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 Daisy

1. Books Can (should!) Be a Daily Act of Self-Care

Daisy 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 Practical

Stories 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 Forms

During 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 Attention

Daisy 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 Start

Whether 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).

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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/@creativeconfidenceclinic

Toni (The Shelf Help Cluhouse) on Substack > https://shelfhelpclub.substack.com/

Tanya (withEase) on Substack > https://tanyalynch.substack.com/

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