Magazine / Better Mental Health Starts with a Deep Breath and These 6 Books

Better Mental Health Starts with a Deep Breath and These 6 Books

Happiness Health Psychology

Curveballs, challenges, and sudden changes happen—and will keep happening. There’s no stopping certain inevitable struggles of life, but lucky for us, we can train our minds to find peace during turbulence. The good life is yours for the taking with these six books about improving your headspace.

Learn something new every day with “Book Bites,” 15-minute audio summaries of the latest and greatest nonfiction. Get started by downloading the Next Big Idea App today!

Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts

By Oliver Burkeman

Looking beyond the challenges of time management to the most fundamental questions about how to live, Burkeman offers a powerful new way to take action on what counts: a guiding philosophy of life that he calls “imperfectionism.” Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Oliver Burkeman, in the Next Big Idea App.

The PLAN: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius

By Kendra Adachi

A practical time management book for people weary of productivity but eager to live a good life. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Kendra Adachi, in the Next Big Idea App

Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness

By Jamil Zaki

Cynicism is making us sick; Stanford Psychologist Dr. Jamil Zaki has the cure. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jamil Zaki, in the Next Big Idea App.

The Captive Imagination: Addiction, Reality, and Our Search for Meaning

By Elias Dakwar

A profound, humane, and revolutionary new framework for understanding and addressing addiction. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Elias Dakwar, in the Next Big Idea App.

The Laws of Connection: The Scientific Secrets of Building a Strong Social Network

By David Robson

This groundbreaking study reveals how social connections are far more important than we thought, showing us the steps we can take to build better relationships and improve our lives. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author David Robson, in the Next Big Idea App.

Stress Resets: How to Soothe Your Body and Mind in Minutes

By Jennifer Taitz

A clinical psychologist gives us quick, scientifically based techniques and exercises to manage stress and build resilience. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jennifer Taitz, in the Next Big Idea App.

The Key Ideas in 15 Minutes

“If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books,” Roald Dahl once famously said. The only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hours—and you may not have many hours to spare.

But imagine for a moment: What if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? Or even better, what if you could invite a world-renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the 5 key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes?

With the Next Big Idea App, we’ve turned this fantasy into a reality. We partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create “Book Bites,” short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors themselves. Discover cutting-edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well-being, and much more—all in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog.

“I love this app! The Book Bites are brilliant, perfect to have in airports, waiting rooms, anywhere I need to not doomscroll… You guys are the best!” – Missy G.

Go Deeper with a Next Big Idea Club Membership

The Next Big Idea App is free for anyone to try—and if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the Next Big Idea Club. Membership grants you unlimited access to Book Bites and unlocks early-release, ad-free episodes of our LinkedIn-partnered podcast. You also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live Q&A sessions with featured authors.

For a more focused learning experience, we recommend a Hardcover or eBook Membership. Every few months, legendary authors and club curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink select two new nonfiction books as the must-reads of the season. We then send hardcover copies straight to your doorstep, or eBook versions to your favorite digital device. We also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides and premium video e-courses, 50-minute master classes that take you step by step through their most life-changing ideas. And yes, it’s all available through the Next Big Idea App.

“My biggest Thank You is for the quality of book selections so far. I look on my shelf and see these great titles, and I find myself taking down one or two each month to reread an underlined passage. Full marks to all involved!” – Tim K.

Learn Faster, from the World’s Leading Thinkers

Whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the Next Big Idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. Wake up with an always-fresh Idea of the Day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. Then dive into one of our Challenges, hand-picked collections of Book Bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. Later, watch the playback of an interview with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, or philosopher John Kaag. And be sure to check the “Events” tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live Q&A and personally chat with the next featured thought leader.

If you’re hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope you’ll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the Next Big Idea. Get started by downloading the app today!

Download
the Next Big Idea App

Also in Magazine

Sign up for newsletter, and more.