February Reads: Top 5 Wellbeing Books
We’ve listed our top five new books that aim to inspire and improve wellbeing during these difficult times. Whether you want to reduce stress, learn how to manage your mental health better, or stop yourself burning out, we hope these books provide some much-needed comfort and positivity.
No Such Thing as Normal by Bryony Gordon
(Headline, Hardback/Ebook/Audiobook, January 2021)
Bryony Gordon — author, journalist and founder of Mental Health Mates — offers an honest and practical guide to mental wellbeing in No Such Thing As Normal. One in four of us experience mental health issues and considering the current global situation, many more of us are struggling. Bryony covers a wide range of topics in this handy guide including mindfulness, addiction, sleep, therapy, self-image and the power of walking and talking. This is an ideal read for anyone who is struggling and eye-opening for anyone who wants to understand what it’s like to deal with mental health issues.
Burnout Survival Kit: Instant Relief from Modern Work by Imogen Dall
(Bloomsbury, Hardback/Ebook, December 2020)
Most of us will recognise the feelings of extreme stress at work and many of us who are now working from home are burning the candle at both ends when it comes to working long hours and not ‘switching off’ properly. Imogen Dall’s Burnout Survival Kit offers practical advice for when things start to deteriorate, teaching you to notice the signals of burnout, from the signs your body gives you to unhelpful stress-induced thoughts. Featuring a chapter focusing on lockdown, Imogen also explores ways to manage stress and anxiety as well as tips on how to approach dreaded networking events and practical advice on how to sleep better.
Chatter: The Voice in Our Head and How to Harness It by Ethan Kross
(Vermillion, Hardback/Ebook/Audiobook, January 2021)
Ethan Kross is an award-winning psychologist and one of the world’s leading experts on controlling the conscious mind. In Chatter he explores how to move away from the endless chatter in our head that sometimes leads us to negative self-talk and endless rumination. Kross combines cutting-edge science with fascinating case studies to explain how these inner conversations shape our work and relationships, and how we can turn our inner voice from critic to coach.
How to Work Without Losing Your Mind by Cate Sevilla
(Penguin Business, Hardback/Ebook/Audiobook, January 2021)
Drawing on her experience in leading and managing teams at giant corporations like Google and Microsoft, Cate Sevilla brings us a relevant and reassuring guide to the frustrating, stressful and sometimes bizarre side of work that we all experience. Each chapter focuses on a particular topic such as power and authority, envy and jealousy, success and sanity, red flags and gut instincts, and leadership and responsibility. Having dealt with pressurised and stressful work situations herself, Cate provides essential advice and support for anyone struggling to survive work life.
Get a Grip, Love by Kate Lucey
(HarperCollins, Hardback/Ebook/Audiobook, January 2021)
A candid, funny look at what it’s really like to deal with depression from Kate Lucey, former editor of Cosmopolitan.co.uk. Lucey writes openly about living with depression and how getting help is not as simple as ‘just telling someone’ or ‘taking some pills’. This raw but uplifting guide explores what really helps when it comes to dealing with a mental illness and how to tackle unhelpful or unsolicited advice from those around you.
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.