My favourite wellbeing books

I love a good wellbeing book, and there are so many of them out there to choose from. They are often bound in a uniform small hardback format, filled with thick pages, simple illustrations and the promise of a better life. But once a book becomes successful it is followed by many others in the same genre, and then it can be difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. So I thought I would share five wellbeing books that I own, that I have enjoyed reading more than once, and that have genuinely added value to my life.

How to Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price

For me this is one of the most important books on my bookshelf and I've returned to it time and time again. I've written about it in full before, and you can read a longer review here - Review - How to Break Up With Your Phone. 

The book is divided into two parts. The first is called The Wake Up and it is designed to shock and scare you. It talks about all the ways in which our phones are designed to be addictive and all the negative impacts that they can have on our physical and mental health. The second section of the book is titled The Break Up and is a 30 day guided plan to help you develop a new relationship with your phone.  

Reading this book was a massive wake up call for me. I can't pretend that I don't still struggle with my phone usage, but if I feel myself start to slip a quick re-read works wonders for getting me back on track. I actually think that this book should be compulsory reading for anyone with a smartphone.

The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

Hygge is based around the concept of finding comfort in simple soothing things. There is a plethora of books in the hygge genre but this one is a classic, and I always turn to it at this time of year as the cold, dark winter approaches. It's a sweet little book, packed with cosy pictures alongside tips and ideas to for introducing more hygge into your life. My favourite sections are about putting together an emergency hygge kit and ideas for how to hygge throughout the year - I keep a bookmark on these pages so I can flip to them for easy reference! There are also some lovely recipe and craft ideas, like making paper woven hearts for Christmas.  

Quiet by Susan Cain

I received a copy of this book to review some years ago, and you can read what I wrote about it here - Review - Quiet by Susan Cain. If you consider yourself to be an introvert then I would absolutely recommend reading this book. It discusses how society favours extroverts, to the detriment of the introvert. A huge number of people are left unable to easily express their opinions and are thus not taken into account, particularly in the school and workplace.

I'm always drawn to the section on "restorative niches" which describes how introverts need to create space in their daily life to spend time alone. There are also excellent sections on dealing with extroverted partners and family members, and tips for dealing with introverted children. 

Zen: The Art of Simple Living by Shunmyo Masuno

Subtitled "100 Daily Practices from a Japanese Zen Monk for a Lifetime of Calm and Joy", this book contains tips for simple things that you can change in your habits and perspectives to help you live more simply and mindfully. It's divided into sections, for example energising your present self, inspiring confidence and alleviating confusion and worry, and is interspersed with simple and calming illustrations. I keep it handy to flip through from time to time, and it always helps me to feel relaxed and peaceful. 

Niksen by Olga Mecking

You can read my full review of this book here - Review - Niksen by Olga Mecking. Niksen is all about embracing the Dutch art of doing nothing and it's a simple concept that perhaps doesn't need quite as many words written about it as this book contains, but it's a relaxing read and it gives you a lot to think about as to how you can introduce some niksen into your own life. It definitely makes me feel better about my need to sit on the sofa and do nothing from time to time!