Reading suggestions for rest and rejuvenation.
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We’re halfway through the year, and it’s “out of office” season – time to take a break and seek some rejuvenation. A reading list is a key part of the get-away-from-it-all mission. But it’s also a surefire way to jumpstart your creativity when you return to work. As strategists and makers of content, we all need new perspectives to stay sharp.
If you don’t have your own on-call bibliotherapist, you may have to dig for recommendations among friends and colleagues. Here are a few recent reads I found worthwhile – and I’d love to add your suggestions to my own reading list if you are willing to share!
Don’t Get Burned (article). Need a pep talk to actually get yourself out and away from the office? Overwork and chronic stress, unsurprisingly, lead to a decrease in job accomplishments. This recent article in the quarterly CFA Institute Magazine covers some of the science and offers a few tips. To the beach!
Boredom Is Good for You (article). This Atlantic article should jump-start your rejuvenation by giving you full permission – nay, encouragement – to spend some time getting bored this summer. Or start your hardest tasks with a boredom exercise. Or at least turn off your phone for a while.
Print is Not Dead (article). Okay, this one is actually related to content marketing – a roundup by Chief Content Officer magazine of 10 innovative print publications by marketing departments. Print has a unique power to reach your audience in a deeper way, and perhaps a more reliable one – in fact, these first three reading suggestions came from print pieces that appeared in my mailbox this month.
The Nature Fix (book). This new nonfiction book, authored by a contributing editor for Outside magazine, takes a comprehensive look at all the research supporting the physical and psychological benefits of spending time outside, whether that means a walk in the park or a seven-day wilderness jaunt. Not only is it relaxing and restorative to most, spending time outside almost universally boosts our creativity. (It’s also good for stress levels, respiration, focus, the quality of sleep and many other measures). Check out the New York Times and Wall Street Journal reviews of the book.
Fiction Bonus: A bit of fiction reading can also have many virtuous effects: reducing your stress level (by 68%, to be exact), making you more empathetic, and possibility even extending your life. If you’re up for a weird, literary take on the death of Abe Lincoln’s beloved son Willie (told from the perspective of the ghosts in his graveyard), check out Lincoln in the Bardo (book). If you like insane nail-biters set in North Korea, you might like Pulitzer Prize winner The Orphan Master’s Son (book), described as “an epic journey into the heart of the world’s most mysterious dictatorship.”
Taking time to recharge will not only be fun, it will re-energize your work for the months ahead. Content marketing is a marathon, and it’s crucial to maintain your energy and motivation. A varied and interesting reading list is a surefire way to both rest and invigorate your perspective.
Looking for a freelance financial writer to relieve some of your to-do list while you take some time away? Reach out and let’s talk about your project needs.
P.S. Got a book recommendation? I’m always grateful for suggestions…please send my way!
Posted By
Carolyn
Categories
Compound Return Newsletter, Content Marketing