Restorative Reading and Writing for Wellness

On today’s episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I’m talking all about the connection between writing and healing and getting quite personal about my own healing journey. 

We’ll talk about it all: scriptotherapy and restorative writing, the MindBody connection to writing and healing, specific writing techniques to set chronic pain free and the component to my personal writing that I’ve been missing all along: self-compassion practices.

If you have chronic pain (or chronic anything!) and/or need to heal through something specific, then this episode is for you. 

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/05/20/scriptotherapy-restorative-writing-healing-chronic-pain/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

I recently read a book that completely challenged the way I read. While I usually read books at a steady pace and move right to the next one, MOTHERS AND SONS by Adam Haslett stopped me in my tracks and prompted a slower reading experience…something I didn’t realize I needed more of. 

Come listen as I talk about the three ways we can read more slowly, the research behind why it matters and the small, yet powerful, ways that you can get started.

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/05/13/the-art-of-slow-reading-why-savoring-stories-matters/https://www.alitlife.com/2025/05/13/the-art-of-slow-reading-why-savoring-stories-matters/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On today’s episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, I’m talking with Karen Houlding about the power of nature journaling and why we should all lean into this unique form of notebooking in the Spring season.

Come listen as we talk all about nature journaling: how Karen got started, how YOU can get started, the benefits that will come your way and much more. It’s time to slow down, savor what we see and capture it all. 

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/05/06/spring-into-nature-journaling-with-karen-houlding/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

I’m doing something different today.

Normally, my podcast episodes focus on the what, why and how of restorative reading and writing, bibliotherapy and notebooking. But today, I’m interrupting my own podcast calendar with a step-by-step description of my own process of bibliotherapy with a book that you MUST read.

We’ll talk about what bibliotherapy and restorative reading is, how some of the best books are INCIDENTAL forms of bibliotherapy and the personal reflections I had while reading this book. 

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/04/29/incidental-bibliotherapy-with-the-frozen-river/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

Let’s build a writing calendar to sustain you all year long!

A few weeks ago, I shared how you could create a thematic year-long reading calendar to sustain joyful reading life all year long. 

In this episode, I’m diving into the power of creating a year-long calendar for WRITING all year long: harnessing the power of the page to plan and dream, reset and heal, grow and change.

Whether you want to explore renewal in spring, creativity and adventure in summer, or gratitude and deep work in fall, I’ll share why you need to create a year-long personalized writing plan and how you can do it in the most joyful way possible. 

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/04/22/a-years-worth-of-writing-invitations/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

On this episode of the Get Lit(erate). podcast, we’re exploring three new ways to practice bibliotherapy that have never been talked about on the podcast….or anywhere else that I can find. 

Typically, bibliotherapy focuses on the book, specifically the text in the book, and how it can help you grow through what you’re going through. But what about the other text-adjacent forms of bibliotherapy? They matter, too!

Come listen as I talk about three new ways you can practice bibliotherapy in a new way. You won’t want to miss this one!

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/04/15/three-new-ways-to-practice-bibliotherapy/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

One of the best outcomes of this podcast is the chance to connect with others who share my love of reading and writing and understand the powerful role they play in wellness, healing, creativity and living a life well-lived.

Today’s guest is one of those people.

Sharon Frances is an author, illustrator and mental health advocate who embraces, embodies and celebrates the power of writing and creativity to promote healing of all kinds.

Come listen as we talk about her personal journey of healing through writing poetry, the essential role of creativity in our lives and how her simple recommendations for living a creative life instantly melted all of my excuses away and I shared a hidden creative passion. We laughed, we cried, we connected and now, we invite you to join us.

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/04/08/the-healing-powers-of-writing-creativity-with-sharon-frances/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

Back in 2020, I started a reading adventure that has sustained me through the best of times and the worst of times and I’m inviting you to do the same. 

In this episode, I’m diving into the power of creating a year-long calendar for thematic reading all year long: curating monthly themes for yourself that inspire creativity, reflection, growth and whatever else you can dream up.

Whether you want to explore renewal in spring, adventure in summer, or deep work in fall, I’ll share why you need to create a year-long personalized reading plan and how you can do it in the most joyful way possible. 

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/04/01/create-a-thematic-year-long-reading-calendar/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

Spring is coming and that means many of us have our eye on growth, renewal and learning in the coming months. It’s the perfect time to take a closer look at our reading and writing lives and how they can help us move into this new season with purpose, intention and joy. 

Today’s guest is going to help us do just that. Bijal Shah, owner of Book Therapy and author of Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading, is back to explore the life-changing magic of reading and how to pair it with a practice I’ve been exploring in my own reading life ever since our first conversation: literary reflective journaling. 

Come listen as we catch up on what Bijal’s been up to, explore the role of bibliotherapy, especially in a season of renewal, and take a deeper dive into how writing in relation to our reading can magnify the positive effects. 

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here.: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/03/25/literary-journaling-reflective-practice-in-bibliotherapy-with-bijal-shah/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit

Do you have a morning routine yet?

Today, I’m tackling the research behind morning routines: what they are, why they’re important and what you should fill them with.

I’ll share the three stackable aspects of my morning routine and why they matter, offer clear research on why reading, writing and movement should be in your morning rituals and offer you a few ways to get started, too.

You’ll find the show notes for the episode with links to all of the books and resources mentioned right here: https://www.alitlife.com/2025/03/18/the-perfect-morning-routine-reading-writing-yoga/

Love this podcast and want more? Consider this your invitation to join my Get Lit(erate) Substack community! Each month, we take a deep dive into one bookish theme and work to bring it to life in our own lives. You’ll get bonus episodes, book calendars, live book club and notebook sessions, special events and much more. Learn more at www.getliterate.co. 

Get your own Get Lit(erate). notebook to take notes on the books you want to read and notebook ideas you want to try: https://amzn.to/44wELKN

If you’d like to support the podcast, consider purchasing some Get Lit(erate). merchandise from my Zazzle store: https://www.zazzle.com/store/alitlife

All earnings are funneled right back into the podcast expenses and maintenance fees. Thanks for your support!

Follow Stephanie:

Website: http://www.alitlife.com/ 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AffinitoLit

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AffinitoLit

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/AffinitoLit