Life’s too short for giving crappy gifts. Here are a few books that are high up there on my ‘most useful/insightful/eye-opening things I’ve ever read’ list…

If you’re feeling a little bit worn out after the craziness of 2016, it’s time to down tools – or at least refine the one’s you’ve got. Here are, in my opinion, a few of the best health & well-being books and apps around.

Make feeling good, finding ‘me-time’ and looking after your mental health a priority in 2017. I am.

FEEL GOOD BOOKS

• Anything from The Do Book Co always makes for a wonderful gift:
• Do Breathe - Calm Your Mind. Find Focus. Get Stuff Done. ~ Michael Townsend Williams
• Do Disrupt - Change the Status Quo. Or Become it. ~ Mark Shayler - Hate your current job or way of life? Buy this book NOW!
• Do Fly. Find Your Way. Make a Living. Be Your Best Self. ~ Gavin Strange
• Do Purpose - Why brands with a purpose do better and matter more ~ David Hieatt
• Do Story - How to Tell Your Story So The Whole World Listens ~ Bobette Buster
• The Minimalists books (all of them!)
• The Life-changing Magic of Tidying: A Simple, Effective Way to Banish Clutter Forever ~ Marie Kondo
• How to Stop Spending Time You Don’t Have Doing Things You Don’t Want to Do with People You Don’t Like ~ Sarah Knight
• The Desire Map ~ Danielle LaPorte (I’m going to try and complete the exercises in this workbook over Christmas, in preparation for starting my new year in style.
• Thinking, Fast and Slow ~ Daniel Kahneman
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking ~ Susan Cain
• The 4-hour Work Week: Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich ~ Timothy Ferris
• Talk Like Ted - The 9 Public Speaking Secrets of the World’s Top Minds ~ Carmine Gallo
• Spark for the Fire: How Youthful Thinking Unlocks Creativity ~ Ian Wharton
• How To Change The World ~ John-Paul Flintoff (my current read)
• Reasons To Stay Alive ~ Matt Haig

FEEL GOOD APPS & TECH

• Hope - Your BFF - Planning a big night out with your girl friends? But  hate it when you go home separately, and you don’t know if they got in ok? Check out the Hope app. Add your best friends, set your secure locations - such as your home, your work place, your gym, your mates or parents house, etc - then create groups and get the reassurance you need that your loved ones have arrived home safely. It even tells you if their battery is low and when they’ve plugged it in! Download Hope in the app store now.
• BreatheSync - “Breathe yourself better” - an app to help you focus, relax and reconnect with yourself
• Headspace - learn to meditate in just 10 minutes a day
• Spire - mindfulness & activity tracker
• Thriveport - CBT app - “your gateway to a life better lived”
• Moodnotes - Thought Journal / Mood Diary
• Feel ~ an amazing piece of wearable teach. This wristband tracks your moods and emotions and provides personal coaching throughout the day
• Borrow My Doggy! - Dog therapy is a thing! This little app helped a friend of mine and her husband after their own dog died. It’s also great for those who yearn to own a dog, but have no room or time to for one.
• OMGYes! ~ A friend of mine introduced me to this incredible site, aimed at demystifying women’s sexual pleasure. Try the free teaser before signing up to their subscription service. OMGYes provides a vast array of informative resources, breaking down the main ways women vary in how they find pleasure. Full of eye-opening insights for women, men and couples about how to make their sex lives even better. Try it… or at the very least recommend it to a friend!

Over to you…

What are the best health & wellbeing books and apps that you’ve stumbled across? I would love to hear what your favourites are. Even if it’s a work of fiction that enables pure escapism… please drop me a comment below. Have a great Christmas all!

Lucie x