Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (Dec, 2024)

 

Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (Dec, 2024)

Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (2024, published by Random House Canada)



My take:

December is often associated with the “holiday season” and although it can be a time filled with positive emotion, it also can be a difficult time for many, for a variety of reasons. As such, I wanted to select a book that focused on emotional well-being and relationships for my December pick. Closer Together: Knowing Ourselves, Loving Each Other by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau (2024) is just that. Grégoire takes you on a personal journey of emotional self-discovery and explores some of the science behind emotion and how feelings manifest in our relationships.

Among a number of questions explored in the book, Grégoire examines how your feelings of attachment develop and play out in your relationships. She interviews several professionals who discuss their work aimed at optimizing health and psychological flexibility. The book is peppered with quizzes and techniques that the reader can try to better understand themselves and improve their well-being. From physical exercise, to meditation, to journalling, and humour, are all strategies that Grégoire uses herself. A key issue that plays out throughout the book is the need to “slow down”. Not only do you need to take time to understand yourself better but also to slow down your interactions with others to better understand their emotions and the interplay between emotions.

One theme that has re-emerged in this book that can also be found in my previous pick, The Good Life (Waldinger & Schultz, 2023) is that “the quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives”. Grégoire’s book is a love letter of sorts to those in her life and those she has yet to meet. Consider sharing a copy of Closer Together (2024) with someone you love.

Have you tried any strategies in the book? Have you noticed a change in your emotional well-being or your relationships?

Comments

  1. AnonymousNovember 28, 2024 at 12:24 PM

    I have this book on my "to read" list. Looking forward to diving in.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 8, 2024 at 6:40 PM

    I have this book but am having problems convincing myself to read it. I will not give up. I only just picked up “Your Bran on Art” from the library and it has caught my interest. I just attended a conference at the Ottawa Art Gallery about Health and the Arts. It was excellent. I was impressed with how much is being done to help people with emotional and mental health problems.
    Thanks for the “Chatter” podcast. Loved that book.
    Pat

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Joanna PozzuloDecember 9, 2024 at 6:06 AM

      I decided to give this book a try after a few people had suggested it to me. Although it is a personal journey book, I was impressed with the interviews with the experts. I thought those sections and the techniques/strategies could be useful....I absolutely loved "Your Brain on Art". It is a fantastic book that I highly recommend. I interviewed both authors for the podcast and that episode releases Dec. 16th. Engaging in the arts can be powerful for well-being. Let me know what you think. Joanna

      Delete
  3. Joanna PozzuloDecember 12, 2024 at 1:54 PM

    I had the pleasure of interviewing Sophie G. today for the Reading for Well-Being Podcast. She was authentic, informative, and fun! She brought to life a lot of great evidence-based strategies for emotional regulation. Sophie even had me trying a couple of techniques. The episode releases Jan. 15. Joanna

    ReplyDelete

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