Good Reads For The Week: Sept. 23rd

This is the second installment of “Good Reads For The Week”.  I hope to make this a monthly post as some readers have requested it.

The reads I share below are centered around mental health as opposed to physical health, which is largely what we covered in the last installment.  We spend so much talking about our physical health, but our mental health is equally, if not more, important.  I believe this is something that we can all benefit from – more mindfulness and care for our mental health.  I hope you enjoy!

Kelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend.

This is a TED talk (I love TED talks!) that may change the way you view stress.  Most of us look at stress as a negative emotion or reaction, but it is actually a beneficial process.  Watch this great TED talk to find out more.

20 Scientifically-Backed Way To De-Stress Right Now from the Huffington Post.

There is really nothing new here, but it may give you some ideas if you are feeling overly stressed.  If you watch the TED talk linked to above you will know that acute stress is not necessarily a bad thing, but chronic stress is so you need to find ways that help you de-stress.

There’s More to Life Than Being Happy from the Atlantic.

This is an interesting article that explains the difference between a happy life and a life filled with meaning.  The article also mentions on several occasions one of my favorite books – Man’s Search For Meaning by Viktor Frankl.  If you haven’t read it, i highly recommend doing so.

20 Scientific Reason to Start Meditating Today from Psychology Today.

There is ton of research showing the benefits of meditation.  I have started it up again recently and really believe in its benefits.  Plus, you don’t need a lot of time to do it.  Start at 2 minutes and work up as you feel comfortable (see link immediately below).

How to Meditate Daily by Leo Babauta.

Leo is one of my favorite bloggers because he is able to make things so simple.  Often we get caught up in looking for very difficult answers and solutions when really the best ones are simple and basic.

This blog by Leo explains how to easily begin meditating – in fact, he recommends starting at only 2 minutes a day!  If you already meditate feel free to share below any tips on how you were able to get started and maintain the habit.

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers by Robert Sapolsky.

This is probably my favorite book.  If you want to learn more about stress and the effects it has on your body and life I highly recommend this book.  Robert Sapolsky is one of my favorite authors and he makes this highly complex topic easy to understand and fun to read about.

That is all for today.  Let us know in the comments if you have stumbled across any good reads lately, or any thoughts you have regarding the above links.

Have a good week!