Book Recommendations That Don't Have A Purpose

It was audible, the sigh I let out on scrolling Instagram on Sunday
 
I hadn’t created my post for the day and I do like to offer at least something useful over the weekend and let’s be honest my pregnancy offering was the least useful thing I’ve shared since the days I used to be shredded post-bikini competition whilst saying I felt ‘fluffy’
 
You are never fluffy you are not a sheep
 
My entire feed was filled with polarising (and therefore incorrect) nutrition advice, transformation pictures of fat loss or muscle gain, replicas of my own content, Sunday night hustle culture get ahead of the week posts and honestly? Literally nothing that inspired or motivated me or filled me with joy
 
Curate a better Instagram feed Emilia
 
I know this, but my Instagram is where I share content to support relationships with food. My TikTok on the other hand, is where I watch comedy, get make up tips for millennials and learn that I have to wear my socks over my leggings in order to be cool
 
Normally, the conversations I have with clients and people like you inspire me to make content to support you, but it was the weekend and I have boundaries and hadn’t spoken to anyone since 6pm on Friday when the dominos arrived and my phone went to airplane mode
 
In the past, I’d reach for the books I’d been reading or podcasts I’d been listening to, but on reflection, I realised that almost every piece of content I’ve consumed recently has been magical, mythical, comedy gold or soul filling fiction
 
It got me thinking
 
Many of us are so obsessed with self-development, always being ‘more’ or ‘better’ versions of ourselves, doing everything possible to move away from being ‘average’, in the hope that it brings perceived success and happiness, that we miss out on the joy of being and the joy of hobbies for run and restoration
 
Hobby: an activity that involves neither a productivity nor a profit motive
 
Hobbies allow us to get lost in flow state and restore our hearts and minds but they are not a life hack
 
You’ll see hustle culture selling you time off and joy as purposeful for working more deeply or harder but that is not the point
 
When done right, hobbies can break the monotony of our existence and provide a sense of calm and peace that comes only with doing something for the experience without the need for an end-result
 
Oliver Burkeman (yes I’m back with more of his wisdom) shared this more eloquently that I ever could:
 
“Our lifespan is four thousand weeks. So we try to maximize every moment. To gain control of an unknown but finite future. We obsess about productivity and “life hacks.” And hope our future selves don’t regret we squandered our time. But the more we try to control our time, the less in control we feel. Instead we can reframe to accept and embrace the finitude of life. To focus on JOMO (Joy of Missing Out) vs. FOMO because scarcity is what makes our choices meaningful. To enjoy the present that is the present. To adopt hobbies that are simply fun, with no grand goal or outcome. To realize we’ll never be indistractable and give ourselves a break. And to appreciate life’s simple joys in our limited time here.”
 
In honour of this, I’m sharing my current recommendations for joy without purpose. I hope they bring you lightness
 
My top fiction books include:

• The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo

• American Dirt

• The heart’s invisible furies

• All the broken places 

• Sorrow and bliss

 
My top purposeless podcasts:

• My therapist ghosted me

• Telling everybody everything (Katherine Ryan)

• Synced (on Armchair expert) (sometimes a little purposeful)

• Psychopedia (or other true crime podcast)

 
My top purposeless TV shows:

• Love is blind (Netflix)

• One day (Netflix)

• Catastrophe (Netflix)

• Shrinking (Apple TV)

• Trying (Apple TV)

 
My top activities:

• Baking (obviously most likely a Lucy Lord Jammie Dodger blondie)

• Hiking (without instagramming the entire thing)

• Going for dinner dates with my best friends

• Skateboarding (when not up the duff)

• Playing & Facetiming with my nieces 

 
Try something different this weekend that isn’t focused on developing yourself. You were not created as a solely productivity machine on this earth. You are not a self-scan checkout.
 
Have a wonderful, joyful time,
I’m always here,
Em
 
PS I would love to share a collective thank you this week to this community of hearts, souls and minds. The outpouring of love I got when I shared my news about our pregnancy was honestly mind blowing and I got some messages from those of you I’ve yet to meet, with what I believe was genuine care and love. Understandably a lot of people also removed themselves from my social media and I respect where everyone is on their journey with their bodies. This community that we’ve built together never ceases to amaze me – I genuinely believe those of you reading these emails are the greatest of souls and maybe one day we’ll meet somehow. I appreciate you.