The 13 Best Wellness Books to Make You Feel Good

Another student of  Thich Nhat Hanh, Sister Dang Ngheim shares the wisdom gleaned from her transition into Zen monasticism. The book is divided into two parts: the first, an account of her life before ordination, filled with turmoil, attachments, and a seemingly interminable search for meaning; and her life after ordination, filled with wisdom and peace. 

In The River in Me, Ngheim shares her insight, making this book a valuable resource for anyone seeking a path toward inner peace and solace as they navigate the complexities of life, whether trained in the Zen Buddhist tradition or not. 

Three Black teachers in the Plum Village tradition founded by world-renowned Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh present their insights on a range of topics, including relationships, loneliness, intimacy, sexuality, politics, popular culture, race, self-care, and, most of all, healing. 

Through lessons on embodied mindfulness practice, Brown, Gomez, and Lingo provide readers with the tools to heal themselves from the effects of white supremacy, internalized racial oppression, and cultural conditioning, offering a more free and joyful way forward. 

In a world where we are constantly inundated with stimuli, it can be hard to cut through all the noise and listen—to ourselves, to each other, to Mother Earth, and to the many “bells of mindfulness” that at our disposal in each moment, according to Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. 

As Hanh explains in his book, even though it can be heard to truly listen, it is one of the most important skills one can cultivate for not only a better self, but a better world. In these pages, Hanh elaborates on the importance of tuning in to the world around us and equips readers with the mental tools to become better listeners. 

Ever wondered how you could deepen your Zen Buddhist practice? Perhaps you find yourself on the brink of a major spiritual change, and could use some inspiration. Or maybe you would simply appreciate the story of one individual’s search for meaning. Whatever brings you here. Short Journey Home may be the book for you. 

Himself on a journey of mindfulness practice, Richard Brady shares one of the first deeply personal accounts of a lay practitioner following in the steps of Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. Brady shares his successes and difficulties with community building, practicing with family, working with death, and sharing the practice with others. He offers valuable insight to anyone seeking to learn more about the pursuit of mindfulness. 

In an age where climate change has both eroded nature and increased calls to preserve it, Satish Kumar offers an absolutely essential account of the ways in which humanity’s existence is not simply dependent on that of the natural world, but fundamentally and spiritually connected to it. What we do to nature, he argues, we do to ourselves. 

As the conversation around climate justice becomes increasingly nihilistic, Kumar offers readers an optimism that has been sorely absent from recent climate discourse. That optimism nevertheless comes from his belief that we are agents of change, and that the choices we make have consequences. In other words, it is possible to build a more sustainable future, but it is up to us to do it—for the planet’s sake, and for ours. 

As we age, life can become so busy that it is difficult to remember how to find joy in the moments we have to ourselves. Brother Phap Huu seeks to remedy that. 

In Being With Busyness, Huu draws from the practice of Zen Buddhism to guide readers through burnout and stress, helping them find their way back to the mindfulness and joy that too easily fall to the wayside in the midst of their hectic lives. He explores dilemmas of modern life such as how to uphold our ideals while leaving space for our own wellness, or how to be open and vulnerable while still protecting ourselves. If these sound like the kind of questions you want answered, this book is for you. 

What’s one of the leading causes of bad health among Americans today? You got it, it’s stress. Stress can exacerbate any number of other health problems, prompt fatigue and depression – stress can even kill. Making matters worse, it’s almost impossible to take care of any other aspect of your health when you’re too stressed. And stress comes for us all. It isn’t just for high-powered executives. Every mom and dad on the planet deals with incredible amounts of stress every day. How do you manage it all?

“Stress is personal, and so is stress reduction,” says best-selling author Loretta LaRoche, describing this book by corporate trainer Genella Macintyre, which breaks stress reduction down into manageable, customizable steps, “it’s not a one-size-fits-all fix.” That “breath of fresh air” approach is what helps to set Macintyre’s book apart from the crowd of stress management tomes out there, helping readers to find what works for them to manage their stress so that they can survive and thrive in a busy world.

