Many of us are juggling a lot these days. We go to work, invest in our friendships, nurture a side hustle, take care of our children or parents, and find time for an occasional date night. It’s inevitable that a ball is going to get dropped—and self-care is usually the first to fall.
So how can we learn to truly be good to ourselves, to take care of our minds and bodies alike? Fortunately, the five excellent books below offer some insightful answers.
Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most
By Cassie Holmes
Based on her wildly popular MBA class at UCLA, an award-winning professor demonstrates how to immediately improve our lives by changing how we perceive and invest our time. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Cassie Holmes, in the Next Big Idea App
Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make—and Keep—Friends
By Marisa G. Franco
A psychologist and University of Maryland professor provides a clear and actionable blueprint for forging strong, lasting connections with others—and for becoming our happiest, most fulfilled selves in the process. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Marisa Franco, in the Next Big Idea App
The Neuroscience of You: How Every Brain Is Different and How to Understand Yours
By Chantel Prat
From a University of Washington professor comes a rollicking adventure into the human brain that shifts our focus from what’s average to an understanding of how every brain is different, exactly why our quirks are important, and what this means for each of us. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Chantel Prat, in the Next Big Idea App
Life Time: Your Body Clock and Its Essential Roles in Good Health and Sleep
By Russell Foster
An award-winning scientist brings decades of study to this journey through the circadian rhythms that dominate our days and nights, showing how the realities of 24/7 life disrupt the body clock and take a toll on sleep, mental health, and physical health. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Russell Foster, in the Next Big Idea App
How to Be Authentic: Simone de Beauvoir and the Quest for Fulfillment
By Skye C. Cleary
How to Be Authentic is a lively introduction to Simone de Beauvoir’s philosophy of existentialism, as well as an exploration of the successes and failures that Beauvoir and other women have experienced in striving towards authenticity. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Skye Cleary, in the Next Big Idea App
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