Self-Development Book Club - Gentle
- tracymartorana4
- May 11
- 3 min read
Book number five in my goal to read or reread a self-development book every month in 2025 is Gentle by Courtney Carver
I am a big fan of Courtney Carver. I found her many years ago via her blog, Be More With Less. She promoted the idea of a capsule wardrobe, which she referred to as Project 333. She later published a book by the same name. Her backstory was essentially a long journey to simplify her life to help her body deal with her then-recent MS diagnosis. She went from being a maximalist ad executive to a minimalist blogger, author, and more. Project 333 was one of the tools she used to make that transition, and it inspires me to keep my wardrobe on the minimal side.
If you like podcasts, you can check out Soul + Wit, which is a podcast hosted by Courtney and her daughter Bailey. They are currently taking a podcasting hiatus, but there are over 200 episodes to enjoy.
Let's get back on topic, which is Courtney Carver's newest book, Gentle - Rest More, Stress Less, and Live the Life You Actually Want.
Watch Me Discuss This Book
Summary
This is an anti-productivity book meant to inspire us to slow down and evaluate our true priorities. I'm going to share a little nugget from the inner flap - "This is the 'don't do it all' self-help book you need to live with less stress and more ease, less overwhelm and more joy by uncovering the Gentle You. Grounded in self-compassion and a fierce commitment to less, becoming the Gentle You isn't about taking the easy road. It's about the practice of real self-care that, over time, will soothe your nervous system and strengthen your relationships.
Sounds great! And I did thoroughly enjoy this book. As I find with many self-development books, I found more ah-ha's in the first half, but there were still important points all the way through.
Gentle is separated into 3 sections - Rest, Less, and Rise. Interestingly, Courtney states that she almost made Rest the third section, but since one of the main points of this book is that rest isn't something to be earned by being productive, she decided it only made sense to lead with it. As she points out in her introduction, Fast and Furious is out, it's time to be Gentle.
Courtney defines Gentle as
the antidote to overwhelm
an invitation to choose consistency over intensity
easing through instead of pushing through
creating strength in stillness
putting yourself first
rejecting the old rules and creating your own
The Layout
Part 1: REST
Rest First
Little Saturday
The Circle
Underreact
Be Green-Adjacent
Break Up with Breaking News
Go to Bed
Find Connection
Redefine Your Guild
The New Rules for Rest
Part 2: LESS
Home Release
Unbothered
Count Your Spoons
Decide What Not to Do
Less Phone
Unplug
Drink Less
Less Advice
Less Organizing
Release Your Pain
Less Regret
Part 3: RISE
Prioritize the Gentle You
Be Gentle Anytime
Don't Take it Personally
Go Slowly
Cultivate Quiet
Dive In
Release Every Worry
Ask Yourself
Savor Simple Pleasures
Live the Life You Actually Want
Each section ends with a list of tiny steps to help you begin to embrace the concepts.
Favorite Quotes
Here are a few of my favorite quotes. There were several bigger sections that I marked to come back to that can't be represented with just one or two sentences. So those aren't listed here.
"We've been taught that rest has to be earned. You can earn it by overworking, overachieving, and overdoing it." (p.4)
"Going to bed is more important than doing one more thing." (p. 55)
"When people tell you, 'No pain, no gain' or 'I'm so busy', or 'I can sleep when I'm dead,' thou shalt gently tell people to eff off or simply smile and share this book with them." (p. 68) this made me laugh out loud!
"There is literally nothing in nature that blooms all year long, so do not expect yourself to do so." (p.166)
Buy the Book
Does this book sound good? Get your copy of Gentle by Courtney Carver today!
Or, check out one of her other books - Soulful Simplicity or Project 333.
(as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you)
Pick up some BOOK DARTS while you're at it.
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