Books of their Lives - a podcast by shelf help.

Our guest today is Jo Love, a mental health advocate, doodler, trainee psychotherapist and now author. Jo's first book Therapy is… Magic is an essential guide to the ups and downs and life-changing experiences of talking therapy. Part memoir and part 'how-to' guide it's a handbook on what to expect when you decide to seek out a therapist, based on Jo's own 18+ years experience of seeing mental health professionals. IN THIS EPISODE: Why 'slow Mondays' are the best way to start the week How it feels to share about mental health - and mental illness - online and in a book Why therapy is hard, awkward and ongoing as well as 'magic' (and just one tool for managing mental well-being) Why Jo is so nervous about her mum reading the book Why mental health - like physical health - is something that needs to be maintained as a lifelong process Why the wrong experience doesn't mean that therapy is not right for you How trauma (small 't') stays in our body and why we need to release it How Trauma (capital 'T') can be baked into our DNA - BOOKS REFERENCED: Therapy is…Magic by Jo Love > https://amzn.to/3uBi8X3 On Becoming A Person by Carl Rogers > https://amzn.to/3HIXzeL Find Your True Voice: Stop Listening to Your Inner Critic, Heal Your Trauma and Live a Life Full of Joy by Emmy Brunner > https://amzn.to/3oG3WZ3 A Manual for Being Human by Dr Sophie Mort > https://amzn.to/3HFxGws Rise of the Girl: & Empowering Conversations to Have with Your Daughter by Jo Wimble-Groves > https://amzn.to/3HFw3Pt The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read by Phillipa Perry > https://amzn.to/3LzowEi The Body Keeps The Score by Dr Bessel van Der Kolk > https://amzn.to/3GHUyu1 Depression in a Digital Age by Fiona Thomas > https://amzn.to/3oCBZRI It Didn't Start with You by Mark Wolynn > https://amzn.to/34u1gXm Little Women by Louisa May Alcott > https://amzn.to/3oFEvql - SHOW NOTES // FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JO: website > www.jolove.co.uk instagram > @jo__love__

Our guest today is Shelly Tygielski, a trauma-informed mindfulness teacher, self-care activist, and the founder of the global grassroots mutual aid organisation Pandemic of Love. Shelly describes herself as 'a person who shows up for the cause'. If she believes in it, she goes for it, and helps others to do the same, and her new book - Sit Down to Rise Up: How Radical Self-care Can Change the World - is a guide to how we can create profound social change in our outer world by going inwards. IN THIS EPISODE: The self-care tools Shelly uses to support herself as an activist, teacher, parent and leader of movements - as well as how she put them to the test when her book launch didn't go to plan How she's taking meditation off the cushion and into the real world (and why clearing your mind is NOT actually the purpose of meditation) The definition of a self-care activist - and why we all need to take care of ourselves so we can show up and make a difference The superficialness of the industrial wellness complex Shelly's daily intention-setting ritual Using nature as a reminder to be grateful The importance of formalising a self-care plan - including how to identify any obstacles and then (very important) how to share it with a community The radical roots of self-care in the women's and civil rights movements Her long-standing belief in the goodness of humanity The challenge of staying (and writing!) positive in a pandemic The self-care and mutual aid communities that have been started as a result of this book and Shelly's work - BOOKS REFERENCED: Sit Down To Rise Up by Shelly Tygielski > https://amzn.to/3KKFleW Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown > https://amzn.to/3AzYSds Angela Davis - An Autobiography > https://amzn.to/3KOGj9Z The Catcher In The Rye by J D Salinger https://amzn.to/34cN70i Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabit-Zinn > https://amzn.to/3u3KNDK Faith by Sharon Salzburg > https://amzn.to/3rTM5yn The Collected Stories of Ernest Hemingway > https://amzn.to/3ADTWnC Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver > https://amzn.to/3rYM8Jc The Norton Anthology of Short Stories > https://amzn.to/3IKzIeK - SHOW NOTES // FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SHELLY: website > shellytygielski.com and pandemicoflove.com instagram > @mindfulskatergirl

