The Quiet Art of Sunday
A bibliotherapist guide to digital free joy
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Dear Friend
How are you feeling today, I hope you have a few hours of rest and relaxation booked in! After such a busy week and even busier one ahead, I’m craving a couple of hours of down time, care to join me?
Today’s ‘Sunday Word:ship’ newsletter comes with a plot twist - I’m actually switching off my devices after posting this newsletter. I’m diving into a proper Welsh Sunday - books, rugby and family time. As I write this, I can practically hear the excitement building for Wales vs Fiji. If you’re not from Wales, you might not understand how rugby pulses through our national veins, but trust me, it’s about so much more than just a sport.
In other news, I’ve been absolutely buzzing lately about a new venture I’m launching with fellow Substacker Toni Jones, founder of
called ‘The Bibliotherapists’ podcast which launches on substack on Friday 22nd November. It feels like the universe is conspiring with us everywhere I look, as I’ve noticed there’s a growing recognition of what bookworms have always known - that reading is proper medicine for the soul.Recent research is very encouraging, validating that reading reduces stress, helps us sleep better, increases empathy and provides a legitimate escape route from our overactive minds. And when paired with a journaling practice? Pure magic!
Here’s what’s caught my eye recently:
The Benefits of Reading Print Books which includes how reading can help boost our health and wellbeing, and a few top tips on how to fit more reading into our busy day.
Can Reading Make You Happier an interesting article written back in 2015 in The New Yorker. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the history of ‘Bibliotherapy’ and what it stands for more recently. “Today, bibliotherapy takes many different forms, from literature courses run for prison inmates to reading circles for elderly people suffering from dementia.”
How A Book Club Can Make You Happier - I thoroughly enjoyed this superb article by Gretchen Rubin where she dives into how reading with a group of likeminded people can strengthen our relationships with others.
Read Yourself Happy by Daisy Buchanan - a fabulous new book launching on 6th February 2025 and is an ode to the power of reading. Award winning journalist, author, broadcaster and host of the ‘You’re Booked’ podcast,
celebrates reading as a way to soothe a busy mind, to better understand the world and help better understand ourselves. I have a proof copy here and it’s at the top of TBR pile for today!Book Therapy by Bijal Shah - if you’re as keen as I am to learn more about the life changing magic of reading books, then look no further than the work Bijal is doing. Her website is super insightful with lots of reading lists, courses and articles. Oh and if you’d like to read more about this topic, her latest book ‘Bibliotherapy’ The Healing Power of Reading, is a gorgeous publication filled to the brim with useful reading advice.
So dear friends, I’m off to sink into my reading nook, ready for whatever magic today’s pages might hold. And later, you’ll find me cheering on Wales with my family, probably getting far too emotional (if you know, you know!).
Remember there’s something deeply nourishing about switching off the noise and diving into a good book. It’s not lazy or indulgent - in my humble opinion, it’s essential soul care. So much so, I’ve curated 50 sentence stems that will hopefully help to deepen your reading experience by journalling after reading, try and let the words work their magic and write your way into a state of pure relaxation.
Until the next time
Take care and stay safe xx
Please help yourself to my ‘50 Reading & Reflection Sentence Stems’ - if you’re starting out to journal around your reading practice, try choosing just a few of them that call out to you from the list below…
First Impressions
The cover made me feel…
I chose this book because…
My hope for this book is…