Restorative Reading and Writing for Wellness

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I’m flipping the script on mood reading and inviting you to read into seasonal reading energy instead: both the season of the calendar and the season of life you are in.  Come listen as I define what mood reading is, share why I think seasonal reading energy is even more powerful and offer three simple steps to get started right away. Plus, I offer s...

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). Podcast, I’m exploring the science behind why reading and writing can help us feel better and change our life. From the impact reading and writing has on our physical body to the ways it can boost our mental health, reading and writing just might be the underdog in the wellness space that you’ve been looking for.  Come listen as I share 5 ways that reading an...

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). Podcast, I’m talking about one of my favorite topics: using children’s picture books as adult life coaching tools to spark transformation and growth. It’s the most enjoyable form of therapy I know of! Come listen as I explore why picture books are the perfect tool in your life coaching toolbox, how you can use children’s literature to spark adult growth and t...

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we’re talking about pause piles: a collection of short stories and essays designed to be read in a single sitting to sooth, uplift and inspire.  Come listen as I explore why we might take powerful pause breaks to read throughout the day, the uniqueness of short stories and essays that make them so soothing, how to create your own pause practice with...

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we’re talking about building a writing habit, one tiny sentence at a time.  Tiny writing is exactly what it sounds like: tiny micro-moments of writing that focus on the process of writing something nourishing down in the moment. Small moments, small sentences, even small notebooks can be just the thing you need to kick-off a writing habit and reap al...

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we’re diving into how to create a summer bookshelf designed to create the best you and the best summer season yet. Here’s the reality: we have around 90 days to make the most of our summer and if we approach those 90 days with intention, we could literally reinvent ourselves in a single season by surrounding ourselves with the perfect books to spark...

On today’s episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I’m talking with Jennifer Kreatsoulas about how her love of reading, writing and yoga supported a courageous path to healing through an eating disorder. Come listen as we talk about the three words central to both of our lives, how reading and writing can act as embodied, healing practices and how they both can shift and change over time based on...

On today’s episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I’m talking all about the connection between writing and healing and getting quite personal about my own healing journey.  We’ll talk about it all: scriptotherapy and restorative writing, the MindBody connection to writing and healing, specific writing techniques to set chronic pain free and the component to my personal writing that I’ve been miss...

I recently read a book that completely challenged the way I read. While I usually read books at a steady pace and move right to the next one, MOTHERS AND SONS by Adam Haslett stopped me in my tracks and prompted a slower reading experience…something I didn’t realize I needed more of.  Come listen as I talk about the three ways we can read more slowly, the research behind why it matters and the sma...

On today’s episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I’m talking with Karen Houlding about the power of nature journaling and why we should all lean into this unique form of notebooking in the Spring season. Come listen as we talk all about nature journaling: how Karen got started, how YOU can get started, the benefits that will come your way and much more. It’s time to slow down, savor what we see...

I’m doing something different today. Normally, my podcast episodes focus on the what, why and how of restorative reading and writing, bibliotherapy and notebooking. But today, I’m interrupting my own podcast calendar with a step-by-step description of my own process of bibliotherapy with a book that you MUST read. We’ll talk about what bibliotherapy and restorative reading is, how some of the best...

Let’s build a writing calendar to sustain you all year long! A few weeks ago, I shared how you could create a thematic year-long reading calendar to sustain joyful reading life all year long.  In this episode, I’m diving into the power of creating a year-long calendar for WRITING all year long: harnessing the power of the page to plan and dream, reset and heal, grow and change. Whether you want to...

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we’re exploring three new ways to practice bibliotherapy that have never been talked about on the podcast….or anywhere else that I can find.  Typically, bibliotherapy focuses on the book, specifically the text in the book, and how it can help you grow through what you’re going through. But what about the other text-adjacent forms of bibliotherapy? Th...

One of the best outcomes of this podcast is the chance to connect with others who share my love of reading and writing and understand the powerful role they play in wellness, healing, creativity and living a life well-lived. Today’s guest is one of those people. Sharon Frances is an author, illustrator and mental health advocate who embraces, embodies and celebrates the power of writing and creati...

Back in 2020, I started a reading adventure that has sustained me through the best of times and the worst of times and I’m inviting you to do the same.  In this episode, I’m diving into the power of creating a year-long calendar for thematic reading all year long: curating monthly themes for yourself that inspire creativity, reflection, growth and whatever else you can dream up. Whether you want t...

Spring is coming and that means many of us have our eye on growth, renewal and learning in the coming months. It’s the perfect time to take a closer look at our reading and writing lives and how they can help us move into this new season with purpose, intention and joy.  Today’s guest is going to help us do just that. Bijal Shah, owner of Book Therapy and author of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power...

Do you have a morning routine yet? Today, I’m tackling the research behind morning routines: what they are, why they’re important and what you should fill them with. I’ll share the three stackable aspects of my morning routine and why they matter, offer clear research on why reading, writing and movement should be in your morning rituals and offer you a few ways to get started, too. You’ll find th...

Today, we are tackling a true bookish dilemma: what do we do with the piles of unread books that we have on our shelves, but never seem to read? Yup, I’m talking to you.  There’s some good research behind why we need to have books in our home, more books than we could read….but there’s also research on why it’s important to read the books we already have, too. Come listen as I explore why and how...

I’ve been researching the role of writing in my own wellness journey and have reignited my love for a practice that I did so often and so thoroughly so long ago, but didn’t have a name for.  Now I do: It’s creating mandalas. Mandalas are circular, intricate and symmetrical designs that have been used for centuries across cultures. It’s actually a form of meditation and mindfulness, blended with a...

Today, I’m sharing a new-to-me genre that might be a new-to-you genre, too. I stumbled upon it in a moment of food poisoning and now, I at least have something good that came out of that experience. =) In this episode, I’m exploring the genre of graphic medicine: what it is, why it’s important, how it can help us heal, titles worth exploring and more.  Come listen and add a new genre to your TBR w...

Today, I’m sharing a therapeutic technique for your notebook: one that can be done at any time, anywhere and to anyone, to help you feel better, get more clarity and spark your creativity, too. What’s the technique? Writing hand-written letters that you’ll never send.  Come listen as I explore the research behind this practice and offer many different ways you could bring this into your own notebo...

I love exploring ways to make our reading and writing habits more restorative. Small changes can make a big impact in our enjoyment of reading and writing AND in our productivity too. Aromatherapy uses essential oils to improve our health and well-being and can elevate any experience we choose to engage in…especially reading and writing.  In today’s episode, I’m exploring how aromatherapy can enha...

Today, I'm playing an encore of my most downloaded podcast episode of all time as I recover from the flu. If this episode is new to you, then enjoy! If you've already listened once, I bet you'll enjoy a second listen to inspire your writing in the new year! I love books. I love reading. I love notebooks. I love writing.  But life is busy and sometimes, it can be hard to make the time f...

Do you wish you had more time to spend in your notebook or journal? Do you want to grow a more consistent writing practice? Are you working to put pen to paper in the coming year to gain all of the physical, cognitive and emotional benefits? This episode is for you.  Today, I’m sharing five new tips to grow a joyful, consistent notebook practice. Whether you call it notebooking, journaling or writ...

I adore tracking my reading life and geek out with my bookish spreadsheet where I track important metrics around the books I read.  I browse these statistics each month and use them to inform my next month’s reading choices. Plus, I do a deep dive into these stats at the start of every year as I plan the kind of reading life I’d like to have in the coming seasons.  But there’s SO much more to it....