of nearly atomic proportions (ok that’s not digital), and I either abort or have to keep restarting the timer.
There is a new apple iOS 15 feature (currently in beta but coming to the general public in September) called “Focus” that can temporarily mute all interruptions for a set time or activity. Kudos to Apple for providing a blinding obvious feature that allows you to mute or at least minimize the domination of your life by their product.
In the end, even when faced with what seems, at times, like an endless struggle to carve out the time and, yes, focus, to concentrate on something that is without the slightest doubt a boon to my existence, the end goal is clearly worth it.
When I manage to mute and muzzle all the interrupting and constant message and warnings and notifications and actually stick to the plan (15 minutes 2 times daily in my case) the positive results are obvious.
My day is less disaster more bliss and, when I achieve this modest minimum time investment on multiple consecutive days, there’s a feeling that my life is actually improving, rather than being held hostage by a digital daemon.
You, too, can reduce stress and potentially heal your body and mind in this way, with two simple steps.
First learn to meditate, either from a book, for example in the selection below, or from a teacher (my Transcendental Meditation teacher provided me with a mantra like in the Woody Allen film) and then find a way to cut through the digital chaos of modern life to practice on your own and reap the rewards.
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life
Originally published back in 1994, even after 20+ years has continued to top bestseller lists.
This books is both simple and a straightforward introduction to Buddhist meditation practices. Dr. Kabat-Zinn lays out within the text mindful meditation techniques any one can use in everyday living.
For more on this time-honored book, check out “Wherever You Go“
Dear Universe: 200 Mini-Meditations for Instant Manifestations
Dear Universe invites you to harness the power inside you to achieve anything your heart desires. Author Sarah Prout shows readers how to best utilize your feelings in order to create success, love, joy, and all the abundance you deserve.
There are 200 mini meditations, 100 to rise above and conquer fear and another 100 to embrace love.
To look into this book of empowerment, check out “Dear Universe“.
Total Meditation: Practices in Living the Awakened Life
Deepak Chopra is synonymous with many as the holistic health guru, and Chopra has been at the forefront of meditation in the West for over 30 years.
Total Meditation offers an exploration of the physical, emotional, relational and spiritual. He teaches readers how to wake up and gain new levels of awareness to cultivate clarity.
8 Minute Meditation Expanded: Quiet Your Mind. Change Your Life.
This 10th anniversary edition, gives beginner to the art of meditation the exact tools needed learn to effectively meditate. Even for the busiest of people, the time-frame of 8 minutes is relatively easy to handle.
Inside readers get step-by-step instructions, frequently asked questions on meditation, and even “trouble shooting” if you get struck.
Unlike what they say about missing sleep, stress can build up over weeks, months even years. True to the “silent killer” moniker it can eventually kill you. After basically the entire world has been in an extra stressful situation due to covid and the economic fallout from the preventative measures taken to stop it, we all need to begin finding ways, not only to reduce the current stress levels, which are likely high, but to work off the effects of the accumulated stress that has been building for at least a year.
And that is not accounting for the “normal” stresses we all face individually in our own worlds, lives and due to our own unique problems.
Enter the practice and lifestyle benefits of yoga. Estimates of the origins of Yoga peg the beginnings at at least five thousand years and believe the practice could have been developed as long ago as ten thousand. The study of yoga goes beyond just the familiar “pretzel poses” and encompasses a way of life and philosophy that is universal.
According to the “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” (wikipedia: Sutra in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a condensed manual or text. Sutras are a genre of ancient and medieval Indian texts found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.) there are eight “limbs” to the path of yoga:
1. yama (moral restraints) – how we relate to others 2. niyama (observances) – how we relate to ourselves 3. āsana (posture) – how we relate to our body 4. prāṇāyāma (breath extension) – how we relate to our breath or spirit
5. pratyāhāra (sensory withdrawal) – how we relate to our sense organs 6. dhāraṇā (concentration) – how we relate to our mind 7. dhyāna (meditation) – moving beyond the mind 8. samādhi (meditative absorption) – deep realization and inner union (quoted from http://ashtanga-yoga-victoria.com/what-are-the-eight-8-limbs-of-yoga/)
As can be seen from the list above there are many levels of thought and action that can all coalesce to form a bulwark against stress and to improve the enjoyment of life as a whole. Wherever you begin and at whatever level your journey brings you to, any interaction with these thoughts, actions and choices can enhance your life in some way.
