6 Books to Help You on Your Healing Journey
There are many books offering insight and wisdom that can help you on your healing journey. No matter whether they were written decades ago or published recently, this curated list of books has something for everyone.
And if you’re not keen on reading, Audible is a great way to listen to books on the go – whilst out walking the dog, travelling to work, or doing the housework.
You’re Not Broken – Dr Sarah Woodhouse
Trauma expert and research psychologist Dr Sarah Woodhouse explores how ‘big’ and ‘little’ traumas can manifest as anxiety, low self-esteem, shame, over-eating, under-eating, addiction, depression, confusion, people-pleasing, under-earning, low mood, negative thinking, social anxiety, anger, brain fog and more.
This book will help reassure you that cycles of dysfunctional behaviours, negative thoughts and difficult feelings are a completely normal response to what you’ve been through – and offers strategies for moving forward and breaking free.
Wake Up to Sleep – Charlie Morley
Inspired by his work with military veterans, sleep expert Charlie Morley explores how to combat the harmful effects of stress and trauma in order to achieve restful sleep and healing dreams.
This book shares more than 20 body, breath, sleep, and dreaming techniques, all proven to help reduce anxiety, improve sleep quality, integrate nightmares, increase your energy, and transform your relationship with sleep.
You’ll discover; the science of how stress and trauma affect sleep, mindfulness practices for deep relaxation, breathwork practices to regulate the nervous system, and lucid dreaming methods to transform nightmares.
Whether you’re experiencing stressed-out sleep or not, the powerful practices in this book will help you optimise the time you spend dreaming so that you can sleep better and wake up healthier.
The Anatomy of Anxiety – Dr Ellen Vora
Psychiatrist Dr Ellen Vora challenges the conventional view of anxiety being all in your head, suggesting instead that much of what we call anxiety begins in the body.
Her clinical observations, backed by the latest scientific research, shows that anxiety is far more preventable than we may realise – and offers a fresh look at mental health.
In this groundbreaking book, Dr Vora walks beside us through a healing process to reframe our relationship with anxiety, offering actionable strategies for managing our moods, and creating a more joyful life.
Gut Feelings – Dr Will Cole
This book serves as a guide to understanding the connection between what you eat and how you feel.
With so much focus on what, when, and how to eat, the emotional component of eating tends to get left behind. Dr Will Cole approaches nutrition and wellness from a place of self-love and sheds light on the relationship between your physical and emotional health, providing a framework for you to better understand the gut-brain connection and how to influence that connection for the better.
Dr Cole illustrates how stress and shame can cause gut inflammation and sabotage your health and how problems in the gut can often present themselves in the form of mood swings, anxiety, and food cravings.
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? – Dr Julie Smith
Drawing on years of experience as a clinical psychologist, Dr Julie Smith shares all the skills you need to get through life’s challenges.
This is a must-have handbook for optimising your mental health, and Dr Smith’s simple but expert advice and powerful coping techniques will help you stay resilient no matter what life throws your way.
Written in short, bite-sized sections, you can turn straight to the topic you need depending on the challenge you’re facing – and immediately find the appropriate tools to help. From managing anxiety, dealing with criticism or battling low mood, to building self-confidence, finding motivation or learning to forgive yourself. It’s a great all-rounder.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse – Charlie Mackesy
This heartwarming book by British artist Charlie Mackesy brings beautiful ink and watercolour illustrations to life with messages of hope and compassion.
The book follows the journey of four characters; a young boy, a mole, a fox, and a horse. These characters form an unlikely but endearing group of friends who venture through adventures and a series of conversations on themes of friendship, kindness, courage, self-acceptance, and the importance of embracing life’s ups and downs.
The characters offer words of wisdom and comfort that resonate deeply and explores life’s fundamental questions and challenges in a way that leaves you feeling inspired and uplifted.
You might like to read: 6 More Books to Help You on Your Healing Journey
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