12 Best Wellbeing at Work Books to Read in 2024.
Welcome! You found our list of the best wellbeing at work books.
This list builds on, and is inspired by our ‘What we are reading…’ series, where each month we share three books that we’d like to read – but this time, with without having to constrain ourselves to just three!
There are so many good books out there right now - on a wonderful variety of topics - but so little time. How to choose!?!?!
So, we decided to provide a public service and help you sort the sort the wheat from the chaff… starting with wellbeing.
We’re sure we are not alone in experiencing the build up of anticipation when looking forward to a good book – the cover looks great, the author is credible, the reviews are promising… and then your hopes and dreams are dashed! Whether it turns out the book is a thinly veiled sales pitch, poorly formatted, badly referenced, lacking evidence, or God forbid, you are only at page 5 and you’ve already spot a callously misquoted statistic to support a point the author wanted to make.
How did we choose?
To achieve our lofty ambition of providing you with a list of the very best wellbeing books to read in 2024, we locked away our Chief Psychologist, Maria Gardner, for a week, with every book on wellbeing we could find.
With clear instructions to not come out again until she’d produced her list of top 10 wellbeing books to read in 2024, and fed a steady stream of chocolate buttons, that is exactly what she did.
It was tough coming up with just (10) 12 books, so we applied a couple of criteria to narrow it down:
Must have been published in the last couple of years (i.e. it may not have made it onto your bookshelf yet)
Offers practical solutions, frameworks and/or insights beyond the obvious - a new idea or concept
Well evidenced and researched but still easy to read
Interesting!
These books will help develop, deepen and broaden your understanding of wellbeing in the workplace. Whether as a manager or leader of people, or as someone responsible for setting the wellbeing strategy for your organisation.
As a final note, before we dive in, whilst, this list has been curated to focus on wellbeing at work, we have included a couple of books that do focus on personal wellbeing. We know that those responsible for the wellbeing of others are notoriously bad at looking to their own - so we’ve included a couple of great titles that speak to this.
Let’s get started….
List of wellbeing books.
1. Wellbeing at Work: How to design, implement and evaluate an effective strategy, 2nd Edition. Ian Hesketh & Cary Cooper.
A succinct and practical guide to designing and implementing an effective strategy that will help reduce workplace stress and improve overall performance. It not only explains the reasons to consider employee mental health and wellbeing in the workplace but also provides a clear framework to increase staff engagement. Updated by experts with the latest research, insightful approaches and key takeaways,
What we like: With a clear but simple framework through which to understand wellbeing (psychological, physiological, societal and financial) this is a good beginners guide to setting up and implementing a wellbeing strategy. As you’d expect from these chaps, the book is well researched and evidenced and the end of chapter summaries are useful.
It is not often we find ourselves shelling out for a second edition, when we already own the original, but this is a good one.
2. Beating burnout at work: Why teams hold the secret to wellbeing and resilience. Paula Davis.
Described as a science-backed toolkit takes a holistic approach to burnout prevention by helping individuals, teams, and leaders build resilience and thrive at work. It offers an actionable method to help leaders create cultures of wellbeing and resilience in their organisation.
What we like: This book is small but mighty! Well referenced, but easy to digest, it provides lots of useful and actionable content.
In an age where too many people are still peddling wellbeing interventions aimed at the individual (cough, resilience workshops and fruit bowls), it was refreshing to have a book call out the complexity of burnout right up front. Taking a systems-based approach, with an easy to understand model, the focus is all about teams (as set out in the title!), as well as the tiny things that can lead to change.
3. Well at Work: Creating wellbeing in any workspace. Esther M Sternberg.
A book full of science-backed tips on how to design any workspace for physical and emotional wellbeing, “Well at Work helps us thrive wherever we work.” (Arianna Huffington). This is a title that examines the influence of everyday work environments on our stress response.
What we like: This book caught us by surprise. We normally like a book that gets straight to the point. However, what Esther Sternberg artfully does with her writing style is invite you in and take you on a journey. This is not a book to be skim read for the key points and actionable items. It is one to grab a cup of tea and a biscuit for, settle down in a comfy chair and enjoy.
Make no mistake, this is an incredibly well referenced, researched and evidence-based book, and it’s an easy and enjoyable read. But for maximum enjoyment, don’t rush it.
4. Reimagining Workplace Wellbeing: Fostering a culture of purpose, connection and transcendence. Jessica Grossmeir.
Described as a delightful mix of research, compelling stories and practical insights, this book sets out to integrate proven best practices from workplace wellbeing research with decades of management science research on workplace spirituality - helping organisations of all sizes foster whole-person wellbeing for individuals, teams, and leaders, to drive business outcomes.
What we like: The book sets out right up front that it is all about what it describes as ‘spiritual wellbeing’ - which the author describes as a focus on purpose, connection and sense of belonging. So, whilst the idea of ‘spiritual wellbeing’ might be a bit too ‘woo woo’ for some, don’t let this put you off… keep reading! The need for creating a sense of purpose, connection and belonging has never been so relevant or so needed as it is right now.
Aimed at HR practitioners, people managers and Exec, the book is well structured, and blends a mix of research, case studies and her own experiences, with practical suggestions and helpful chapter summaries.
5. Humanity at work: Diversity, inclusion and wellbeing in an increasingly distributed workforce. Anjali Bindra Patel.
This book describes itself as providing readers with a roadmap of practical tips to inspire and foster inclusive and connected workplace cultures - to ensure that more people are engaged and equipped to tap into the strength of their own collective power.
