Health & Wellness
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Health and Wellness Books I’m Looking Forward To In 2021
At the start of every year, I always look forward to new book releases, specifically health and wellness books. These are the books that will carry us through the year and beyond as they deep dive into how we can keep our minds, bodies, and spirits healthy.
*This list is only but a few of the health and wellness books that will be coming out in the first quarter of the year. As the year progresses I will be adding even more titles to this list. Book descriptions are via Amazon.
That Sounds Fun – Annie F. Downs
We know there are certain things we must have to survive–food, shelter, and safety to name a few. But there are also aspects of life that truly allow us to be joyful and fulfilled. For popular podcaster and bestselling author Annie F. Downs, fun is close to the top of that list. Few would argue that having fun doesn’t enrich our lives, but so much gets in the way of prioritizing it. Tough days, busyness, and feelings that are hard to talk about keep us from the fun that’s out there waiting to be found.
BUYCosmic Health – Jennifer Racioppi
There’s much more to astrology than weekly horoscopes, personality types, and predictions for the future. For astrologer and transformational coach Jennifer Racioppi and her clients, it is a guide to living in sync with the natural rhythms of the universe to achieve optimal health and astonishing success. Cosmic Health provides a groundbreaking cross-disciplinary approach to cultivating physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. By honoring your individuality, your role in the universe, nature, and the seasonality of life, you will be armed with the knowledge—and magic—you need to cultivate uncompromising health.
BUY ITThe Book of Light: Illuminate Your Life with Self-Love – Nia the Light
In this inspiring, illustrated book, Nia explores a range of emotions, from pain to joy, insecurity to confidence, to help you find your own individuality and power. The journaling activities give free rein to your inner queen to document your experiences of self-love, your flaws, and life lessons. Nia shares her own path towards accepting her whole self – acne, stretch marks, and all!
BUY ITA Rhythm of Prayer – Sarah Bessey
This book, curated by acclaimed author Sarah Bessey, celebrates and honors that prayerful tradition in a literary form. A companion for all who feel the immense joys and challenges of the journey of faith, this collection of prayers says it all aloud, giving readers permission to recognize the weight of all they carry. These writings also offer a broadened imagination of hope—of what can be restored and made new. Each prayer is an original piece of writing, with new essays by Sarah Bessey throughout.
BUY ITSet Boundaries, Find Peace – Nedra Glover Tawwab
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Licensed counselor, sought-after relationship expert, and one of the most influential therapists on Instagram Nedra Glover Tawwab demystifies this complex topic for today’s world. In a relatable and inclusive tone, Set Boundaries, Find Peace presents simple-yet-powerful ways to establish healthy boundaries in all aspects of life. Rooted in the latest research and best practices used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), these techniques help us identify and express our needs clearly and without apology–and unravel a root problem behind codependency, power struggles, anxiety, depression, burnout, and more.Your Time to Thrive: End Burnout, Increase Well-being, and Unlock Your Full Potential with the New Science of Microsteps – Marina Khidekel
This book is a Microstep bible. With chapters dedicated to sleep, nutrition, movement, focus and prioritization, communication and relationships, unplugging and recharging, creativity and inspiration, and purpose/meaning, Your Time to Thrive shares practical, usable, research-supported mini-habits that will yield huge benefits and empower people to truly thrive in all parts of their lives.
BUY ITEvery Body – Julia Rothman & Shaina Feinberg
Ever had a question about sex—whether out of curiosity, desire, or the sneaking suspicion you’re, somehow, different? Every Body will help you feel less alone. It’s a huge collection of anonymous stories, essays, artwork, and expert tell-alls on myriad subjects, all rolled into one. It’s the conversations most of us are too scared to start.
The stories, essays, and interviews they’ve compiled touch on a wide array of topics, including first times, open relationships, body acceptance, accidental pregnancies, sex toys, pleasure, fear and trauma, sexual discovery, and more.
