Cozy : The Art of Arranging Yourself in the World by Isabel Gillies

Coziness isn’t just about hot chocolate or roasting chestnuts on a fire, according to Isabel Gillies.        It is also about finding your authentic self, discovering your purpose in life, and what you enjoy most. It also means finding something to hang on to, and finding order and peace in the midst of chaos. Even when everything is collapsing around you, it is still possible to find some vestige of coziness!

It can even help to save your life, Gillies argues. When the amazing explorer Shackleton’s schooner sank in Antarctica in 1914, he and his nineteen crew members survived for another two years until they were rescued.  According to an article that Gillies quotes, Shackleton knew that his greatest enemies were severe anxiety, disengagement and pessimism.  He had to keep the cosiness. He did this by trying to keep warm, being organised, keeping journals, making lists and finding structure to help everyone survive the ordeal.

This is one of the most enjoyable and helpful self-help books I’ve read.  Gillies has a lovely, engaging style, and it is worth dipping into often!