Autorentext

Jodi Wilson is a bestselling author, yoga teacher and postpartum doula. Her work has been published in the Guardian and ABC and she writes two weekly newsletters on substack. She lives in Tasmania with her partner and their four children. This is her fourth book.

Klappentext

It's a lot, we say. And it's true - sometimes everyday life feels like too much. So what habits can we prioritise for mental clarity and creative verve? How can we continue to do what's normal and necessary but wind back to care for our basic human needs? In this gentle, wise and actionable guide, best-selling author and respected health journalist Jodi Wilson explores the simple, evidence-based changes we can make to give our brains the breathing space they need.

After a lifetime with anxiety, Jodi wanted to better understand herself so she could continue to be creative and productive without slipping into overwhelm and exhaustion. In this fascinating exploration of the brain and body, she discovers that neuroscientists and psychologists, as well as artists and sustainable living experts, all agree on the one habit that can change how we live. It's something our ancestors had in abundance but we've essentially eradicated from our lives: free time, spare time, leisure time - real space to breathe.

The modern concept of self-care we've been sold doesn't help - it costs us time and money and keeps us on an unsustainable treadmill. No one is making any money when we choose to rest and do less, yet it's the proven antidote to modern stress. Instead of looking ahead for answers, we need to consider our evolutionary biology; our brains were designed for life 10,000 years ago, so what would our ancestors have found helpful?

A Brain That Breathes is full of accessible and practical suggestions to embrace the power of 'enoughness', 'soft fascination' and intentional 'not-doing' so you can declutter your mind, restore your attention, and live every day with breathing space.

Inhalt

Prologue
Introduction

PART ONE So What Do We Really Need to Live Well?

1. A calm nervous system
2. An uncluttered brain
3. A safe, nourished body that moves and rests
4. Breathing space

PART TWO How To Find Your New Normal

1. Pay attention to the gaps
2. Befriend your vagus nerve
3. Find your best forms of rest
4. Honour the season you're in
5. Slow down and sidestep
6. Check your habits
7. Savour the good
8. Restore your attention
9. Let your mind wander
10. Walk the in between
11. Repair and make space
12. Build space to create

Open space
Epilogue
References
Acknowledgements
About the author