BUY ITI’m So Effing Tired – Amy Shah, MD
Does it feel like your life is too busy, your days are too short, and you’re feeling overworked, overstressed, and overtired? Chances are you’ve asked your doctor for help, only to be told that it’s because of your age, or your workload, or, worse, that it’s just “normal.”
If so, you’re not alone. Women of all ages are suffering from an epidemic of fatigue and burnout. But exhaustion doesn’t have to be your new normal. Inspired by her personal wellness journey, integrative medical doctor Amy Shah has created this program so that you can regain your energy and reclaim your life.
BUY ITThe Gift of Self-Love: A Workbook to Help You Build Confidence, Recognize Your Worth, and Learn to Finally Love Yourself – Mary Jelkovsky
The Gift of Self-Love is an honest, heartfelt, and relatable book that will guide you on your journey to self-love, self-care, and body positivity. Author Mary Jelkovsky, better known on Instagram as @maryscupofteaa, shares her story of conquering her insecurities (after years of an eating disorder and intense, self-sabotaging work as a bikini fitness model) and finally learning to love herself exactly as she is. Written like a letter to a close friend, this self-improvement book provides practical advice and exercises that will help you finally give yourself the gift of self-love.
BUY ITWhat Doesn’t Kill You – Tessa Miller
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Tessa Miller was an ambitious twentysomething writer in New York City when, on a random fall day, her stomach began to seize up. At first, she toughed it out through searing pain, taking sick days from work, unable to leave the bathroom or her bed. But when it became undeniable that something was seriously wrong, Miller gave in to family pressure and went to the hospital―beginning a yearslong nightmare of procedures, misdiagnoses, and life-threatening infections. Once she was finally correctly diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, Miller faced another battle: accepting that she will never get better.Skin Care For Your Soul – Jude Chao
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The skincare journey. As much as we’d like it to, glowing, clear skin doesn’t happen overnight. But there is beauty in the process―not just the results. Author Jude Chao links skincare to self-care culture, giving readers a practical guide to developing their ideal skincare routine and using it to help manage stress, anxiety, and depression. The Korean skincare routine invites us to look at our skincare not only as a way to reduce lines and wrinkles or clear up breakouts but as a tool for developing our self-care habits.You Don’t Owe Anyone – Caroline Garnet McGraw
Inspired by the author’s viral essay “You Don’t Owe Anyone An Interaction,” this book invites us to make surprising choices that can help us get unstuck. Rather than offering more ways to effect change through sheer effort, these personal stories serve as a compassionate witness, a reflection of our own perfectionistic tendencies. They also are a wake-up call jolting us out of our martyr mentality and inspiring us to move in new, positive directions.
BUY ITThe Scandinavian Guide To Happiness – The Editors of Whalen Book Works
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There’s a reason Finland, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, and The Netherlands consistently rank as the top 5 happiest countries on earth! Find out the secrets to their happiness and fulfillment in The Scandinavian Guide to Happiness, which shares centuries of Nordic wisdom. These basic principles will help you see how to have a happy life without buying anything, changing yourself, or making any other crazy drastic changes! Topics include Simplicity, Happiness, Health & Wellness, Relationships, Nature-Inspired Living, and more. Full of inspiring, encouraging ideas—and charming illustrations!—this thoughtful Scandinavian guide is sure to put a happy glow on your life.Laziness Does Not Exist – Devon Price, Ph.D.
Laziness Does Not Exist explores the psychological underpinnings of the “laziness lie,” including its origins from the Puritans and how it has continued to proliferate as digital work tools have blurred the boundaries between work and life.
Dr. Price offers science-based reassurances that productivity does not determine a person’s worth and suggests that the solution to problems of overwork and stress lie in resisting the pressure to do more and instead learn to embrace doing enough.
BUY ITFitness for Every Body: Strong, Confident, and Empowered at Any Size – Meg Boggs
In Fitness for Every Body, Meg shares her personal story and inspires you to celebrate your own body for all its capabilities. Featuring a dozen step-by-step, full-body workouts, this book is more than a workout guide or a training manual. It’s a reminder that you’re more than just your weight, that you are stronger than you believe, and that just because you might not be thin, doesn’t mean that you can’t be an athlete. Your body is capable of doing incredible things—you just have to let it.
