6 Best Books To Read When You Are Stuck At Home

Hello, fellow bookworms!

How are you? The whole world is in chaos right now, and we are all very anxious and stressed out. So, this week we have gathered a book list of the best books to read now that you are stuck at home. These books will help you keep your zen mode on, banish anxiety and stress. Plus, you'll get out of it a little wiser, and possibly self-improved. Stay healthy, safe and read on fellow bookworms!

1. The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: Guidance on the Path to Mindfulness from a Spiritual Leader by Haemin Sunim

The world was moving too fast. And now, that we are stricken from a crisis, now that we have to stop everything, and stay calm, we are not equipped to do so. We have adapted to the fast pace of the modern era so much that we don't know how to function when things slow down.

This amazing book by Haemin is an amazing guide towards slowing down, becoming more mindful and dealing with all struggles, including the anxious struggles of the mind. It's very relaxing to read it, it feels almost like your mind is getting de-clouded. It's an amazing book to add to your to-read list!

We know the world only through the window of our mind. When our mind is noisy, the world is as well. And when our mind is peaceful, the world is, too. Knowing our minds is just as important as trying to change the world.

Haemin Sunim, The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down: How to Be Calm and Mindful in a Fast-Paced World

2. Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life

Wabi Sabi is a Japanese concept that is focused on the beauty of imperfection. And boy, is our world completely imperfect, and completely out of whack at the moment. This beautiful little book helps is acceptance of the world and yourself as you are. It's such a calming and relaxing book, that can also help you find a little beauty, a little joy even in the midst of imperfection of today's chaos.

Put simply, wabi sabi gives you permission to be yourself. It encourages you to do your best but not make yourself ill in pursuit of an unattainable goal of perfection. It gently motions you to relax, slow down and enjoy your life. And it shows you that beauty can be found in the most unlikely of places, making every day a doorway to delight.

Beth Kempton, Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life

3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

If you need something to completely chill out to, then even if you have already read "The Alchemist", it's time for a re-read. And if you haven't, it's time to pick it up. The story in "The Alchemist" is simple to follow. It all starts with a little shepherd boy that has a dream about a treasure. As the little shepherd starts it's a journey, to discover the treasure he soon learns that the world is a cruel place. Robbed of all of his belonging he continues walking towards his dream.

As each sentence progresses, Paolo drops wisdom unlike any other. You follow the story of a little shepherd boy relentlessly and suddenly you are so stunned by the wisdom that is front of you that you have to step back a bit and think about it. That is the true masterpiece of Coelho's writing. Keeping you on the edge, needing to know more of the story, but at the same time hitting you so hard with a random sentence, so beautiful, so well-spoken and most importantly - so true and wise that you have to take a break.

We are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. Life is eternal. We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. This is a precious moment. It is a little parenthesis in eternity.

Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

4. The Urban Monk: Eastern Wisdom and Modern Hacks to Stop Time and Find Success, Happiness, and Peace by Pedram Shojai

If you want to relax and improve yourself at the same time, then definitely pick up The Urban Monk. It's a book that is no-nonsense, that can help you learn how to live with yourself, and how to improve your life. A must-read when you are stuck at home with stressful and anxious thoughts!

Our consciousness has access to things all over the timeline and often takes us out of the present moment. It pulls us into some “other time” where we can spend much of our energy. It can pull us away from “now” and keep us fixated on a traumatic event “then” or an anticipated event “soon.” In fact, it seems that we’ve become quite adept at spending much of our actual time in “other time.” The key to being liberated from time is to understand this great Hermetic axiom: “All the Power that ever was or will be is here now."

Pedram Shojai, The Urban Monk: Eastern Wisdom and Modern Hacks to Stop Time and Find Success, Happiness, and Peace

5. Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

When you are stressed out or anxious AF, taking action instead of staying stuck in your mind is crucial to break off the pattern. However, now that we are all quarantined our actions are pretty restricted. So, take action within your home and de-clutter. Although there are a few books out there on decluttering that are super popular, we love this little gem because it's so relatable.

Fumio Sasaki isn't an enlightened person, however, he was tired of being stressed and anxious and that's how he started the decluttering process. And what better time to declutter, now that you are spending all of your time at home? Pick it up, you won't regret it, we know it!

It’s often said that cleaning your house is like polishing yourself. I think that this is a golden rule. It isn’t just dust and dirt that accumulate in our homes. It’s also the shadows of our past selves that let that dust and dirt continue to build. Cleaning the grime is certainly unpleasant, but more than that, it’s the need to face our own past deeds that makes it so tough. But when we have fewer material possessions and cleaning becomes an easy habit, the shadows we now face will be of our daily accomplishments.

Fumio Sasaki, Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism

6. A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul by Leo Tolstoy

Leo Tolstoy is one of the greatest writers in Russian literature. Although he has left behind many classics, the last book that he worked on was a composition of wisdom. He collected his thoughts and the thoughts of world philosophers, to help the readers become wiser each day. It's an amazing book to read, relax and enjoy, especially when you are stuck at home.

To improve ourselves, to move toward that goal, perfection, that puts no less a demand on us for being unattainable, requires solitude, removal from the concerns of everyday life. And yet constant solitude renders self-improvement impossible, if not pointless. A balance must be struck between meditating in solitude and then applying this to your everyday life.

Leo Tolstoy, A Calendar of Wisdom: Daily Thoughts to Nourish the Soul

We hope that these books will help you keep your Zen Mode On in these difficult times! If you feel especially stressed out, then consider working with a Calm AF Kit (here) to keep your chill!