Essential Reading After a Year of Social Distancing
After a year of social distancing and spending most of our time indoors and on Zoom calls, we’re all probably more than a little afraid of getting back out in the world, interacting with other human beings, and dealing with all of the stresses of the outside world. Even those of us who didn’t have social anxiety before the pandemic are finding it hard to get through gatherings with other people now in post-pandemic life. So if you’re feeling a little stressed when you know you have to go out, or if you feel exhausted after a few hours with friends, just know you’re not alone. More importantly, know that theres books are here to help you acclimate after a year of social distancing.
After a year of social distancing and lockdowns, we now know more than ever how important friendships and connections with other human beings are for our mental health. After all, research shows that people with close friends are happier, healthier, and live longer, and yet the average American adult hasn't made a new friend in the past five years. That's where Adam "Smiley" Poswolsky's Friendship in the Age of Loneliness comes in. In the digital age, humanity is lonelier than ever, but this book wants to help you reprioritize friendship. Poswolsky's optimistic book offers practical habits and reminders in short, easy-to-follow sections to help readers create meaningful connections with others.
Death is something that's inevitable for everyone, and yet it's the one thing that almost no one is comfortable talking about. In Let's Talk about Death (over Dinner), Michael Hebb, the acclaimed co-founder of Death Over Dinner, wants to make these necessary conversations more palatable. Inspired by his own experiences with his father and other stories of people who regretted not having these conversations with their loved ones, Hebb has created a framework for having these end-of-life conversations.
With all of the health scares we've been through in the last year, it's hard to separate what we should worry about and when we should just let go. With It's Probably Nothing, health journalist Casey Guerin wants to help you separate the hype from real health. Learn how to spot the health industry's sneaky tricks, find ways to get answers to your health questions without falling into a worry spiral, how to manage stress and listen to your body, and much more.
Sometimes all you need to get through your anxiety is something light and relatable. And that's what you'll get with Grace Miceli's How to Deal. In these comic strips, motivational posters, illustrated lists, and diary entries, illustrator Grace Miceli helps you find ways to face your anxieties and fears. Instead of running away, this book will help give you the courage to find light even when everything seems dark.
Need help communicating after a year of having no social life? Will Jelbert's Word Wise is here to help. This book examines the words we use, specifically two kids of words: the word trash (filler words, hyperbole, and abstractions) and word power (action verbs, ear candy, and onomatopoeia). By learning how to filter out the former and wield the latter, you can conquer your social anxiety and learn to communicate more effectively.
Now that we're all venturing out into the real world, it seems like a great time to try a few new things. Or how about 52 awesome weeks of trying new things? Erica Root's A Year of Weeks provides fifty-two activities to help spark your creativity and try something new.
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