I Used to Have a Plan by Alessandra Olanow (Review by Jennifer Holmes)

Rating 5 stars

I Used To Have a Plan is short and sweet but each page will surely lift your spirits. We all know this past year has been scary, full of uncertainty, and downright depressing at times. As I was reading this little gem I was thinking of a good friend who is going through a divorce and how this book may put a smile on her face. Every page is filled with cute illustrations and a little verbiage about the stages of grief. From Part 1, “I didn’t see that coming” to the final chapter, “I like it here, can I stay a while?” you will see things slowly improving. When you’re grieving any sort of change you won’t feel better overnight, and that’s ok. The author explains that every day you will learn to cope and overtime you will start to feel stronger and see yourself farther from what troubled you. Some days will be harder than others and through this experience you will “find out who you are”.

Take a mental health day and nap, eat junk food, take a bath, maybe start a mood diary, find a way to take care of yourself. Just be gentle and don’t compare your grief and healing process to anyone else’s. “Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary feelings”. Don’t go get bangs or delete pictures off your phone, just wait…..take a breath and wait. Instead of running from your feelings tackle them head on and watch yourself change and grow for the better. Even if you’re not currently going through a “situation” this book will still help you when the time comes, or you can use it to help someone else who needs a friendly reminder.