This “straightforward guide to holistic health and wellness” addresses the root causes of a variety of chronic conditions affecting Americans every day. While heavily focused on weight loss, Authentic Health also tackles everything from nutrition and stress management to getting a good night’s sleep and finding a sense of purpose in your day-to-day life.

As a holistic guide to wellness, Authentic Health not only addresses chronic conditions head-on, it also examines how all the aspects of your health affect one another, and how deficiencies in one area can lead to poor health somewhere else. It’s been called the “simple wisdom of a generous doctor,” and many have found it indispensable in helping them to lose weight, feel better, and live well.

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Where does wellness begin? Anne Marie Ludovici argues that it begins in your mind – and that it’s about more than merely physical well-being, it’s about a truly fulfilling and well-balanced life. In Change Your Mind, Change Your Health, Ludovici shares tips, tricks, stories, and advice from a wide range of health and behavioral experts, including researchers, health coaches, and psychology professionals, all with the goal of helping the reader to embrace their own inner empowerment and capacity for change.

Whether it’s changing habits or redefining what drives us, these practical techniques for setting goals, managing expectations, and making meaningful changes in your life will help you find wellness both inside and out through “sensible advice that doesn’t require anything but a desire to be healthy.” (Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager)

Related: 10 Mental Health Memoirs From Writers Who Have Been There

How many of us have thought we could be healthier if we just had a little more time? It’s so hard to cook a nourishing meal after a long day at work. We’re too stressed and tired to hit that yoga class or do the meditation we said we’d do every day. Making the time and mental space to do the things that we know will make us feel better is one of the most challenging parts of wellness – and that’s exactly what Nancy Hajeski addresses in this straightforward book of “natural solutions for health and well-being.”

From yoga and massage to spa treatments and herbal remedies, Hajeski examines the many options available to us. Perhaps more importantly, however, she looks at how we can incorporate those into our busy and hectic lives simply and effectively, so that they become habits, a part of our lifestyle, rather than something that we have to carve out time for each day.

Most of us have tried a diet, joined a gym, or signed up for an online meal delivery service in an attempt to eat healthier, only to find it falling by the wayside over time. Getting healthy is one thing, staying healthy presents its own challenges. Fortunately, this “refreshingly mature and practical synthesis of wisdom from the field of integrative healthcare” (William Collinge, PhD) offers a guide to how to not only improve your health, but sustain it.

For years, radiation oncologist Dr. Matt Mumber and yoga instructor Heather Reed have led retreats and workshops for individuals facing a wide array of health challenges. Here, they bring that same knowledge to your bookshelf, helping you to reclaim your health – and play a more active role in shaping it, by embracing constructive habits and daily choices that can improve your health and wellbeing in ways both large and small.

Dr. Jonathan B. Spages is a chiropractor who has helped hundreds of patients experience better health and live a happier, more fulfilling life. In this “fascinating overview of how the body works,” (Terry A. Rondberg, president of The Chiropractic Journal), Dr. Spages takes those lessons and applies them to every aspect of health, searching for a way to define what “true health” really is, and how to attain it.

In so doing, he breaks down how the body works from the bones to the muscles to the skin and organs, punctures some common myths and misconceptions about health and medicine, and addresses why people get sick, and how we can try to reduce our risk.

Related: 23 Mayo Clinic Books to Help Keep You Healthy

Maybe this is where we should have started? In Wellmania, journalist Brigid Delaney embarks upon an “illuminating, thought-provoking, and hilariously honest” (Robyn Harding, The Swap) odyssey into the wildest and weirdest corners of the wellness industry, trying out all the things that are supposed to improve our lives and make us feel better, all in an attempt to answer the question: “What even is wellness, and can we actually achieve it?”

From brutal fasts and fad diets to yoga classes, silent retreats, group psychotherapy, and more, Delaney tries them all, and writes about her experiences with wit, honesty, and humor. As a result, she lays bare the good, the bad, and the ridiculous of our craze for wellness – and just what that obsession says about all of us.