BUY ITAre there any health and wellness books being released this year that you’re looking forward to?
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New Year’s Self-Care Checklist {FREE Printable}
This year is FINALLY coming to a close. With everything that happened, it felt like it’s been 2020 for 10 years. 2020 was supposed to be the year we lived our best lives. It was going to be the roaring ’20s 2.0. Instead, it was the year of Murphy’s Law, and everything that could go wrong did go wrong. Despite there being some positives, the year overall was mentally, emotionally, and physically draining.
No one wants to go into the new year feeling frazzled. That’s why this self-care checklist is crucial to getting you (and me) back on the path of remembering to do the little things. Contrary to popular belief, self-care doesn’t have to cost a bundle. At its bare bones self-care is really about taking time out to do things that keep our lives flowing smoothly. This can look like a few moments of reflective meditation, making sure all your health appointments are scheduled, taking time out to phone a loved one.
This checklist features 15 simple everyday activities that are meant to bring peace and calm to your body and environment. The best thing about this is (other than it being free) you two designs to choose from to print, or you can save the PDF on your device and digitally check off things there. The key is ensuring this list is going to be someplace where you will see it every day.
There is no right or wrong way to use this self-care checklist. You can simply tick off a few at your leisure and come back to the others later, you can break them up over the course of January, or you can challenge yourself to complete one new thing for 15 consecutive days. The choice is truly yours.
On this list you’ll find the following:
Setting goals for the new year
Starting a new book or journal
Scheduling work and health appointments
Cleaning up your computer files (Shameless Maya has a great video on this)
Meditation, working out, and eating right
Creating morning and evening routines
Turning off social media
Calling a friend
Filling your home with your favorite scentClick to download:: New Year's Self-Care Checklist (Pink) (47 downloads)
Click to download:: New Year's Self-Care Checklist (Purple) (39 downloads)
Also, if you haven’t done so already download my 12-month undated wellness calendar. It’s a FREE printable featuring Black women in the wellness space.
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Undated Wellness Calendar For Black Women {FREE Printable}
This undated Wellness Calendar is a free printable download that features Black women in the wellness space.
Why a calendar centered around Black women?
Why Black women? Well, if you didn’t notice I AM a Black woman and as a member of the planner community, I’m always looking for planners and other accessories that reflect who I am. You see, I don’t just want to see myself represented with certain brand collaborations. I’m looking for planners and calendars that have been created specifically for me. And the sad thing is there isn’t much in this niche. So because I haven’t seen it, I created it. I know what I’ve been looking for and if I’ve been looking for it, I know others have been too and it’s long overdue that we get it.
Why a wellness-themed calendar?
As I have mentioned before there really is a lack of wellness-based calendars and planners on the market. I mean, sure you can take any ole calendar/planner and with enough tailoring make it suit your wellness needs but why should you. If we can get a dozen variations of teacher, faith, sport, and mommy planners (not that I have a problem with any of those), surely we can get a wellness planner. No, not a fitness planner. That’s totally different. I mean wellness. Yes, there can be a hint of fitness but instead of this planner telling you when it’s leg day a wellness planner will tell you it’s time to rest your legs. See the difference?
What does this Wellness Calendar feature?
In addition to 12 images of Black women, (see images above) this calendar features a monthly calendar that includes a general goal and to-do list, a monthly wellness list, and a self-care tracker for you to monitor how much self-care you’ve taken for the month. And before you ask, there is no such thing as too much self-care. You take it when you need it without the guilt of doing so. The blank notes space is for you to jot down your next meditation session, words of wisdom, or your upcoming doctor’s appointment. It’s completely up to you.How to get your undated Wellness Calendar
In order to claim your FREE calendar, you have to subscribe to the Mommy R+R newsletter. Sent once a month, this email contains exclusive stories, self-care tips, and everything in between you need to feel rejuvenated and recharged.
Claim Your Wellness Calendar
What would your ideal undated wellness calendar or planner contain?