Off the Clock

You showed up for everyone else. Take an hour for yourself.

Life has been a lot. Maybe it still is. Either way—you've been showing up, doing the work, holding it together.

This is an hour that's just for you. Not therapy. Not treatment. Just a book, a conversation, and a group of people who get it without you having to explain.

Format

Virtual/Zoom

Time

Wednesdays, 7-8 PM

Who

Our extended EPP family

Schedule

4 sessions per book

Cost

Free

2026 Reading List

Q1 · February – March

Four Thousand Weeks

Oliver Burkeman

The average human lifespan is about 4,000 weeks. This anti-productivity book argues that our obsession with "getting everything done" is making us miserable—and the path to peace isn't optimization, it's acceptance. Funny, wise, and surprisingly liberating.

Feb 11 · Feb 25 · Mar 11 · Mar 25

The rare book that makes you feel lighter, not more behind.

Q2 · May – June

Tell Me More

Kelly Corrigan

Twelve essays on the phrases that keep relationships alive: "I don't know." "Tell me more." "I was wrong." Corrigan writes about parenting teenagers, losing parents, and the negotiations of marriage with brutal honesty and unexpected humor. Short chapters. Big feelings.

May 6 · May 20 · Jun 3 · Jun 17

Funny, sharp, honest. You'll recognize yourself on every page.

Q3 · August – September

You're Not Listening

Kate Murphy

We're taught to lead conversations. Shape narratives. Talk over each other. We're not listening—and it's making us lonelier than ever. Murphy shows what real listening looks like, drawing on everyone from CIA interrogators to bartenders. Equal parts science and practical advice.

Aug 12 · Aug 26 · Sep 9 · Sep 23

You'll never hear a conversation the same way again.

Q4 · November – December

Meditations for Mortals

Oliver Burkeman

Burkeman's follow-up, structured as 28 daily readings. Where Four Thousand Weeks was philosophy, this is practice: How do you stay grounded when everything feels like chaos? Designed to be read slowly—one meditation at a time.

Nov 4 · Nov 18 · Dec 2 · Dec 16

Short daily readings. Good company for a chaotic season.