Our guest today is Akeem Haynes, athlete, author, motivational speaker and podcast host who, after overcoming various stages of homelessness to win an Olympic medal, now specialises in promoting resilience and inspiring people to find the good in whatever obstacles, setbacks or opposition they may be facing. Akeem's message is that hope can always be found if you know where to look and this, as well as so many of the other practices we discuss in this conversation - including challenging and changing our perspectives and 24-7 gratitude - are traits we can all cultivate if we want to head into a new year with a positive mindset. And we love the fact that instead of making more resolutions at this time of year, Akeem chooses to look back at what didn't get done last year and focuses on that. Be More Akeem shall be our mantra for 2022. IN THIS EPISODE: Why we are what we read, watch, do and eat Why a person's purpose is ‘a way to serve that is authentic to themselves and their gifts' Why self-perspective is better than self-help How autobiographies inspire us because they remind us that super successful people weren't always at the top Why none of us know how strong we can be until we're tested, and that the more challenges we face the more we will develop We Akeem favours monthly resolutions over sweeping New Year's changes Why he always buys two copies of important books Why we all need ice cream, massage and a hot shower Why gratitude isn't just a cute statement, it's a way of life Why your scars don't need to dictate your future BOOKS REFERENCED: Solve for Happy by Mo Gawdat > https://amzn.to/3GgPgXb Bundini: Don't Believe the Hype by Todd D. Snyder > https://amzn.to/3HKkBBR The Bible (Akeem's 'roadmap for life' > https://amzn.to/3n2mRwe When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi > https://amzn.to/3n0so6q Harry Potter > https://amzn.to/3zv1rNp The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens > https://amzn.to/3EUkGks Undisputed Truth by Mike Tyson > https://amzn.to/3mWxLnh Left To Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza > https://amzn.to/333iVnQ The Book of Joy by Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu > https://amzn.to/3G2DmzW SHOW NOTES // FIND OUT MORE ABOUT AKEEM: website > https://www.instagram.com/underdogakh/ instagram > https://akeeminspires.com/ podcast: Unscripted with Akeem Haynes > https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unscripted-with-akeem-haynes/id1493147257 -

Our guest today is Jessica Huie MBE, an entrepreneur, coach, founder of the Purpose Academy and Author of the Hay House best-seller PURPOSE, Find Your Truth and Embrace Your Calling. In a previous life Jessica enjoyed a glittering career as a journalist and publicist, and has worked with some of the world's biggest stars and business people. This month she is celebrating the re-release of her book with five extra chapters charting her leap of faith as she emigrated to Jamaica in the summer of 2020. IN THIS PODCAST: Diversity in the self-help space Discovering spirituality and rediscovering/cultivating creativity How we all need to take responsibility for looking inwards The power of storytelling over preaching as a way to impart knowledge and help make personal and societal change The importance of movement for healing and health The importance of mentors (and how they can come in many forms) BOOKS REFERENCED: 1. Purpose (new edition) by Jessica Huie > https://amzn.to/3sB73nZ 2. Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch > https://amzn.to/3FqpyyE 3. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield > https://amzn.to/3FqpyyE 4. The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron > https://amzn.to/3E7mLco 5. The Good Ally by Nova Reid > https://amzn.to/3yKBzgb 6. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery > https://amzn.to/3EbJPH6 7. Reclaiming the African Goddess: A Spiritual Guide to Healing Black Trauma by Yema Njolela > https://amzn.to/3J7kcuq SHOW NOTES // FIND OUT MORE ABOUT JESSICA: website > https://www.jessicahuie.com instagram > https://www.instagram.com/jessica_huie_ more about The Purpose Retreat (Jan 2022) > https://www.jessicahuie.com/events-2/the-purpose-retreat-jamaica-2021/

Our guest today - and the first on the Books of their Lives series - is Brita Fernandez Schmidt, a woman who wants us all to know that we are so much more than our job titles, but to give a *little* bit of context we'll share that she's an activist, a coach, author of Fears to Fierce: A Woman's Guide to Owning Her Power and an advocate and promoter of women's power, women's rights and equality, most recently as Executive Director of Women for Women International (2008-2021). IN THIS PODCAST: How we all carry wounds but we also all have the power to heal them (and which books help) Why we shouldn't aim to be fearless Why self-help is self-care Why ‘being without becoming' is Brita's new mantra - and how you can get there too Why we are not our job titles and why achieving loving acceptance for ourselves is so tough in a high powered job Why Brita is moving away from her Executive roles to training in collective healing and holding space as a coach BOOKS REFERENCED: Fears to Fierce by Brita Fernandez Schmidt > https://amzn.to/3GtE7BT Sensuous Knowledge by Minna Salami > https://amzn.to/3y8VWTV An Unspoken Voice by Peter Levine > https://amzn.to/3lOFOlv Healing Collective Trauma by Thomas Hübl > https://amzn.to/3Gr0PKU Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman > https://amzn.to/3IDgo3S Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers > https://amzn.to/3rQGRVG The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz > https://amzn.to/31A3GCF From Girl to Goddess by Valerie Estelle Frankel > https://amzn.to/30ddK3G Stronger by Poorna Bell > https://amzn.to/3DyGAsU How to do the Work by Dr Nicole LePera > https://amzn.to/3IDgQPC The Genius Myth by Michael Meade > https://amzn.to/3rMZqdy SHOW NOTES // OTHER REFERENCES: Mooji meditation - Seeing without eyes: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=475708760313871 https://mooji.tv/freemedia/ Women for Women International > https://womenforwomen.org.uk/ FIND OUT MORE ABOUT BRITA: website > https://www.britafs.com/ Step Into Your Power group coaching programme (starts Jan 2022) > https://www.britafs.com/step-into-your-power

