In the summer, busy people are supposed to relax and rejuvenate. Yet ecommerce owners and team members struggle to slow down and step away. Here are 10 books to help. Who knows, perhaps a little downtime will spark your most creative idea yet!
The Brain at Rest
The Brain at Rest
by Joseph Jebelli, PhD
“The Brain at Rest: How the Art and Science of Doing Nothing Can Improve Your Life” is a scientific guide to leaving overwhelm and burnout behind and finding healthy, sustainable ways to achieve goals. Jebelli argues that by allowing the brain to rest with activities such as baths and long nature walks, we can lower stress and elevate productivity.
A-B-C Delegation
A-B-C Delegation
by Stefan J. Feuerstein
“A-B-C Delegation: The Manager’s Guide to Effective Delegation” reminds us that entrepreneurs can take time off only by delegating tasks and responsibilities. Feuerstein has led organizations of all sizes in the U.S. and Latin America, providing a simple framework and handbook for delegating without micromanaging or losing control.
Unplug
Unplug
by Richard Simon
“Put down your phone, pick up your life” says the author of “Unplug: How to Break Up with Your Phone and Reclaim Your Life.” A former journalist and longtime director of website strategy for Georgetown University, Simon cites the shocking statistic that Americans spend on average 75 equivalent days a year looking at their smartphones! He provides tips for setting the device aside, drawing on insights from wellness experts and ordinary people.
Sustainable Ambition
Sustainable Ambition
by Kathy Oneto
“Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work,” by the host of the Sustainable Ambition podcast, challenges readers to be as strategic about their life goals as their careers in this Amazon #1 New Release. Oneto suggests forgetting “the myth of work-life balance” and adopting her “Right Ambition, Right Time, Right Effort” framework to “dream big” while avoiding burnout. A companion workbook and planner are also available.
Meditations for Mortals
Meditations for Mortals
By Oliver Burkeman
In “Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts.” Burkeman asks, “What if purposeful productivity were often about letting things happen, not making them happen?” Published last fall, the book is available in multiple formats and languages and won a 2024 Goodreads Choice Award for Nonfiction. Burkeman’s book on time management, “Four Thousand Weeks,” was a 2021 New York Times bestseller.
Feel Good Productivity
Feel Good Productivity
By Ali Abdaal
In “Feel Good Productivity,” Abdaal asks, “Does productivity always have to be a grind?” In this 2024 Goodreads Choice Nonfiction nominee, he draws on psychological research and real-world success stories to create principles for preventing burnout and promoting fulfillment, offering simple changes to live better and feel happier.
Stop Overthinking
Stop Overthinking
by Nick Trenton
In “Stop Overthinking: 23 Techniques to Relieve Stress, Stop Negative Spirals, Declutter Your Mind, and Focus on the Present,” Nick Trenton promises his techniques can help overcome negative thought patterns. His ideas are more tried and true than groundbreaking, but a 4.5-star rating from 13,000 Amazon reviewers demonstrates their widespread value.
The Joy of Missing Out
The Joy of Missing Out
by Tanya Dalton
Fortune magazine listed “The Joy of Missing Out: Live More by Doing Less” as a Top 10 Business Books winner in 2019. In it, Tanya Dalton offers readers an action plan for change — to identify what’s important and discover their purpose — with printable worksheets to help shift readers’ perspectives and live abundantly.
Breath
Breath
by James Nestor
Per Nestor, eating right, exercising, youth, and thinness mean nothing if you aren’t breathing properly. In “Breath,” a 2020 Best Book by National Public Radio and a Washington Post Notable Nonfiction book of the same year, he delves into the latest scientific research and ancient practices to overturn conventional wisdom and explain the benefits of breathing right.
Wherever You Go, There You Are
Wherever You Go, There You Are
by Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD
Kabat-Zinn is a pioneering researcher on how mindfulness meditation can prevent and heal illnesses and reduce stress, having authored several books on that topic. This classic, “Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (30th Anniversary Edition),” has sold more than 1 million copies since its publication in 1994 and has been updated to reflect new research.