What we like: Probably the best book we have come across that blends the intersectionality between EDI and wellbeing, this is a good one! Using a simple but impactful structure of ‘What, Why and How’, it takes the reader on a journey. Well researched, evidenced and referenced, it is also insightful, personal, engaging and nuanced. A must read.
6. HBR Guide to Better Mental Health at Work.
Packed with how-to essential from leading experts, this HBR guide offers to provide smart answers to your most pressing work challenges.
What we like: Aimed squarely at managers, it is a thoughtfully curated selection of articles, with a clear and easy to navigate structure that walks people leaders through supporting mental health at work. A useful and practical guide.
7. Leading wellbeing: A leaders guide to mental health conversations at work. Fleur Heazlewood.
This book sets out to address the key concerns for leaders when it comes to wellbeing. Presenting a clear framework to follow for recognising the signs someone is struggling, providing psychological safety, what to say, what support is appropriate and how to balance both care and performance needs.
What we like: This is a book that does what it says on the tin. This is a helpful and easy read for managers that want to know how – or get better at – having conversations about wellbeing in the workplace. It provides a simple and easy to use framework, with some useful self-assessments and checklists.
8. Change makers: A woman’s guide to stepping up without burning out. Katy Murray.
Described as taking the reader on a personalised journey of self-discovery, it provides an actionable plan to expand your influence, step forward and make a difference at work. The book shares powerful habits that will reshape your brain and shift your behaviour.
What we liked: One of only two personal wellbeing books to make this list, this is a substantial personal development book aimed at women who want to progress without sacrificing their wellbeing. This not a light read that you can skim in a couple of hours, it does require commitment. But if it is the kind of book you need right now, it is jampacked with reflection activities, practical exercises, affirmations and further resources.
9. 52 weeks of wellbeing: A no nonsense guide to a fulfilling work life. Ryan Hopkins.
Packed full of practical and accessible tips that you can incorporate into your everyday life, leaving you healthier and more fulfilled, this book does what it says on the tin: 52 practical insights to help you lead a healthy, productive and vibrant life.
What we like: A very accessible but well referenced/researched book curating a range of practical advice, hints and tips across a range of wellbeing topics. We like the premise; we like the plain talking, and we like the conversational writing style. It’s an easy read, and doesn’t have to be consumed in order, cover to cover. However, still packs a punch with useful and thought-provoking content designed to inspire action – however small.
10. Mental Wealth: An essential guide to workplace mental health and wellbeing. Emi Golding and Peter Diaz.
A guide for managers and leaders on how to manage employees who may be experiencing mental health issues in the workplace, from the founders of the Workplace Mental Health Institute, Australia.
What we like: This is one we are dusting off, as it’s been on our bookshelf for a couple of years (with a lot of post its attached). When we read this upon its release in 2020 (as everyone grappled with the impact of Covid and a lot of noisy pseudo wellbeing experts coming out of the woodwork), its tone was refreshing. Making the direct link between a team’s mental health and the bottom line (hence the term ‘mental wealth’), it spoke to the reality that most times a business case needs to be made when asking an organisation to invest – no matter how worthy the cause. It honestly and compassionately explores the role of the manager in the wellbeing equation, and provides a pragmatic framework for a whole-systems approach to improving mental health in the workplace. Worth a read.
11. Your health at work: An indispensable guide to physical and mental wellbeing. Beck Allen and Howard Fidderman.
A fully researched guide to the most common health risks at work in the UK and how you can tackle them. The TUC expertly explains your legal rights, how to avoid injury and illness and what support is available to you.
What we like: This is another one we are dusting off, and bringing back into the light. Whilst it is now a few years old, and aimed at the individual, we still think it is an equally indispensable guide for managers too. It provides a comprehensive run down of all of the key areas related to physical and mental wellbeing. It sets out the guidance and legal responsibilities for employers and provides a range of practical suggestions and case studies in relation to each aspect of wellbeing. It might not be the ‘sexiest’ book on your bookshelf, but its utility is not to be underestimated.
12. 50 Top Tools for Employee Wellbeing: A complete toolkit for developing happy, healthy, productive and engaged employees. Debbie Mitchell.
50 practical tools for immediately improving staff wellbeing, resulting in happier, more engaged and more productive employees. With guidance on when to use it, how to get the most out of it and - most importantly - how to measure its impact, this book aims to be a complete resource for improving your workforce's wellbeing.
What we like: This is our final recommendation, and like the last two, we’ve had this book on our shelf for a few years now. Written by an OD consultant and former HR practitioner, this is an easy to use, pick up and put down book, full of practical ideas for improving wellbeing. Whilst some of the suggestions in the book are now of its time, if you are a manager with no idea where to start with improving wellbeing, this should give you a good starter for ten.
PS. If you are a manager and want to improve the wellbeing of your team, this is a good book, but also…. just ask your team what they need and/or would make the greatest impact for them!
Conclusion.
So, there you have it. Twelve wellbeing books to take you through 2024. One a month, if you will!
In a nutshell, these top 12 wellbeing books for 2024 are your go-to guides for navigating the wonderfully dynamic landscape of workplace wellbeing. Blending research, case studies, useful models and insights, they offer practical tips and profound perspectives. So, dive in, embrace the wisdom, and let’s make wellbeing in the workplace the success story we know it deserves to be in 2024!
The encore.
If you’ve made it this far, and still want more, then why not check out these other articles and thought pieces on wellbeing….
