When life gets busy, a great way to promote self-care is by diving into a good book or listening to a podcast. These are tools that can encourage you to put your mental health first while helping you focus on your personal needs through education, self-awareness, and mindfulness.
Today I’m sharing a brief list of the books and podcasts that are currently topping my list! Each has helped me in some form or fashion as I work to prioritize mental health and wellness in my everyday life.
Enjoy!
Xo Nina
- The Jamie Grace Podcast: Author, podcaster, 2x Grammy-nominated, and Dove award-winning singer/songwriter/producer, Jamie Grace holds witty and wise weekly conversations on pop culture and mental health.
- The Goop Podcast: Gwyneth Paltrow has carved out her corner of the wellness world, so it’s only natural she’d bring us a premier podcast as well. Gwyneth and her co-host Erica Chidi cover a variety of topics, ranging from mental and emotional health to physical and sexual health.
- Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations: SuperSoul Conversations is a podcast by Oprah Winfrey where she brings on thought-leaders, mental health experts, and influencers who answer life’s toughest questions about finding purpose, getting through trauma, and connecting to the world around you.
- Therapy for Black Girls: The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly chat about all things mental health, personal development, and all of the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves hosted by licensed psychologist and speaker Dr. Joy Harden Bradford.
- Motherhood in Black & White: Hosted by Gen X moms, Kaanji Irby and Tara Campbell. These two women – one Black and one White – come from different worlds, but have become close friends through their shared experiences as suburban ‘boy moms,’ working women in male-dominated workplaces, and their love of 90s hip-hop. Listen in as they chat with each other and connect with guests about parenting and pop culture and the tragedies and triumphs of motherhood with honesty, empathy and humor.
- Cool Moms: Founded in 2018, COOL MOMS is a podcast and community platform aimed at highlighting dynamic mothers who prioritize their passions. Upon becoming a new mom, host Elise Peterson deeply feared losing her identity postpartum. She sought out the advice and stories of fellow mothers and caregivers who shared her same fervor for professional and creative ambitions, and those candid conversations served as the inception of Cool Moms.
- Mr. Chazz’s Leadership, Parenting and Teaching Podcast: Teacher, Mentor, and Motivational Speaker Chazz Lewis is committed to helping parents and teachers develop their children in a less frustrating and more enjoyable/effective way, for everyone! With the purpose of seeing, guiding, and building trust with children, Mr. Chazz’s podcast addresses all questions you have about leadership, parenting, and teaching.
- Getting It Together with Eirene the GIT Mom: If there’s anything all moms need, it’s a cheerleader! Someone to help them Get It Together when family life feels more like family strife! Meet Eirene – a full-time mom cheerleader! As a nationally renowned parenting coach, Eirene works with moms all around the country and teaches them how to rock motherhood with ease and humor. Tune in to the podcast to hear from every kind of mom about every kind of parenting challenge.
- Behind the Brilliance: Behind the Brilliance is a long-form interview podcast for the intellectually curious and relentlessly ambitious. The conversations hosted by Lisa Nicole Bell feature smart, inspiring, and funny innovators, creative, and entrepreneurs sharing the strategies, frameworks, and lessons that have shaped their success. The result is a growing archive of wisdom, strategies, and tactics on how to live well on your own terms no matter what your ambition may be.
- Finding Quiet: My Journey to Peace in an Anxious World: Jamie Grace has lived in the middle of noise for most of her life. Many know her as a singer with radio hits who has spent the last decade on stages and in front of the camera, but behind the scenes, she has struggled with Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, and an anxiety disorder for most of her life. But in the middle of both inner and outer noise, Jamie has learned how to manage the negative effects of her diagnoses, make the most of her strengths, and lean into the journey God has led her on.
- Atomic Habits: No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving – every day. James Clear, one of the world’s leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.
- Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience: In her latest book, Brené Brown writes, “If we want to find the way back to ourselves and one another, we need language and the grounded confidence to both tell our stories and to be stewards of the stories that we hear. This is the framework for meaningful connection.” In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through 87 of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances – a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection.
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a book that challenges the conventions of self-help by inviting the reader to NOT try, say no often, and embrace negative thinking. Not giving a f*ck is about being comfortable with being different and caring about something more important than adversity. In this engaging and philosophical read, writer Mark Manson provides philosophical and candid thoughts on how we can live a better life. He explores embracing the negative, taking responsibility for how we respond to everything that happens to us, and prioritizing good values. Focusing on what you lack will only make you miserable. Instead, openly embrace your shortcomings and insecurities, and from that place of acceptance, not only will you feel better, but you can start working on the areas that you care to change.
- You Are a Badass®: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life: Packed with humor, inspiration, and advice, You Are a Badass is the number one New York Times best-selling self-help book that teaches you how to get better without getting busted. In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, and easy exercises.
