Some of the best wellness books for mind and body this year

If lockdown has given us a greater appreciation for time spent taking care of our health and wellbeing, it’s hopefully also provided you with a little more time to bury your head in a good book. As we’re now in the second part of this strange year, we explore some of the top wellness books for mind and body for a happier, healthier period ahead…

The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron

The Artist’s Way is less a book and more a way of life for those who fell in love with it. The musings and philosophies of Julia Cameron, former wife of Martin Scorsese, and survivor of drug addiction, alcoholism and mental health issues ranging from paranoia and depression to psychosis, her book is as popular as ever 25 years after it was written, and has had something of a renaissance once again through Covid-19.Written to help people with artistic creative recovery, it teaches techniques and exercises to assist people in gaining self-confidence in harnessing their creative talents and skills. In many ways it is the Marmite of wellness books, but very much worth a read for those keen to experience the journey.

The Clarity Cleanse, Habib Sadeghi, D.O

With a forward by Gwyneth Paltrow, one has to be intrigued by the latest endorsement of the Hollywood star turned health guru. Described as ’12 Steps to Finding Renewed Energy, Spiritual Fulfilment, and Emotional Healing’, it has all the trappings of an existential crisis, but holds on a moment before judging. Dr. Habib Sadegh developed the ideas to help himself recover from cancer more than 20 years ago, and is all about the idea of cleansing from negative emotions, believing they do cause damage on the cellular level. Whether you buy into that idea or not, there’s never any harm in finding a way to banish negative vibes, so given the hype, we’re curious to know your thoughts on this wellness book.

Dear NHS: 100 Stories to Say Thank You, Edited by Adam Kay

Published this year in response to the national outpouring of love and appreciation for our NHS, this heartwarming, and heartbreaking book, is underpinned by the wordsmith mastery of Adam Kay, the author of the bestselling This Is Going to Hurt. The anthology features 100 stories from a remarkable group of contributors including Stephen Fry, Dame Mary Beard, Sir Paul McCartney, Kate Atkinson, Kit de Waal, Bill Bryson and many more - sharing their gratitude to the 1.4 million heroes of our NHS. All author and publisher profits from this book will go to NHS Charities Together to fund vital research and projects, and The Lullaby Trust which supports parents bereaved of babies and young children. Who can say no to that?

How do we know we’re doing it right?, Pandora Sykes

At Spabreaks.com we believe that wellness is about more than green smoothies, it’s about all aspects of physical, mental and emotional health. Which is why we have featured Pandora Sykes’ How do we know we’re doing it right? - published this month - on our list of wellness books. From the popular podcaster best known for The High Low, which she co-hosts with journalist Dolly Alderton, Sykes’ book of essays on modern life has received high praise in the short time it’s been on the market. The mother of two explores the anxiety that many of us feel across a variety of areas in modern life, all of which culminate in that oft-known feeling that somehow we’re doing life wrong. Exploring the anxieties and myths that consume our lives and the tools we use to muddle through, her book is largely targeted at women, but is universally applicable, witty and reassuring.

Untamed, Glennon Doyle

If you can get past some of the hyperbole, Glennon Doyle’s book about self discovery, empowerment and self acceptance is a popular read targeted at women. A popular author, she documents her journey from being a married mother of three who discovers her husband is cheating on her, to the realisation that she had been closing much of herself off in order to fit in with certain accepted stereotypes. Having now grown into her ‘true self’, she is now happily married once again and has a confidence in her own sense of conviction that she never had before. In her book, she talks about how you can do the same. For all the information we’re given about how the outside world can help us, it’s rather nice to find someone telling us that it’s ok to listen to ourselves once in a while.