Even the simplest meditation or reflection on our breathing and its connection to our inner spirit can cause an instantaneous reduction in stress and psychic pain. Below we’ve put together a variety of books that could represent a first step toward discovering how yoga, in whatever level or aspect your choose to explore, can reduce stress and help you take a huge step on the road to recovery.
Descriptions are courtesy of bookshop.org and the individual publishers:
A stand alone practice companion and beautiful coffee table book, Yoga: A Manual for Lifeis for anyone interested in yoga, mindful movement and meditation, and exploring how these practices fit within the modern world.
As well as an extensive guide to poses, this book features a number of picture-led sequences with specific targets in mind: to combat stress and fatigue, to ground, to uplift, to inspire creativity and to sleep better.
These sequences are underpinned with essays on yoga’s relationship with different aspects of life, such as yoga and discipline, yoga and self-care, and yoga and difficulty.
Peppered throughout the book are mindful life hacks–simple ways to take yoga’s message of radical self-care off the mat and into daily life. Click here to see “Yoga: a Manual for Life” also available on Amazon.
Are you seeking balance, healing, and a calmer mind? Unlike active styles of yoga that focus on stretching and movement, restorative yoga emphasizes mindful rest by using props to support your body in complete comfort and relaxation–no flexibility required!
Whether you already practice yoga or are just getting started, Restorative Yoga is your step-by-step guide to deepening the connection between your body and mind. Click here to see “Restorative Yoga” also available on Amazon.
Yoga: Relaxation, Postures, Daily Routines
Click here to see “Yoga” also available on Amazon.
Yoga is a popular physical, mental, and spiritual discipline that originated in ancient India.
Various traditions of yoga can be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, and in recent years Western culture has embraced yoga’s power of simplicity, stillness and mental poise.
This accessible new book focuses on a series of exercises, body motions and self-disciplines that offer the benefits of yoga to everyone.
Featuring specially commissioned practical photography, step-by-step instruction, and an introduction to the entire scope of the system of yoga. Click here to see “Yoga” also available on Amazon.
Restorative yoga offers the body a chance to rest deeply and revitalize. Whether you are feeling weak, fatigued, stressed from daily activities, or simply need to slow down and tune into your body, this wonderfully adaptive practice is essential for well being.
Many of the practices are simple and accessible for people of all ages and in all states of health, using props that are readily available–like pillows and chairs. These deeply relaxing poses help you. Click here to see “Restore and Rebalance” also available on Amazon.
Yin yoga offer remedies to the stresses of your busy yang life. Each restorative pose targets your deeper fascia and connective tissues, helping you experience increased flexibility and improved joint health.
Yin yoga also focuses on deep breathing and longer hold times, allowing you the time and space to clear your mind and enhance your mental acuity.
These meditative poses will help you attain a renewed sense of mindfulness and physical well-being, making them the perfect complement to an active yang lifestyle and helping bring you back into balance. Click here to see “Yin Yoga” also available on Amazon.
Sleep Recovery: The Five Step Yoga Solution to Restore Your Rest
Insomnia is reaching epidemic proportions: more than half of us will suffer from a sleep problem during our lifetimes.
In this practical, compassionate guide, renowned yoga teacher and sleep specialist Lisa Sanfilippo shows how to sweep out sleep saboteurs and rest wreckers, putting in place sustainable strategies that will boost your energy during the day, and help you access a good night’s rest.
As we began this article above sleep was mentioned and, in contrast to our initial statements, recovery is also possible and yoga is one way that improvement, that so many of us desperately seek, is available. We hope you enjoyed this selection of books to help combat stress and ask that you please visit us again and also our sister sites Cherrybooks and InforMinx.
Unlike what they say about missing sleep, stress can build up over weeks, months even years. True to the “silent killer” moniker it can eventually kill you. After basically the entire world has been in an extra stressful situation due to covid and the economic fallout from the preventative measures taken to stop it, we all need to begin finding ways, not only to reduce the current stress levels, which are likely high, but to work off the effects of the accumulated stress that has been building for at least a year.
And that is not accounting for the “normal” stresses we all face individually in our own worlds, lives and due to our own unique problems.
Enter the practice and lifestyle benefits of yoga. Estimates of the origins of Yoga peg the beginnings at at least five thousand years and believe the practice could have been developed as long ago as ten thousand. The study of yoga goes beyond just the familiar “pretzel poses” and encompasses a way of life and philosophy that is universal.
