Life-Changing Books That Will Make You Live a Happier, Healthier Life
I’ve read a lot of self-help, health & wellness, and parenting books. Today, I’m sharing with you the top 5 most life-changing non-fiction books I’ve read that have transformed the way I eat, the way I move my body, the way I sleep, and the way I interact with technology in my life. Every transformation I’ve made that was inspired by one or multiple of these books has given me more contentment and health every day. I hope that these life-changing books can inspire a happy healthy life for you just as they did for me.
If you’re curious on the best parenting books I’ve ever read, check out this post here.
Good Energy by Casey Means
By far one of the most life-changing books I’ve read, this book made me rethink how we approach health, care, and wellness. It dedicates a large section of the book to explaining the science behind the issues, backing up with research, and diagnosing a lot of the causes for the symptoms we all experience. However, what I loved about this was how much time was then dedicated to solutions and how you can begin to change your life now. This book is overwhelming, you’ll feel like you need to make every change now. But I love her messaging that you don’t have to implement every solution to start changing your life. You can pick and choose the ones that fit best into your circumstances right now and still see real impacts.
Read this one for:
- How to approach your healthcare
- Causes for common diseases
- Practical solutions to begin living a healthy life
- Food recommendations and education
- Minimizing toxic living
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
We’ve all heard how important sleep is and that you need that 7-8 hours each night. But if you still don’t do it or struggle to find the motivation, look no further than this book. It will make you immediately want to start implementing better routines and behaviors that emphasize sleep and advocate for societal changes to prioritize our sleep, especially in childhood. Absolutely incredible and impactful read.
Read this one for:
- Extensive research on the impact of sleep on our bodies
- Childhood sleep behaviors and needs
- Societal pressures to fight back against to prioritize sleep
Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
If you’re looking for the best motivation and strategies to cut down on your screen time, look no further than Digital Minimalism. This is one I’ll definitely be revisiting time and time again as it does a fantastic job of not forcing you to cut out all technology, but only that which does not align with your values. By the end of the book, you’ll be ready to figure out how and where to cut down on your own use of technology.
Read this one for:
- Benefits to reducing screen time
- Practical ways to cut your own technology use
- A deeper exploration of how to use technology to align with your values
The Extinction of Experience by Christine Rosen
If Digital Minimalism answers the how to cut down on screen time, this one answers the why. I’ve been fascinated with technology and its effects on society in the past decade. This book did such a fantastic job of exploring societal impacts of our technology use and will only further motivate you to break out of these cycles that these large companies have put us in and get back to our roots.
Read this one for:
- Impacts of technology on society
- Why we should reduce technology in our own lives
- How we can encourage others
The Ageless Brain by Dale E. Bredesen
Lastly, if you want to leave off on an extremely hopeful note, read The Ageless Brain. This one will stick with me because it completely reframes the way we think about aging and what comes with it. There used to be a line of thinking that disease and degeneration was inevitable with aging. But that’s just not true. It doesn’t have to be that way. And this book does a fantastic job of providing thoughtful steps you can put in place today to give yourself the best chance of graceful aging with minimal mental deterioration.
Read this one for:
- Rethinking the aging process
- What we can do today for a healthy brain at 80 years old and beyond
- Practical tips on healthy living including diet and exercise
I’d love to know what life-changing books you’ve read that have given you a happy healthy life. I hope one of these impacts you as much as they impacted me.
Happy reading!
