Book Friends Forever
Gentle By Courtney Carver (Audiobook Excerpt)
On sale February 18th, 2025
From the author of Soulful Simplicity and Project 333, a collection of 30 practices to overcome chronic overwhelm, cultivate self-compassion, and find permission to do less—perfect for listeners of Rest is Resistance and Wintering.
Written by minimalism expert and celebrated author Courtney Carver, Gentle is the “don’t do it all” self-help book you need to live with less stress and more ease, less overwhelm and more joy by uncovering the Gentle You.
Grounded in self-compassion and a fierce commitment to less, becoming the Gentle You isn’t about taking the easy road. It’s a practice of real self-care that, over time, will soothe your nervous system and strengthen your relationships.
Organized into three parts—Rest, Less, and Rise—30 challenges and simple practices will help listeners radically and (yes) gently shift their pace, headspace, and heart.
It’s time to find strength in your softness, fierceness in your flexibility, and to finally rise—not by pushing through but by connecting with the Gentle You, standing in your light and honoring the person you are.
- Duration:
- 4m
- Broadcast on:
- 31 Dec 2024
- Audio Format:
- other
to tell you that putting rest first is hard for me is an understatement. I even had trouble making rest the first season of this audiobook. My brain really wanted it to be the last, you know, save it for after we get the other stuff done. You may feel the same way because rest is often positioned as something we deem ourselves worthy or unworthy of. It's the carrot or the prize after we finish doing everything else. The problem with this equation is that there is always one more thing to do, right? Is it ever all done? As I struggled to start with rest, I remembered my commitment to changing the way we change, taking the gentle way, and prioritizing what we need most. Right now, that happens to be rest. What if we started resting right now this second? I know that feels weird because you may be thinking, but we haven't even finished the chapter. I know. Let's rebel and shake things up. Make a comfy spot somewhere. Set the tone and create a restful space. Turn on soft music or enjoy the sound of rain or sweet silence in the background. Put on your softest clothing and collect your favorite blankets and pillows. Anything to create an inviting, calm, cozy environment. Set a timer for 10 minutes, pause this audiobook, and rest before you listen, before you learn, before you self-help, before you take one more look at your to-do list or take care of one more thing. Seriously. Stop doing one more thing. Rest comes first right now. Oh, hi. Welcome back. How did that feel? 10 minutes may not be enough time to feel completely rested or to recover from the exhaustion you've been working with, but perhaps it was enough time to reset and come back to you, or at least to give you a taste of what it feels like to rest. If you decided not to put rest first and continued listening, check in. Was it because you feel fully rested already? Or because you have too much to do? Or maybe like me, you need to understand why putting rest first is a good idea before you try it for yourself. I understand. Part of being gentle and getting to know yourself better is being thoughtful and curious about why you do the things you do and don't do. Whatever you chose, remember that you can come back to the suggestion anytime to rest and reset for 10 minutes. When I said the exhaustion you've been working with, that might have resonated with you, or maybe it didn't. You might have thought, "I feel fine." Is that because you typically prioritize rest and doing less and actually feel fine? Or because you're in a bit of denial about the baseline exhaustion you live with on a day-to-day basis. This level of exhaustion can come from everything you have going on and also from a lack of consistent rest and quality sleep. I've heard from many people who say they need only five or six hours of sleep, but science says otherwise. According to the Mayo Clinic and other health experts, adults should be getting at least seven hours of sleep per night. Sleeping less than seven hours per night on a regular basis is associated with adverse health outcomes. It's important to consider not only the time you sleep, but your quality of sleep. Here's another opportunity to check in, and please do it without judgment. You are just taking note of what's going on. Note, there is no judgment coming from me. We are in this together because we deserve to feel good. I want the best for you. For us.
On sale February 18th, 2025
From the author of Soulful Simplicity and Project 333, a collection of 30 practices to overcome chronic overwhelm, cultivate self-compassion, and find permission to do less—perfect for listeners of Rest is Resistance and Wintering.
Written by minimalism expert and celebrated author Courtney Carver, Gentle is the “don’t do it all” self-help book you need to live with less stress and more ease, less overwhelm and more joy by uncovering the Gentle You.
Grounded in self-compassion and a fierce commitment to less, becoming the Gentle You isn’t about taking the easy road. It’s a practice of real self-care that, over time, will soothe your nervous system and strengthen your relationships.
Organized into three parts—Rest, Less, and Rise—30 challenges and simple practices will help listeners radically and (yes) gently shift their pace, headspace, and heart.
It’s time to find strength in your softness, fierceness in your flexibility, and to finally rise—not by pushing through but by connecting with the Gentle You, standing in your light and honoring the person you are.