20 WONDERFUL WELLNESS BOOKS TO READ
We say “wellness” and “well-being” often in casual conversations. But what does wellness constitute?
Mindlor
The words "wellness" and "well-being" are frequently used in everyday speech. But what exactly does health entail? The path to wellness is just as important as being healthy. The National Library of Medicine identifies eight factors that contribute to a state of wellness.
(i) Physical: Caring for our bodies so they’re healthy now and in the future.
(ii) Intellectual: Maintaining our curiosity and expanding our knowledge and skills.
(iii) Emotional: Understanding our own emotions and empathising with others.
(iv) Social: Caring about others and letting others care about you.
(v) Spiritual: Participating in activities that are consistent with your beliefs.
(vi) Vocational: Contributing your unique skills to meaningful & rewarding work.
(vii) Financial: Managing your financial resources and planning for future goals.
(viii) Environmental: Understanding how your natural and built environments affect your health and well-being.
The books on wellness that I've included below will address most of these eight factors. The topics and authors included on this list are somewhat varied. I've found that reading these books has helped me gain perspective and direction in my own life, and I hope you'll have the same experience.
SOME BACKGROUND ON WELLNESS BOOKS
WHO IS WELLNESS FOR?: AN EXAMINATION OF WELLNESS CULTURE AND WHO IT LEAVES BEHIND
Bangladeshi Muslim Fariha Róisn found it difficult to adjust to life in Australia. She delves into the ways in which wellness culture, which draws heavily from the knowledge of people of color and indigenous communities, has become a luxury item. While doing so, it disregards and excludes them. Choose this book to examine your participation in, or lack thereof in, the discourse around and the commercialization of health.
WELLNESS BOOKS ABOUT THE BODY
WHY WE SLEEP: UNLOCKING THE POWER OF SLEEP AND DREAMS
BY MATTHEW WALKER
I've always put getting enough of shut-eye first. After finishing this book, I approached the task with renewed zeal. The documentary Why We Sleep enlightened me to the fundamental significance of sleep. There are four distinct sections. The first two sections define and justify the necessity of sleep. In the third segment, we examine the mechanics and function of dreaming. The final section discusses the barriers to quality sleep and how our culture might be altered to promote the restful sleep we all require.
INTUITIVE EATING: A REVOLUTIONARY PROGRAM THAT WORKS BY EVELYN TRIBOLE MS, RD AND ELYSE RESCH MS, RD, FADA
The authors of this book, both of whom are well-known in the field of nutrition, present the reader with an approach to eating that is both realistic and long-term: the practice of intuitive eating. Listening to and comprehending the requirements of our body are the primary objectives of this method. It teaches us how to recognize and respect hunger as well as how to recognize when we have had enough to eat. It offers advice on how to acknowledge and accept our emotions without turning to food for comfort. In addition to this, it emphasizes the fact that there is no such thing as a "ideal body type," and it explains how adopting a more intuitive eating style might assist us in achieving our own natural body weight.
YOKE: MY YOGA OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE BY JESSAMYN STANLEY
This book will give you a new outlook on life, whether or not you practice yoga. Jessamyn's experience with yoga is the subject of these pieces. She discusses cultural appropriation, capitalism, and racism using this technique. She also discusses how yoga has helped her love herself more unconditionally. She shows us how to put into practice the principles we study on the mat. She encourages us to approach life with the same agility, strength, and mindfulness that we bring to our yoga practice.
PART OF YOU, NOT ALL OF YOU: SHARED WISDOM AND GUIDED JOURNALING FOR LIFE WITH CHRONIC ILLNESS BY JENNEH RISHE
Jenneh Rishe is an RN that has experience in the fields of surgery, cancer care, and internal medicine. She started a charity called The Endometriosis Coalition to raise funds for research and educate the public about the condition. This journal is the result of her extensive knowledge and experience. Anyone coping with a long-term health condition may benefit from increased insight, acceptance, comfort, and optimism.
Books Fitness Professionals Should Read contains additional reading material related to physical health and fitness.
WELLNESS BOOKS ABOUT LIFESTYLE
THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP BY MARIE KONDO
Pick up this book if you find yourse
lf pulled to minimalism and decluttering, or if you're curious about why others find these practices appealing. Marie Kondo provides methods for discarding unnecessary items lying around the house. De-cluttering our physical surroundings may lead to mental simplification as well.
PLEASURE ACTIVISM: THE POLITICS OF FEELING GOOD BY ADRIENNE MAREE BROWN
The book's main premise is that social activism and justice can and should be pleasurable pursuits. activist work need not be viewed by us as a tiresome chore, brown advises. She encourages us to aim high and pursue happiness. And shows us how to make that a reality, not just for ourselves but for everyone. Read the author's thoughts on the book to find out if you'll like it.
THERE IS NO RIGHT WAY TO MEDITATE: AND OTHER LESSONS BY YUMI SAKUGAWA
The act of reading this book was meditative in and of itself. You will never think of meditation in the same way after reading Yumi Sakugawa. Meditation isn't restricted to moments of complete mental silence and focus. It has the potential to be very soothing, liberating, adaptable, and forgiving. The book explains it all in enticing metaphors and relaxing pictures.
THE BIG ACTIVITY BOOK FOR 
DIGITAL DETOX BY JORDAN REID AND ERIN WILLIAMS
Read this book if you've ever felt that your mind has died from too much gloomy web surfing. It's a combination journal/coloring book/guide on giving yourself a break from technology as a present. Simply said, it is a gift. In order to help us unwind, the suggestions and exercises in this detox guide are entertaining, approachable, and inventive.
