Are you looking for an inspiring daily reader to include in your morning self-care ritual this year? Each year, I choose a new book to serve as my daily dose of positivity. Reading just a short passage each morning helps set the tone for my entire day. In this article, you’ll explore some of the best books for your morning self-care ritual.
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In years past, I’ve chosen books like Melody Beattie’s The Language of Letting Go and Alan Cohen’s A Deep Breath of Life. And in 2020, I spent the year with Find Your Happy by Shannon Kaiser, which proved to be an excellent choice for navigating through the challenges of the pandemic.
This year, I selected another one of Melody Beattie’s therapeutic gems called Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing Your Soul.
If you’re looking for a new book to integrate into your daily self-care practice, here’s a list of the some of the best daily reader books.
7 Inspiring Books for Your Morning Self-Care Practice
If you’re looking for an inspiring book to add to your morning self-care practice, consider these:
1. A Deep Breath of Life: Daily Inspiration for Heart-Centered Living by Alan Cohen
A Deep Breath of Life: Daily Inspiration for Heart-Centered Living by Alan Cohen is a tried-and-true mind lifter. Cohen reminds us that all of the learning we invest in must eventually give way to being. In short, at some point we have to begin living what we learn.
Instead of getting stuck in the loop of constantly trying to “fix” ourselves, our greatest self-improvement project lies in being able to recognize that we are whole already.
But one of my favorite messages comes from one of his earlier books,
I Had It All the Time: When Self-Improvement Gives Way to Ecstasy. In this book, Cohen addresses the topic of suffering. He suggests that if we are suffering, it’s a pretty good indicator that we need to course correct.
Another prominent message in the book is around the importance of rest. If you’re a die-hard “hustler,” you might need to hear this:
“If you do not rest yourself, the universe will rest you.”
2. The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations for Codependents by Melody Beattie
Melody Beattie’s books are among my favorites in the self-help genre. She has a way of reframing our perspectives without making us feel bad about holding them. Instead, her uplifting words of wisdom help us see how our behaviors are limiting us in our relationships and personal growth.
The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations for Codependents is a great daily reader, especially if you often find yourself stuck in the uncomfortable ebbs and flows of relationships.
(P.S. – If you’ve already combed through this book, there’s a follow-up title called More Language of Letting Go: 366 New Daily Meditations.)
3. Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing Your Soul by Melody Beattie
But if you’ve already blown through both of the daily readers mentioned above, Melody has another one called Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations on the Path to Freeing Your Soul.
This is the book I’ve selected for my 2021 daily readings, and I can’t wait to get started.
4. Find Your Happy by Shannon Kaiser
I chose this book for 2020 and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. Find Your Happy by Shannon Kaiser offers daily reminders that help shift your mindset to what’s going well in your life. If you’re looking for simple messages of hope and guidance, this is it.
5. Simple Abundance: 365 Days to a Balanced and Joyful Life
Simple Abundance by Sarah Ban Breathnach offers tiny messages of inspiration designed for the newcomer to self-care. These simple messages of comfort and joy are sure to help boost your mood if you’re like me, and occasionally wake up on the wrong side of the bed.
6. Hope 365: Daily Meditations for the Grieving Heart by Clara Hinton
Hope 365: Daily Meditations for the Grieving Heart by Clara Hinton is a great choice if you happen to be navigating your way through the grieving process.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that losses happen whether or not we’re prepared for them. That’s why having a go-to list of tiny acts of self-care is so essential.
7. A Course in Miracles
A Course in Miracles by Helen Schucman is without a doubt one of the most life-changing books I’ve ever read. (EVER.)
Much like the Bible, this text is one that I’ll be returning to for the rest of my life. The contents, which are universal to the human experience, are simplified in such a way that it’s hard to deny that many of life’s challenges are self-imposed.
That said, A Course in Miracles does require patience and a willingness to read (and re-read and re-read) the text until you can find real-life applications and situations to test it. I don’t read from this book every day, but it has a permanent place on my coffee table.
Your Morning Self-Care Ritual
If you’re looking for some new books for your morning self-care ritual, start exploring the books on this list to see if they feel like a good fit for your self-care focus areas right now.
How you begin your morning sets the tone for your entire day. Whether you choose to weave in meditation, journaling, or reading, make sure to take a moment to ground yourself with intention for the day ahead.
Your morning self-care rituals can change the way you experience your entire life.
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