January is always a bit meh. We’re supposed to reinvent ourselves but it’s cold and dark. We need all of the help we can get. 52 weeks of wellbeing is a fantastic book written by an author who is smart, original and full of fantastic advice. The authors personality is shot through with an incredible amount of research. This book is so inspirational and I will be dipping in and out of it for the rest of the week. Brilliant. 52 Weeks of Wellbeing to Transform Your Life - from ‘Kintsugi’ to embrace your flaws to ‘Cold Therapy’ to boost stress tolerance & ‘Timebox’ to handle email overload A simple wellbeing technique for every week of 2024 – to go from frazzled to fulfilled WHY THIS BOOK MATTERS Three billion people are miserable at work according to Gallup. And, unsurprisingly, anger, stress, worry and sadness hit record highs in 2021 and have been rising for 10 years The book is packed with 52 simple, practical, accessible habits, techniques and tips – one for every week of 2024 – that ANYONE can do to cultivate a happier life and make you your priority After a rugby accident left him unable to walk for a year and suffering from depression, suicidal thoughts and bulimia, author Ryan Hopkins embarked on a mental health mission Now Chief Impact Officer at pioneering mental health platform JAAQ and Deloitte’s former Future of Wellbeing Lead, he delivers talks everywhere from TEDx to Microsoft to Jimmy Choo on mental health and regularly writes for everyone from the FT to LinkedIn Ryan Hopkins is on a mission. He wants to reach 1 billion people to transform our wellbeing – from the toilet. That probably needs some explaining… Many of us prioritise work over wellbeing. A third of UK workers eat ‘aldesko’ (aka at our desks) and 67% feel pressured to be available at all hours of the day. Global unhappiness has risen by over a third since 2010. Something needs to change. Back to the toilet then. After a rugby accident left Ryan wheelchair-bound for a year and suffering from severe depression, anxiety, bulimia and suicidal thoughts for nearly a decade afterwards, he began building doable wellbeing habits and techniques into his everyday life. They’re so simple ANYONE can do them, even on the loo, but, combined, they have the power to radically improve our wellbeing. To prove it, he created his now viral ‘Toilet Break Wellbeing’ video series – which has reached tens of millions of people and counting. In his new book 52 Weeks of Wellbeing: A No-Nonsense Guide to a Fulfilling Work Life, Ryan reveals a simple wellbeing technique for every week of the year to help transform us from anxious and frazzled to happy and fulfilled. Combining the latest academic thinking with his powerful experience of recovering from rock bottom, the book is a highly practical, accessible, funny and engaging guide to improving our mental health. To make real, lasting change, wellbeing and self-care should be something we proactively make space for every day, not only addressed reactively in response to a problem. Packed with small, smart wellbeing habits you can easily fit into even the craziest of busy days, they accumulate to make drastic change. They include: Breathwork for stressful times The Japanese art of ‘Kintsugi’ to embrace your flaws ‘Cold Therapy’ to boost stress tolerance ‘Timebox’ to handle email overload Cosmic insignificance theory to combat anxiety Bringing back the Great British Tea Break to kickstart productivity Wellbeing is a lifelong pursuit – some weeks it’s easier to master than others – but armed with the knowledge, tips and tricks from this book, Ryan hopes to provide 1 billion people with the tools needed to lead a healthier, more fulfilling life at work and at home. “The ultimate guide to a better you. A fascinating and inspiring read.” Mo Gawdat, former Chief Business Officer for Google X “Ryan combines his trademark sense of humour with a pragmatic view of well-being, making this an engaging and informative read.” – Dr. Clare Fernandes, Chief Medical Officer, BBC “A book of bite-sized bits of brilliance.” Isabel Berwick, Financial Times 52 Weeks of Wellbeing by Ryan Hopkins is published by Kogan Page, 3rd January 2024, RRP £12.99