THE LOST ART OF DOING NOTHING: HOW THE DUTCH UNWIND WITH NIKSEN BY MAARTJE WILLEMS AND LONA AALDERS
Inspired by the Dutch, this book teaches us to master the art of doing nothing. The reality is that our overbooked schedules make what sounds like a simple task a significant challenge.
Therefore, this short book makes an argument for inaction while also providing guidance for getting started. Beautiful, calming drawings help us feel at ease and buoyant.
SET BOUNDARIES, FIND PEACE: A GUIDE TO RECLAIMING YOURSELF BY NEDRA GLOVER TAWWAB
Finding this book has helped me realize I'm not alone in my inability to establish healthy limits. Many people would like to get better at this if someone wrote a whole book about it. In her work, Nedra Glover Tawwab encourages us to establish appropriate personal, interpersonal, and professional boundaries. Codependency, power battles, anxiety, despair, and exhaustion are just few of the topics she covers and helps us work through.
WHEN THINGS FALL APART: HEART ADVICE FOR DIFFICULT TIMES BY PEMA CHÖDRÖN
Have you ever been somewhere when it seemed like everything was falling apart? Do you have any idea why things became so much worse? It's not easy, but we can make it through this by keeping things in perspective. In this book, Pema Chödrön draws on the teachings of classical Buddhism. It came out in 1996, yet it's just as new and exciting now as it was then.
THE LITTLE BOOK OF HYGGE: THE DANISH WAY TO LIVE WELL BY MEIK WIKING
Have you ever been somewhere when it seemed like everything was falling apart? Do you have any idea why things became so much worse? It's not easy, but we can make it through this by keeping things in perspective. In this book, Pema Chödrön draws on the teachings of Buddhism.Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) is the Danish concept of coziness, conviviality, and contentment, and it is the subject of Meik Wiking's research. There are many of peaceful pictures and encouragements to be gentle with oneself. It's possible that not everyone will like or benefit from the book's suggested approaches to Hygge creation and enjoyment. However, it encourages us to discover our own personal brand of Hygge in the midst of our hectic and demanding schedules.
ok. It came out in 1996, yet it's just as new and exciting now as it was then.
BREATH: THE NEW SCIENCE OF A LOST ART BY JAMES NESTOR
Breathing is something that every living creature does. James Nestor says that for a long time, we've been doing it wrong. He investigates our failures and suggests remedies. See whether it can help you breathe better now!
DO NOTHING: HOW TO BREAK AWAY FROM OVERWORKING, OVERDOING, AND UNDERLIVING BY CELESTE HEADLEE
Celeste Headlee wrote this book after reflecting on her own life. She worked diligently and efficiently, and her accomplishments gave her great joy. Despite her successes, she acknowledged that she felt fatigued and miserable.
Do Nothing encourages us to deliberately carve out time and room to unwind. It encourages us to make room for fun in our hectic schedules, reminding us that there's more to living than working as efficiently as possible.
STUMBLING ON HAPPINESS: THINK YOU KNOW WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY? BY DANIEL GILBERT
This book dismantles and reconstructs our assumptions about what will bring us joy. The foundation of this system is cutting-edge study in the fields of psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy, and behavioral economics. All while shaking our collective heads and laughing at our own naive notions of what constitutes joy. We try to figure out what makes us happy in the hopes that this will eventually lead to an experience of that happiness.
THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE: BRAIN, MIND, AND BODY IN THE HEALING OF TRAUMA BY BESSEL VAN DER KOLK, M.D.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk has spent more than three decades helping those who have experienced trauma. He makes advantage of new studies to illustrate the physical and cognitive changes wrought by trauma. As a result, the victim's ability to experience joy, participation, self-control, and trust is altered. Trauma is also not exclusive to people who have experienced abuse or war. More people experience this than we realize. This book explores how our connections with others may both hurt and help us.
MY FRIEND FEAR: FINDING MAGIC IN THE UNKNOWN BY MEERA LEE PATEL
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk has spent more than three decades helping those who have experienced trauma. He makes advantage of new studies to illustrate the physical and cognitive changes wrought by trauma. As a result, the victim's ability to experience joy, participation, self-control, and trust is altered. TrThis is a picture book about becoming friends with your worries. Watercolor paintings by Meera Lee Patel are both relaxing and fascinating. The book provides a safe haven in which to contemplate an uncomfortable feeling. It's reassuring and enlightening, so we keep coming back to it.
Neither war veterans nor abuse victims are the only ones who can experience auma. More people experience this than we realize. This book explores how our connections with others may both hurt and help us.
IT DIDN’T START WITH YOU: HOW INHERITED FAMILY TRAUMA SHAPES WHO WE ARE AND HOW TO END THE CYCLE BY MARK WOLYNN
This book explores the effects of trauma passed down through the generations. It also encourages us to abandon the harmful "hurt people, hurt people" outlook. It provides strategies for escaping the cycle and restoring health. We can be the ones to start patching things up so that future generations aren't permanently damaged like we were.
EMOTIONAL FIRST AID: HEALING REJECTION, GUILT, FAILURE, AND OTHER EVERYDAY HURTS BY GUY WINCH, PH.D.
Physical first aid is a skill that most of us pick up right away in school. We learn to disinfect, bandage, and seek medical attention for wounds. What if we could find out how to administer first aid to our mental wounds as well? In this book, author Guy Winch sets out to do just that. Watch his Ted Talk on the topic if you're still on the fence about whether or not to read it.
