February reads: 10 book recommendations
We have picked out ten books that aim to improve your performance and wellbeing. Whether you want to reduce stress, become more productive or unleash your full potential, we hope these books help you feel more inspired and positive.
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith
(Michael Joseph | Hardback, audio, ebook | January 2022)
Dr Julie Smith draws on her experience as a clinical psychologist and shares all the skills required to manage everyday issues that affect everyone. With chapters focusing on motivation, fear, emotional pain and grief, Dr Julie Smith's simple but expert advice and powerful coping techniques will help you stay resilient no matter what life throws at you.
The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit by Mel Robbins
(Hay House | Hardback, paperback, audio, ebook | September 2021)
Mel Robbins’ 'High 5 Habit' is a simple yet profound tool that changes your attitude, mindset and behaviour. Using her signature science-backed wisdom, Robbins demonstrates how to make believing in yourself a habit so that you operate with the confidence that your goals and dreams demand.
Toxic Positivity by Whitney Goodman
(Orion Spring | | Paperback, audio, ebook | January 2022)
We are constantly bombarded with pressure to be positive and to have ‘good vibes only’. In this refreshingly honest guide, therapist Whitney Goodman shares the latest research along with everyday examples and client stories that reveal how damaging toxic positivity is to ourselves and our relationships, and presents simple ways to experience and work through difficult emotions.
Out Of Office by Anne Helen Petersen and Charlie Warzel
(Scribe UK | Paperback, ebook | December 2021)
A timely book about the revolutionary potential of working from home, by two experts who work ― and live ― together. Out of Office combines Charlie and Anne’s first-person experiences of moving to a rural area and working remotely ― for years before the pandemic hit ― to demonstrate how workers everywhere can find new ways of working anywhere.
Great TED Talks: Leadership by Harriet Minter
(Portico | Paperback | February 2021)
This unofficial compilation reviews the 100 best TED talks about leadership from great minds worldwide. There are thousands of TED talks to navigate - this book curates the most inspiring and provides a commentary on the top 100 ways to boost your leadership skills, find new strategies, and overcome your fears to achieve your full potential.
The Power of Fun by Catherine Price
(Bantam Press | Paperback, audio, ebook | January 2022)
In our always-on, tech-addicted lifestyles, we often think of the pursuit of fun as an indulgence. Catherine Price argues that far from being frivolous, fun is the key to living a more meaningful, fulfilling and happier life. Including a practical plan for how to incorporate more fun into our daily lives, The Power of Fun proves that if you make fun a priority, you will be healthier and have more energy. You will be more productive, less resentful and less stressed.
High Performance: Lessons from the Best on Becoming Your Best by Jake Humphrey and Professor Damian Hughes
(Random House Business | Hardback, audio, ebook | December 2021)
High Performance reveals the methods the world's most successful athletes, coaches and entrepreneurs use to excel. Jake Humphrey and Professor Damian Hughes identify the eight crucial steps to becoming the best 'you' possible. They draw on cutting-edge research to explain why these methods work and how we can all use them.
You Coach You: How to Overcome Challenges and Take Control of Your Career by Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis
(Penguin Business | Hardback, audio, ebook | January 2022)
In You Coach You, Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis ― both qualified coaches ― explain how the best person to solve your problems is you, and how learning to coach yourself will accelerate your self-awareness and help you take control of your career. In this guide you will learn the mindset, skillset and toolkit you need to coach yourself. Packed with ideas for action and insightful tools, this practical book will help you increase your confidence and take control of your career.
Positivity by Paul McKenna
(Welbeck | Paperback, audio, ebook | January 2022)
Traditional 'positive thinking' just isn't enough to make any lasting difference. After 30 years working as a therapist, Paul McKenna shares his unique approach that will put you in an optimal state of mind so you can build up your resilience to make good decisions and take actions that lead to successful results in life. This practical book helps you discover your own natural resources for self-care, self-belief and how to take control of your life.
How To Do The Work by Nicole LePera
(Orion Spring | Paperback, audio, ebook | March 2021)
Dr Nicole LePera offers both a manifesto for self healing as well as an essential guide to creating a more vibrant, authentic, and joyful life. In this book she explains how adverse experiences and trauma in childhood lives with us, resulting in whole body dysfunction — activating harmful stress responses that keep us stuck engaging in patterns of co-dependency, emotional immaturity, and trauma bonds. Dr LePera offers readers the support and tools that will allow them to break free from destructive behaviours to reclaim and recreate their lives.
If you have any thoughts, experiences, news or advice on workplace wellbeing that you would like to share, please see our submission page for more information.