Stress reducing books and podcasts recommended by us

It doesn’t matter what age or gender you are, what your background is, where you live or what you do for a living, people from all walks of life can be affected by mental health problems at any given time. It’s reported that one in four adults experience at least one diagnosable mental health problem in a year, and mental health represents the largest single cause of disability in the UK (1). Although the figures are shocking, they do further support the case to end the stigma around mental health, encouraging open conversations around it so we can recognise and implement ways to help those that need it.

Reading just six minutes a day can reduce your stress levels by up to 60%, helping to ease muscle tension, reduce heart rate and calm your state of mind (2). Podcasts can be a great alternative, especially if you’re on the go a lot and don’t have time to sit down and get lost in a book. Like books though, listening to a podcast has been shown to reduce levels of stress and anxiety, as well as being a great educational tool to learn more about the causes and strategies of coping with mental health issues (3).

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we want to share with you some of our favourite books and podcasts to help reduce the negative impact on your wellbeing and stress levels.

Get lost in these books:

• Ant Middleton: Zero Negativity – The former elite soldier offers the benefit of his experience on positive thinking in this self-help guide aimed at transforming negativity into a productive force
• Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt – Hyatt shares a powerful, proven, research-driven system for setting and achieving goals. Make your goals quit proof and discover how to overcome setbacks
• You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero – Hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice & easy exercises to help you identify & change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviours that stop you from getting what you want
• The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor – Achor explains how we can reprogram our brains to become more positive in order to gain a competitive edge at work. Using 7 actionable principles that have been tried and tested

Listen on the go:

• Happy Place by Fearne Cotton – Fearne Cotton talks to incredible people about life, love, loss, and everything in between as she reveals what happiness means to them
• Ted Talks Daily – Join Elise Hu for thought-provoking ideas on every subject imaginable by the world’s leading thinkers and creators. Ignite your curiosity, and learn something new
• How To Fail by Elizabeth Day – How to Fail with Elizabeth Day sees people from all walks of life confess their greatest failures and talk about what they learned from them
• Grounded by Louis Theroux – Talking to high profile names, covering everything from careers to personal foibles and frailties and how they are coping with what is happening in the world

All of these can be enjoyed in the comfort of your home, during your daily walk, on your lunch break at work or even before bed. The ability to use these resources easily makes them a great option when needing to reduce and ease mental stress and anxiety. So why don’t you give it a go the next time you or someone you know needs some support for their mental health?

REF (1) : https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/

REF (2): https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/reading-good-mental-health/

REF (3): https://www.verywellmind.com/best-mental-health-podcasts-5097922#:~:text=Podcasts%20are%20an%20excellent%20way,psychologists%2C%20authors%2C%20and%20lecturers.