Choosing wellness and creating positive change in our lives can be a hard thing to do. Sometimes, all we need to inspire us to change is a story that proves that we can and shows us the way to be our best selves. This week, we’re celebrating personal well-being with books that remind us of the importance of taking care of ourselves. Come along as we share three health and wellness books that will help you become the best you possible!
HOT PICK
How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend: A Neuroscientist’s Guide to a Healthier, Happier Life by Rachel Barr
SYNOPSIS:
How to Make Your Brain Your Best Friend by Rachel Barr is an essential tool to understand how to take care of your brain and, in turn, how to take care of yourself. It is a thoroughly researched book about your brain’s ability to change, always adapting to new situations and new ways of thinking. Barr used her understanding of neuroscience to give her a sense of hope that she could control and change the way she felt, no matter how devastating the feeling was. This book helps give others this same understanding of the brain so you can love your mind as a part of yourself.
WHY:
Barr wrote this book while completing her PhD in electrophysiology of memory and sleep. She’s a neuroscientist who uses her understanding of the science behind the brain to help her comprehend mental health, asking why our brains react and respond in this way. Readers will not only enjoy this book but learn a lot about what makes us as humans function and get a better handle on how to take care of our brains.
BEACH READ
Proof of Life: Let Go, Let Love, and Stop Looking for Permission to Live Your Life by Jennifer Pastiloff
SYNOPSIS:
In Proof of Life, Jennifer Pastiloff overcomes the fear of change that she has had ever since the death of her father when she was young. She sets out to show that she doesn’t have to prove herself to anyone except herself. Pastiloff shows what it’s like to put in the work, rewiring the way you think about yourself and changing the narrative of your life. She guides readers step by step through this funny, inspiring, yet also hard and cathartic process.
WHY:
Proof of Life offers an interactive guide to empowered living, featuring Pastiloff’s personal accounts, poetry, and creative prompts to help readers actively take part in improving their lives. Although it’s hard to take accountability and start living your life for yourself, Pastiloff’s book offers a lighthearted tone that’s sure to inspire readers to change for the better.
DARK HORSE
A Clean Mess: A Memoir of Sobriety After a Lifetime of Being Numb by Tiffany Jenkins
Trigger Warning: This book discusses opioid addiction and incarceration. Please exercise personal care while reading.
SYNOPSIS:
A Clean Mess is a heartfelt memoir on addiction, sobriety, and numbing. In this book, Tiffany Jenkins shares her life story and how she made the changes during recovery from her opioid addiction and coming out of prison. This story faces the harsh realities of learning to live life without the numbing effects of drugs and how Jenkins was able to dig deep and find an inner strength she never knew she had as she faced marriage and motherhood head-on.
WHY:
A Clean Mess is an inspiring story that proves that even when you feel you are at your lowest, there is always room to take back your life, change, and grow. For anyone who feels they have hit their darkest point, this book can be a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a story that proves if Jenkins can do it, you can too, inspiring readers to remember their own resilience and the power within themselves.
Taking care of yourself is not always easy work. We hope these books help to lead the way on your wellness journey. Don’t forget to tune into next week’s Three to Read for more curated recommendations!
To read our other Three to Read articles, click here!
Browse these books and more reads handpicked by the Bookstr team on our Three to Read bookshelf on Bookshop!
