Want to immerse yourself in all things health, lifestyle and mindset? We have some recommendations for the best lifestyle books to get started.
If you are looking to make some significant changes to improve your health, wellbeing and lifestyle, then throwing yourself into the world of self development books could be a great place to start. However, there is a vast array of options available to you which can feel a little daunting for a newbie. So, we have compiled a list of recommended lifestyle books to get you off the starting block!
If you would like to read our recommendations for alcohol-free related reading, check out our blog post ‘AF Book Club: The importance of quit lit and some recommended reading’.
Our recommendations for self development reading:
- The Happiness Advantage: the seven principles that fuel success and performance at work by Shawn Achor
- Everything is figureoutable by Marie Forleo
- Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg
- How to have meaningful conversations by Sarah Rozenthuler
- The Art of Rest: How to Find Respite in Modern Age by Claudia Hammond
- The 4 Pillar Plan by Dr Rangan Chatterjee
Lifestyle and self-development are very broad topics, and books in these areas can include a large expanse of information, expertise and tips for a wide range of ideas within each concept. From how to be happier in your day to day life, to how to be more organised at home. If there is something you think you can improve on, almost certainly there will be an expert author out there to help you do just that!
The best self-development and lifestyle books to read:
The Happiness Advantage: the seven principles that fuel success and performance at work by Shawn Achor
“I will be happy once I have succeeded at this”, “I will feel better about myself after I have achieved this”, “I will be happy once I have made it”.
No doubt at some point in our lives, we will all have had these thoughts. It is a common way to think – that once we have ‘become successful’ at something, we will finally be happy. Well this is where ‘The Happiness Advantage’ tries to shift your mindset to allow you to create happiness and capitalise on its many benefits to become more successful.
The author believes that we have the formula for happiness and success the wrong way around. By switching the script, prioritising your happiness now, then using its performance-enhancing effects, you can become more successful.
Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg
We are all on lifelong journeys of self development and improvement, and there will always be things in life that we want to change or do better at, like eating more vegetables, or improving at a skill or activity. But all too often, we punish ourselves for not reaching these goals fast enough, or struggle to cement long lasting changes in our lifestyle.
BJ Fogg explains how this is often down to setting unrealistic goals and expectations for ourselves, and that by breaking these down into ‘Tiny Habits’, we can slowly build these up over time.
“The essence of Tiny Habits is to take a behavior you want, make it tiny, find where it fits naturally in your life, and nurture its growth.” BJ Fogg
This book offers a very practical way for you to create and implement real, lasting change in your life without huge amounts of conscious effort.
Everything is figureoutable by Marie Forleo
As the title suggests, the main message in this book is that no matter what challenges present themselves, there is always something we can do to figure out a solution. It is about creating a winning mindset that Marie coins as ‘The Creation Process’.
This process forces you to question your limiting beliefs and reframe each scenario, allowing you to see the steps to success far more easily. By eliminating the fear, uncertainty and limitations in your way, you can make yourself unstoppable!
How to have meaningful conversations by Sarah Rozenthuler
Connection and contact with the other people in our lives can do so much for enriching our experiences and ultimately, has an impact on our mental health and overall happiness. So ensuring we are making the most of our conversations and interactions is important, especially when having those ‘big life talks’. That is where Sarah, author of ‘How to have meaningful conversations’, has some insight.
If you ever feel you have missed an opportunity to properly express what matters to you, or struggled to find the words to say how you feel, this book could offer you some key strategies that are easy and simple to implement in order to feel you can be heard.
The Art of Rest: How to Find Respite in Modern Age by Claudia Hammond
In an ‘always on’ age where everything is seemingly go, go, go! This book takes a slightly different approach, instead encouraging you to find respite in amongst the hustle and bustle. Hammond explains the importance of taking time to rest and recuperate, examines the research behind the results to establish what really works and offers a roadmap for a new, more restful and balanced life.
Beyond a healthy sleeping pattern, this book focuses on rest and quality ‘down time’. Once you have these practices in place, you are more likely to have the focus, energy and motivation required to achieve the things that are important to you in life.
The 4 Pillar Plan by Dr Rangan Chatterjee
This book takes a look at a more holistic approach to wellness and self development; how to sleep, eat, relax and move yourself towards a happier and healthier lifestyle. By making and maintaining small changes in each of these areas, you can limit your chances of illness and improve your overall health and wellness.
The most important aspect in Dr Chatterjee’s approach is balance, excelling in any one pillar is redundant without similar focus in the others. He offers you a clear and actionable plan to improve your health and wellness by taking the time to work through each of the pillars in turn.
Go forth and prosper
So there you have it, a wealth of information and expertise to get you off to the best start on your self development journey. If you have some favourite books you’d like to share with the OYNB community, post them with us on social media or pop into our online community groups!
An entrepreneur and former senior oil broker, Ruari gave up drinking after excessive consumption almost cost him his marriage, and worse, his life. Going alcohol-free improved his relationships, career and energy levels, leading to him founding OYNB to provide a support network for others.