According to the “Yoga Sutras of Patanjali” (wikipedia: Sutra in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a condensed manual or text. Sutras are a genre of ancient and medieval Indian texts found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.) there are eight “limbs” to the path of yoga:
1. yama (moral restraints) – how we relate to others 2. niyama (observances) – how we relate to ourselves 3. āsana (posture) – how we relate to our body 4. prāṇāyāma (breath extension) – how we relate to our breath or spirit
5. pratyāhāra (sensory withdrawal) – how we relate to our sense organs 6. dhāraṇā (concentration) – how we relate to our mind 7. dhyāna (meditation) – moving beyond the mind 8. samādhi (meditative absorption) – deep realization and inner union (quoted from http://ashtanga-yoga-victoria.com/what-are-the-eight-8-limbs-of-yoga/)
As can be seen from the list above there are many levels of thought and action that can all coalesce to form a bulwark against stress and to improve the enjoyment of life as a whole. Wherever you begin and at whatever level your journey brings you to, any interaction with these thoughts, actions and choices can enhance your life in some way.
Even the simplest meditation or reflection on our breathing and its connection to our inner spirit can cause an instantaneous reduction in stress and psychic pain. Below we’ve put together a variety of books that could represent a first step toward discovering how yoga, in whatever level or aspect your choose to explore, can reduce stress and help you take a huge step on the road to recovery.
Descriptions are courtesy of bookshop.org and the individual publishers:
A stand alone practice companion and beautiful coffee table book, Yoga: A Manual for Lifeis for anyone interested in yoga, mindful movement and meditation, and exploring how these practices fit within the modern world.
As well as an extensive guide to poses, this book features a number of picture-led sequences with specific targets in mind: to combat stress and fatigue, to ground, to uplift, to inspire creativity and to sleep better.
These sequences are underpinned with essays on yoga’s relationship with different aspects of life, such as yoga and discipline, yoga and self-care, and yoga and difficulty.
Peppered throughout the book are mindful life hacks–simple ways to take yoga’s message of radical self-care off the mat and into daily life. Click here to see “Yoga: a Manual for Life” also available on Amazon.
Are you seeking balance, healing, and a calmer mind? Unlike active styles of yoga that focus on stretching and movement, restorative yoga emphasizes mindful rest by using props to support your body in complete comfort and relaxation–no flexibility required!
Whether you already practice yoga or are just getting started, Restorative Yoga is your step-by-step guide to deepening the connection between your body and mind. Click here to see “Restorative Yoga” also available on Amazon.
Yoga: Relaxation, Postures, Daily Routines
Click here to see “Yoga” also available on Amazon.
Yoga is a popular physical, mental, and spiritual discipline that originated in ancient India.
Various traditions of yoga can be found in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, and in recent years Western culture has embraced yoga’s power of simplicity, stillness and mental poise.
This accessible new book focuses on a series of exercises, body motions and self-disciplines that offer the benefits of yoga to everyone.
Featuring specially commissioned practical photography, step-by-step instruction, and an introduction to the entire scope of the system of yoga. Click here to see “Yoga” also available on Amazon.
Restorative yoga offers the body a chance to rest deeply and revitalize. Whether you are feeling weak, fatigued, stressed from daily activities, or simply need to slow down and tune into your body, this wonderfully adaptive practice is essential for well being.
Many of the practices are simple and accessible for people of all ages and in all states of health, using props that are readily available–like pillows and chairs. These deeply relaxing poses help you. Click here to see “Restore and Rebalance” also available on Amazon.
Yin yoga offer remedies to the stresses of your busy yang life. Each restorative pose targets your deeper fascia and connective tissues, helping you experience increased flexibility and improved joint health.
Yin yoga also focuses on deep breathing and longer hold times, allowing you the time and space to clear your mind and enhance your mental acuity.
These meditative poses will help you attain a renewed sense of mindfulness and physical well-being, making them the perfect complement to an active yang lifestyle and helping bring you back into balance. Click here to see “Yin Yoga” also available on Amazon.
Sleep Recovery: The Five Step Yoga Solution to Restore Your Rest
Insomnia is reaching epidemic proportions: more than half of us will suffer from a sleep problem during our lifetimes.
In this practical, compassionate guide, renowned yoga teacher and sleep specialist Lisa Sanfilippo shows how to sweep out sleep saboteurs and rest wreckers, putting in place sustainable strategies that will boost your energy during the day, and help you access a good night’s rest.
As we began this article above sleep was mentioned and, in contrast to our initial statements, recovery is also possible and yoga is one way that improvement, that so many of us desperately seek, is available. We hope you enjoyed this selection of books to help combat stress and ask that you please visit us again and also our sister sites Cherrybooks and InforMinx.
