5 Books We Recommend for You To Bring In the Year 2022
Orlando Therapists Providing Book Recommendations to Reduce Stress and Anxiety…
2022 is just days away from being here, soon we'll be counting down the seconds to ring in the new year! Do you feel anxious about what this new year will bring? Or do you get stressed about what new goals you want to set for 2022? As therapists in Orlando, we see how overwhelming how bringing in the new year can be for our clients.
The start of a new year and the end of a year can awaken some unspoken emotions. It’s during this time of the year, the month of December when you might take some extra time to reflect on everything you have been through in the past 12 months. You might reminisce on all your favorite memories but also spend time thinking about any hardships you faced.
The staff at Mindful Living Counseling Orlando picked five of their favorite books they highly recommend you read in 2022. These books are a gentle reminder of ways you can find comfort and distraction when you start to feel anxious or stressed. You can also pick up these books anytime throughout the year when you need to refocus your energy and find some peace. Our list includes a book to help ease your anxiety, a book simply for distraction, and a book for some self-help.
1. For When You’re Feeling Anxious.
If you’re feeling anxious, Orlando anxiety therapist Christina Martinez suggests buying her favorite book the Tiny Buddha’s Worry Journal. This journal includes coloring pages, thoughtful writing prompts, and questions for self-reflection. It’s specifically a journal that focuses on reducing your anxiety and helping you, the reader to destress. You will be able to divert your thoughts onto a page and spend time coloring, writing, or having some personal time for reflection. The Tiny Buddha Worry Journal can be used throughout the year, you can pick up right where you left off.
If you’re just getting started with journaling we also recommend The Five Minute Journal. It will include simple prompts that will help you prepare for journaling on your own. Some advantages of journaling include helping you keep thoughts and emotions archived and organized. It is also a therapeutic way for you to dump any anxiety or stress you are feeling from the day.
2. For When You Just Need a Distraction.
When you’re feeling anxious, stressed, or overwhelmed you may need a book that simply distracts you and takes you somewhere special. A novel recommended by our Client Care Coordinator, Manuela is The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. This book may seem intimidating because it’s 500 pages but once you start reading it you won’t be able to put it down. The Nightingale takes you on the journey of two sisters during World War II and the emotional journey they each went through to survive.
Sometimes it can be hard to find the time to sit down and dive into a big book. If you find it difficult to start, you can consider starting with the audible version. Simply listening to the story is a great way to distract yourself. You can also enjoy audibles while going on a walk when you have some downtime at work, or on a long car ride.
3. For When You Want To Make Personal Changes.
Do feel anxious about bringing some of your old habits into a brand new year? 2022 may have you looking forward to changing some old habits and creating new ones. This can be a great time to find a book that will guide you through this journey and provide you with some useful tips.
Orlando trauma therapist Samantha Bickham is a huge fan of the self-help book The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris. This author explains how trying to find happiness can end up driving us to feel more stressed and anxious. Throughout this book, you will learn about clarifying your values and developing mindfulness. The techniques presented in The Happiness Trap will help readers to reduce stress and worry which is something you may be looking forward to bringing to 2022. This book will also help with navigating how to handle painful feelings and thoughts more effectively, break self-defeating habits, overcome insecurity, and self-doubt and create a rich, full, and meaningful life
4. For When You Need To Be Kinder to Your Body.
Samantha Bickham also specializes in eating disorder recovery and she understands that this season can be difficult if you are struggling with being kinder to your body. It’s inevitable to be surrounded by more food during this season of celebration and it can mean being more exposed to others’ commentary. Her second book recommendation for you to read is The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor. This book is for anyone who may be struggling with loving and embracing their bodies. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the fundamental principles of your mind and body and celebrate strength.
5. For When You Need To Be Kinder to Yourself.
Lauran Hahn, LMHC, Orlando Anxiety Therapist recommends our final book, Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself By Dr. Kristin Neff. It explains the 3 different elements of Self-Compassion: Self-Kindness vs. Self-Judgment, Common Humanity vs. Isolation, and Mindfulness vs Over-Identification and how they relate to you. The book offers expert advice on how to limit self-criticism and balance its negative effects, allowing you to achieve your highest potential and achieve an accomplished life. You will also have a chance to read exercises and action plans for dealing with emotionally debilitating struggles such as parenting, weight loss, or other struggles we encounter in our everyday living.
We share these book recommendations with the hopes that they help you whenever you start to feel stressed or anxious in the new year. Whether you’re an avid book reader or just like to dabble in reading a little of this or little of that, we hope this list helps you. Books will always be there for you, they’re waiting for you whenever you’re ready!
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Additional Resources
10 New Year's Resolutions to Help Ease Anxiety: Tips from an Orlando Therapist
Orlando's Coziest Bookshops to Reduce Anxiety
New Year, New Book Guide for 2023
21 Ways to Reduce Anxiety During the Holidays
7 Tips for Reducing Stress Through a Pandemic Holiday
21 De-Stressing Strategies that will Transform your Holidays
Mindful Living Counseling Orlando is a trauma healing center. Our Orlando Therapy Services include anxiety therapy, trauma counseling, eating disorder recovery, teen counseling, and healing from toxic relationships. At Mindful Living Counseling Orlando, we use a down-to-earth approach infused with cutting-edge therapies that go beyond traditional talk therapy so clients can heal at the root level and experience lasting change. Feel free to access one of our Guided Meditations to help you feel settled and calm now.
