The 5-Minute Recharge

I really liked the examples in this book and also its simplicity. Really recommend it for well being.

After reading some praise for this book I was energized to dive in. Once I got through the introduction (which felt a bit like a research paper) I found what I was looking for. A direct approach to recharging with easy do-able exercises to realistically implement. I loved the quotes each section started with and appreciated the journal entry style each section ended with, giving space to figure out your own courses of action. The only thing I didn't love was that each chapter ended with a list of article and book recommendations. I felt it interrupted the flow and would be better off offered at the very end of the book. It was slightly repetitive at times but overall very approachable and doable recharging strategies.

Thanks so much to NetGalley to let me read this book in exchange for a honest review. I basically love all kinds of tips when it comes to getting a recharge. I loved the tips, there did seem to be a few repetitive moments but overall it is great! I will definitely recommend to my friends.

Feeling overwhelmed and in need of some time? This may be the book for you. If you are anything like me you will understand what the authors mean by time poverty. It's exactly how I was feeling six months ago before I made the huge decision to cut my working hours by a third. Now I have slightly more time, which means that I can actually read this type of book to help get clarity on how I am feeling and where I am going with life. 

The introduction really hit me in the feels. I completely agree with the authors, money is not the means to happiness. I used to worry about money and not having enough and not being able to provide for my family. Turns out life is not as expensive as you think. Having more time to think and make decisions is one way to make life cheaper and more enjoyable!

Other ways to improve your life are included in this book. Now looking at them all at once is overwhelming. Especially if you are time poor. So I would suggest reading the intro and then going back to the table of contents to identify what aspect is most in need. Now being a previously time poor person I can reassure you that it doesn't matter if you choose the wrong section to focus on. And by wrong I mean the section that covers the areas of your life you have most under control. Why not start with areas you are already successful. But hopefully you will get to the areas needing more attention. It'll be worth it. I promise. 

After a first skim through of the techniques this is a resource I will continue to dip in and out of as I need a recharge. I might even blog about it in the future (assuming I continue to be time rich!). 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

**Set to autopublish on Monday 13th May 10.49 GMT**

Subtitled, "31 Proven Strategies to Refresh, Reset and Become the Boss of Your Day," The 5-Minute Recharge is a series of hints and tips for improving your mental health and overall well-being. As with any such self-help book, what you get out of it will be highly personal to you, but there is a wide range of topics presented in a straightforward, friendly manner, and I would think something to click with everyone.

The topics are arranged around the headings "Get charged up:"
- about having enough time
- by connecting
- body and mind
- by feeding the good wolf
- by pausing to reflect

Each 'recharge' has a bit of info, a 'homework' assignment, and a list of further reading - I did skip over some of those a bit, but much better presented as they are, with a bit of blurb, than a list of references at the end which I would completely have ignored.

The first section on time probably felt most relevant to me, and while the first tip on making your bed did nothing for me at all, the rest were all thought-provoking and sensible, such as taking breaks to recharge and setting up supporting habits that improve life but don't take up time/will-power/mental energy. Other sections covered the disconnect between mind and body, positive thinking, and the wonderfully titled "What Would George Clooney Do?" (spoiler: it's about pretending to ask a 'wise' figure for advice).

Overall, it's a decent dip into the genre, with nothing completely groundbreaking. The exercises are perhaps a bit mixed. If they were easy to do, I don't know that they'd be of as much value, and yet they're presented as if they're simple 2-minute things. If I could magic up my 'purpose' that quickly...!! Still, I appreciated the lack of preaching in the tone, and the advice all seems very sensible and well thought-out.

This book was an easy, fast read, but it also has a lot of good ideas that are able to be applied to your life. I read it in a few sittings (as I wanted to get through it for the review), but ideally, you could take your time and use each suggestion--maybe one a day, or a few a week, whatever might fit your need. The ideas are all good things to help recharge, and there are a variety to appeal to all different types. There is a lot of additional information you can dig through if one idea peeks your interest more than others. A good read.

This book shares 31 small actions that you can take to recharge your life. Things like making your bed, meditating and feeling more gratitude. The 31 actions are divided into 5 categories. Each category has a list of actions. Each action has a brief explanation, an exercise to apply the action in your life and recommendations for further exploration - books, TED talks, videos etc.

Although the writing style was crisp, just the way I like it, there wasn't a lot that I learnt from this book. Also, a few actions would definitely take more than 5 minutes. Those are the two reasons that I have deducted 1 star.

I received a free copy of the book from NetGalley.

We're always thinking that we don't have enough time in the day to accomplish everything we wish to accomplish. (At least I think this very often). But everyone can find 5 minutes, right?

This book helped me take the excuse of "not enough time" for self care, and throw it out the window. Some days are so full of chores and errands that I barely have any time for myself, and I am sure I am not the only one.

This book presents31 different exercises that can be done in about a 5 minute window. (some exercises might take you more than 5 minutes) Still, even in hectic days, we can find a way to recharge by implementing one of the many exercises included in this book.

Now, these exercises are of course the main course in this book. But it also provides other resources, like book recommendations and even links to TED talks related to the exercise and topic previously presented.

224 pages full of info, exercises and resources. Might seem like a short read (and it is if you read straight), but this is one of those books that needs to be read one exercise at a time.

I really recommend taking your time to read, implement, and follow the links and resources to fully take advantage of this book. Otherwise all this information will rather be overwhelming. And if you're interested in 5-minute recharges, you probably don't have a lot of time to spare in the first place. Don't force yourself to finish this book quickly.

Overall, I find this is a good read, and I simply love to have recommendation for further reading, videos and alike. As a bookworm, I can never have enough in my "to-read" list.