The Bibliotherapists S2 Ep #3: Daisy Buchanan on reading as self-care and books as medicine

It's a new series of The Bibliotherapists, and for our third episode we're joined by Daisy Buchanan, award-winning author, journalist, podcaster and writing coach.In this uplifting conversation, Daisy talks about the healing power of fiction, the joy of reading as ritual, and how she uses books to support her mental health.🎧 5 takeaways from our conversation with Daisy1. Books Can (should!) Be a Daily Act of Self-CareDaisy shares how fiction helps soothe her anxiety and why she reads first thing each morning to calm her ‘flashing and beeping brain.’2. Fiction is Powerful—and also PracticalStories help us process emotion, build empathy, and activate creativity. Daisy champions binge-able novels as a way to feel better fast.“Your attention span will grow with reading—but only if you let it.”3. Bibliotherapy Can Come in All FormsDuring lockdown, Daisy rediscovered the joy of reading fiction via the bestselling family saga, The Cazalet Chronicles, proving the right book at the right time can be transformative.4. Addiction, Anxiety, and AttentionDaisy draws parallels between sobriety, phone addiction, and our fractured attention spans, suggesting that books are the ‘fibre’ our brains need.“The iPhone is the great unquittable. Books are my antidote.”5. You Don't Need to Be Perfect, Just StartWhether it’s running, writing, or reading, Daisy reminds us to drop perfectionism and shares the ‘rule of three’ (one good session in three is enough to build a life-changing habit).-The Bibliotherapists is a podcast celebrating the healing power of words, hosted on - and featuring writers and creatives from - the Substack platform.Find Daisy on Substack > https://substack.com/@creativeconfidenceclinicToni (The Shelf Help Cluhouse) on Substack > https://shelfhelpclub.substack.com/Tanya (withEase) on Substack > https://tanyalynch.substack.com/WATCH THE VIDEOVideo recordings of The Bibliotherapists interviews are available exclusively to our Substack subscribers. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shelfhelpclub.substack.com/subscribe This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebibliotherapists.substack.com