Five feel good books you need to read!

Over the last few months, I've really got into books that help me improve my mind and learn about myself, whilst putting a smile on my face. It feels like such a treat to snuggle up in a cosy chair after a long day and read a book which makes me feel so happy. It is also so nourishing to read a book rather than watch some trashy TV (even though there is nothing wrong wrong with that!) and I feel really restored afterwards.

Reading is proven to improve your brain connectivity, increase your vocabulary and comprehension and makes you better at empathising with people. Regular reading is a workout for your brain and with 17.5% of people saying that dementia is the illness they fear most it seems like a good thing to take up. In fact, a 2018 study showed that people who read every day reduced their risk of developing dementia significantly. Reading also makes you a kinder person as it develops your empathy towards yourself and others. A study by Kingston University showed readers acted in a more socially acceptable manner compared to people who watch TV- who were less friendly and less empathetic. So reading improves the health of your brain and your levels of kindness! And if you are reading self-improvement books (like the ones recommended below) then you are also going to learn something and improve other areas of your life.

Must read non-fiction books....

1. The Atlas of Happiness by Helen Russel

2. Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary by Catherine Gray

3. The Comfort Book by Matt Haig

4. You got this by Bryony Gordon

5. A monk's guide to happiness by Gelong Thubten

I've read and loved these books and I think you will too!

The unexpected joy of the ordinary is a celebration of the mundane of life and reminds you that you don't have to be sitting on a beach in Thailand sipping champagne to be happy. It is has really helped me to recognise the little things in life that make me smile and is written by Catherine Gray who is unbelievably entertaining. The Comfort Book is just like a papery hug it provides some incredible advice as well as soothing thoughtful paragraphs- perfect to dive into when you're not feeling your best. I loved reading The Atlas of Happiness as I found it incredibly interesting to learn about what people around the world do to feel happy and trying to implement these things into my own life. Some of the happiness habits are absolutely hilarious such as sitting in your pants drinking alcohol (or Kalsarikännit) whereas others feel incredibly important right now, like celebrating your flaws (see wabi sabi). I have read and reread You Got This a number of times because it just makes me feel so so good. My mum bought this book for me last year when I was going through a tough time (check out My First Blog for more on that) and it helped me lots. Bryony writes in a way that feels comforting but not belittling and she has given me so much confidence to be unapologetically myself! A Monk's Guide To Happiness has been on my reading list for a long time ever since I listened to an episode with him on the Deliciously Ella podcast and although I haven't yet read it I can't wait to dive in! This book is all about happiness being a choice and a skill that we can work on, which I believe so strongly. Gelong Thubten is a Buddhist monk and it is so interesting to look at happiness from the perspective of someone so different from myself.

Listen to Gelong on the Deliciously Ella podcast here....

These are all the non-fiction books I've been reading and loving lately and I hope you like them too! I will do a blog post featuring some of my favourite fiction books very soon but for now get reading these. If you have any book recommendations I'd love to here from you, let me know in the comment section below.

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Megan x