Pause

May 1, 2017

The premise of both of these books is that overworking and being on call 24/7 is wreaking havoc with health, personal relationships, and productivity.In Pause, transformation coach O'Meara offers the behavioral tool of "pausing"--taking a break and making an intentional shift to listen and align action with inner voice. A pause can be as simple as taking a five-minute walk outside or unplugging from digital devices for a day. O'Meara discusses the art of "mental flossing"--cleaning out mistaken beliefs--as well as practicing mindfulness and meditation throughout the day.

In Take Back Your Weekend, award-winning journalist and author Onstad (Everybody Has Everything) proposes using weekends to slow down and step out of the rush of modern life. She provides history about the concept of "weekend" and updates readers on what some successful companies are now doing to help or hinder their employees' enjoyment of free time. Onstad details the many ways in which work such as caregiving, housecleaning, and entertaining may be integrated into "off time." VERDICT O'Meara delivers practical, bite-sized suggestions for embracing mental vacations throughout the day, while Onstad elaborates upon the problems encountered in taking a period of time off. Both volumes are recommended for reducing stress and improving well-being.

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