Do you ever read a book and find yourself behaving differently while you’re reading it? For example, maybe you’re reading a spy novel and you find yourself unconsciously adopting the protagonist’s mannerisms. Or perhaps you've read a book on nutrition and find yourself subconsciously being more mindful of what you put on your own plate?

The most important part of any lifestyle shift is the practice of taking actions that change your behaviors and habits. While the practice of living slowly is the most effective way to shift your lifestyle for good, I’ve found that reading about related topics and therefore mentally affirming those perspectives, can be a great way to reduce decision fatigue and allow those everyday decisions to happen more intuitively.

I like to ground myself with books on slow living when I get caught up with the busyness of work (and life). If you find reading to be a helpful way of reminding yourself what’s important in life, here are 5 Books on Slow Living written by BIPOC authors to ground and inspire you.

1. The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down by Haemin Sunim

This bestselling book is a collection of reflections on life and love written by an influential Zen Buddhist teacher from South Korea. The Things You Can Only See When You Slow Down is structured in short chapters that mirror different aspects of life (work, relationships, ambition, etc) and gently bring in a reminder of how slowing down and moving mindfully can enhance all of these frameworks. Sunim’s book is a soothing read and a welcome break from the daily grind of everyday life.

Description:

A multimillion-copy bestselling book of spiritual wisdom about the importance of slowing down in our fast-paced world. Haemin Sunim, a renowned Buddhist meditation teacher born in Korea and educated in the United States, illuminates a path to inner peace and balance amid the overwhelming demands of everyday life.

''Is it the world that's busy, or is it my mind?''

''The world moves fast, but that doesn't mean we have to. In this bestselling mindfulness guide--it has sold more than three million copies in Korea, where it was a #1 bestseller for forty-one weeks and received multiple Best Book of the Year awards -- Haemin Sunim (which means ''spontaneous wisdom''), a renowned Buddhist meditation teacher born in Korea and educated in the United States, illuminates a path to inner peace and balance amid the overwhelming demands of everyday life.

By offering guideposts to well-being and happiness in eight areas -- including relationships, love, and spirituality -- Haemin Sunim emphasizes the importance of forging a deeper connection with others and being compassionate and forgiving toward ourselves.

2. Mindful Simplicity by Yolanda Acree

Mindful Simplicity is a practical, step-by-step guide to simplifying and slowing down your life. Yolanda Acree is the founder of Black Minimalists and through this book, she presents effective strategies to decluttering your space, organizing your finances, and minimizing the amount of time you’re spending on agendas that no longer serve you.

Description: 

Get on the path to a simpler life with mindful strategies that work.

Simplifying your life is easier said than done. But, with a little guidance, you’ve got this! Mindful Simplicity delivers simple, mindfulness-based strategies to declutter and organize every facet of your life—at home, at work, in relationships, with money, and more.

This easy-to-read, step-by-step guide presents practical tips, helpful advice, and daily inspiration so you can wrangle the clutter and spend more quality time and energy on the people and things that matter most. Sound good? Take a deep breath and get started on the right path to balance today with Mindful Simplicity.

Inside this exploration of mindful simplicity you’ll find:

• Overcome clutter—Start where it’s easiest for you—and improve all areas of your life through mindful simplicity.

• Keep confident—Positive affirmations will encourage you every step of the way in your quest to achieve a simpler, more rewarding life.

• Easy-to-follow format—This attractive, well-organized guide is easy-to-read and easy-to-understand so you can put mindful simplicity into practice right away.

Discover how you can simplify and clarify your life, work, and finances with Mindful Simplicity.

3. Essential Zen Habits By Leo Babauta

Yet another book that draws from Zen Buddhism! Essential Zen Habits is a concise, actionable guide to adding more simplicity, productivity, and happiness to your life. It’s a short read and an easy way to incorporate more mindfulness into your daily life.

Description: 

Essential Zen Habits shares a method and a six-week program for changing a habit and outlines steps needed to quit bad habits, deal with life struggles, and find mindfulness. All in a very brief format of "just do this" instructions, no fluff whatsoever.

4. Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay

And now, moving away from the practical guides and non-fiction reads into something a little more creative…Catalog of  Unabashed Gratitude is a collection of poems that explores Gay’s adoration of nature, life, and loss. This book is a short read but undoubtedly a powerful one because sometimes, we all need a little reminder of just how beautiful things in this world really is.

Description:

Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude is a sustained meditation on that which goes away—loved ones, the seasons, the earth as we know it—that tries to find solace in the processes of the garden and the orchard. That is, this is a book that studies the wisdom of the garden and orchard, those places where all—death, sorrow, loss—is converted into what might, with patience, nourish us.

5. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo

Okay, okay, I know this book has been referenced a billion times by now, but if you still haven’t read it, it’s worth giving it a go. The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up explores the importance of minimizing our lives and cleaning out the clutter that no longer sparks joy. This book addresses more than just the physical act of cleaning and prompts the reader to take a more in-depth reflection at their inner state.

Description:

Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?

Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). 

 With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.

Which of these books caught your attention? Have you read any of them so far?

Note: it was fairly difficult to find books written by BIPOC authors but I hope that as slow living becomes a more mainstream topic, we’ll be able to highlight an increasingly diverse range of perspectives.

As a practitioner of slow living, I hope that this list of books come in handy as you continue on your journey! Please let me know if there are any updates and new releases as well!