The holiday season is coming to an end, but the sunny weather still tempts us to open a book on the terrace, in the park or by the water. And the rainy moments make reading even more tempting. Inspiration is never enough, so here are some tips for books that will become a guide on your way to greater mental well-being.
The joy of work - Organise your professional life (Marie Kondo, Scott Sonenshein)
If your desk is routinely buried under a pile of papers and office supplies, your email inbox has an endless series of unfinished messages, your diary is filled with (possibly) unnecessary meetings, or you're struggling to make decisions, there is a solution: tidy up.
After the bestsellers Miracle Cleaning a Live with joy Marie Kondo brought her inspiring cleaning method to the field of employment. She enlisted the help of Scott Sonenshein, a psychologist specializing in work organization and chair of the department at Rice University's business school. In writing this book, he applied knowledge from his research on building more satisfying and joyful careers, the results of which are the basis for his bestselling Stretch (Span).
Clutter has a negative impact on life - it reduces our productivity and motivation, but it also has other adverse effects on our health. The goal of the method you'll find in this book is not just to achieve a clean desk, whether in the company or at home, but it's also about engaging in a conversation with yourself through tidying up - finding out what you value as you reflect on why you work at all and what style of work you desire... The real goal is to become aware of what you enjoy about your work. As Marie Kondo writes in her book: I believe that cleaning is the first and most effective step to realizing your vision of a joyful career... Joy in work leads to joy in life.
Created to move (Kelly and Juliet Starrett)
At the Wellbeing at Work conference in June, organised by Welcome to the Jungle, it was reported, among other things, that in 1840 less than 1 % people had sedentary jobs, today it is over 80 %. This is unfortunately linked to the fact that the second most common cause of work-related disability in the long term is back pain (more information on this topic can be found in e-book from Welcome to the Jungle, ed. note). Let's face it - many of us sit poorly or lack exercise. As Kelly and Juliet Starrett's book points out, our bodies weren't made for a sedentary lifestyle, and the more we force them into it, the more we make ourselves suffer. With their insights, you'll get guidance on how to prepare your body for whatever befalls it - the advancing years, injuries, or pain and stiffness due to a lifestyle dominated by chairs, technology, and caffeine. You don't need rigorous gym workouts and expensive equipment to do it. Quite the opposite.
Mosaic of the soul (Tomas Kvapilik)
Do you want to feel mentally balanced and build healthy relationships, but don't know where to start? Take a journey with a well-known psychologist and psychotherapist Tomas Kvapilik on a surprising journey through the landscape of the soul. You will uncover the unconscious building blocks of your psyche, the roots of stress, the mechanisms of anxiety, depression and your inner critic. All the principles of the Ten Principles for Quality Mental Hygiene are supported by many years of psychotherapeutic work, supplemented by examples from practice and the author's personal story. Piece your own soul into a healthier shape.
Take a deep breath (Elissa Epel)
Try to imagine: No worries. No anxiety. No pressure. Is it pleasant? For a while, maybe it is. But there is a certain tension that is so firmly and intimately bound up with human life that it is simply impossible to get rid of. We even need it for our health. Leading stress specialist Elissa Epel reveals what role it plays in our lives, when it harms us and when it is surprisingly beneficial. Above all, it presents effective strategies to help you cope with challenging situations and provide real relief to an overloaded mind.
Lost (Michelle Losekoot, Tanya Brodská)
A book for all strong, courageous and exceptional women who sometimes feel alone on their journey; for those who blaze trails for others and give them the courage to live their own way. For warriors who protect, nurture and console, but fight their own battles alone. For the she-wolves who nourish their packs but remain hungry themselves. Book Lost will make you think about yourself (and your surroundings), it will make you laugh, but it can also make you cry, caress your soul and at the same time give you a little kick (in both a rough and encouraging sense). It's a probe into how we sometimes feel and act in our daily struggle for approval; a reminder that no woman needs to be alone in her problems and feelings - because we don't need to be alone in anything. As you read, you'll probably realize that instead of being the good girl, you could be the good girl. And also what a (un)bitch you are.
Instamozek - Stress, depression and anxiety caused by modern times (Anders Hansen)
Are you messing around with a digital detox? After reading this book, you'll probably want to kick it up a notch. The book by a renowned Swedish psychiatrist looks at the impact of the "digital age" on the functioning of our brains. The stress we experience today is not the same as that of our ancestors. How do we cope with it when mobile phones supply us with dopamine and thus promote addiction? What is more, they interfere with our ability to concentrate just by being near us and we do not even have to use them. Taking them to bed with us affects the quality of our sleep, and constantly comparing ourselves to others on social media doesn't help our peace of mind either. Children have already experienced the most drastic behavioural change of all time, and it is far from clear how the use of mobile phones and reading electronic material will affect our ability to learn in the future. Not to mention a deepening sense of social isolation...
Why didn't anyone tell me this before (Julie Smith)
Book Why didn't anyone tell me this before? will teach you how to strengthen your mental health and maintain it even in the most challenging times. Doctor's expert advice Julie Smith and effective coping techniques to help you maintain your resilience, whether you want to cope with anxiety, criticism, depression, build your confidence, find motivation or learn to forgive yourself. Inside you'll find lots of questions to answer and practical exercises.
