My girlfriend heard about this on an NPR lifekit podcast and snatched it from the library for me, knowing I could use it.

She's right.

Having read it once, I am working to put in place some techniques described in it. I struggle with anxiety, and because I work a lot of hours at work, I tend to focus on "maximizing" my time outside of work. This book, like many others, focuses on learning to slow down from modern society's breakneck pace, to put the phone down, and to focus on things that are meaningful to you. I've read a good chunk of this book in other packages. But this one clicked for me more. One reason is he did a good job breaking down the concepts and tackling practices or objections one to three at a time, for easy digestion and review. The other reason, and a big one for me, is that he used to be a professional optimizer and multitasker. He wrote columns about how to get more out of your workday, about how to juggle everything and make it look easy. Then he realized it wasn't making him happy, and during the pandemic he reflected on why and this book is the result of that soul-searching.

I will read it again in a year or two, and we'll see how the me of then has implemented these lessons. Highly recommended for anybody who feels that they are "too busy" or "can't clear their inbox".