Don’t Worry

Forty-eight short lessons make up this guide to loosening the grip of everyday anxiety. Shunmyo Masuno, a Zen Buddhist monk, writes each lesson as a small self-contained adjustment rather than a programme: returning attention to the present, stepping back from a worry instead of arguing with it, tending the relationships that matter most, and accepting oneself without conditions. The pieces are brief by design, which suits reading one at a time, and the tone stays quiet throughout. Anyone dealing with persistent anxiety should also speak with a qualified professional, since this is a reflective companion rather than treatment. Points worth weighing: • Forty-eight brief lessons, each readable in a few minutes • Zen practice translated into ordinary daily situations • From the author of Zen: The Art of Simple Living • Format suited to dipping in rather than reading straight through For readers drawn to mindfulness, calm living and Japanese contemplative writing. Available through Boipoka.