Love, loss and loneliness are subjects that have taken on a deeper meaning for many of us over the last few months, and we've had lots of requests for an episode along these themes. Today's guest has all of this covered. And more. Denna Babul, 49, is a relationship expert, based in Atlanta, Georgia in the USA. She's also a sought-after speaker, NBC pundit, relationship coach, award-winning author of The Fatherless Daughter Project and the founder of the Fatherless Daughter Movement non-profit. Her latest book, Love Strong: Change Your Narrative, Change Your Life, and Take Your Power Back! is a modern guide to relationships, love and personal strength.

Today Ben is more about stripping off emotionally, and is a mindset and purpose coach as well as a writer, speaker and host of The Naked Professors podcast, sharing his story in a bid to inspire other people to get more in touch with their own and make positive change in their lives.

Laura Day is also a New York Times-bestselling author who has spent nearly four decades helping brands and companies and thousands of people (including celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Demi Moore) to use their brains, perceptions, and “sixth sense” to realise their goals. Laura is all about practical intuition - that's the title of one of her six books in fact - and demystifying psychic ability to harness positive change. As a result of the Corona Virus she moved her teaching work online to Instagram and Zoom to share her skills and insights with a new generation of self-healers, and creating a whole new community in the process. So who better to talk to us about moving forward and what the future might hold…

It's our last episode of 2020 and we are closing out a crazy year with an awesome collection of tips, tricks and powerful self-help switches from presenter, business woman and now author Amanda Byram. Amanda's broadcasting career has spanned more than two decades. She is the CEO and owner of the sportswear brand, Body by Byram, as well as a certified personal trainer and a student of nutrition coaching and NLP. She is also a recovering perfectionist and The Switch, her first book, is a tried and tested guide to how she overcame the pressures of perfection to find health and happiness. The Switch is a distillation of all the techniques and strategies Amanda used to get herself off the ‘perfection treadmill' and switch to a balanced lifestyle where food, fitness, family, friends and self-care are all in sync. We like to find a lesson in every situation at shelf help. and if 2020 has taught us anything it's that chasing perfectionism is futile. So Amanda is the perfect person to celebrate the end of this year with, as well as to share advice on making the most of the next one. Warning: there is a bit of light swearing in this conversation so it's possibly not appropriate for very small or very sensitive ears. In this podcast: *How at 47 Amanda is in the best mental and physical shape of her life *How she spiralled into depression after cancelling a wedding in her late 30s (and the strategies she used to bounce back) *About her years of disordered eating and how she fell back in love with food *Why we need to learn to accept compliments and stop using the word STRESS *Why the root cause of unhappiness is speaking unkindly to ourselves (and how to switch this) *The three types of perfectionists (Amanda has tried all three on for size) *How we can use this time of uncertainty rather than being scared of it (time to WAKE UP and get off that treadmill!) *Amanda's favourite self-help books *Her (new, improved) morning routine *Why those of us with a long way to go when it comes to self-help are on the brink of a most brilliant adventure ------ SHOW NOTES // RECOMMENDED READING Book - The Switch by Amanda Byram Instagram - @amandabyram Website - www.amandabyram.com Take the perfectionist test HERE Read > The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Read > The Universe Has Your Back by Gabrielle Bernstein Read > A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle Watch > Leonard Cohen sing Anthem “There is a crack in everything, it's how the light gets in."

Today's guest, Jeff Krasno, has been a huge source of comfort and inspiration to us over the last six months, both through the interviews and personal musings he shares via his Commune podcast and also the incredible online learning opportunities facilitated through his course platform of the same name - find it at onecommune.com - which features courses from some of the world's greatest teachers, thought leaders and guiding lights including Marianne Williamson, Dr Michael Bernard Beckwith, Deepak Chopra, Brendan Bur-chard and Russell Brand. Jeff is also the co-founder & Executive Chairman of Wanderlust the world's biggest series of wellness events, he's the author of 2 books and is part of the SuperSoul 100, a group of 100 top entrepreneurs handpicked by Oprah Winfrey. In this podcast: *Jeff's experience of having Covid (and how Russell Brand was involved) *Why hard conversations are the ultimate self-development tool *Why we need to redefine what connection is, get off social media and start engaging 1-on-1 *Jeff's favourite meditation techniques, based on music and soundscapes *Why a local and simple life is a better life *How to use this opportunity to cultivate time and being with people, and why the biggest impact we can possibly have is to connect with just one person in a meaningful way ------ SHOW NOTES // RECOMMENDED READING Jeff's Commune Podcast Commune Platform Wanderlust ----- The Guest House by Rumi Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Small is Beautiful The Sam Harris Podcast The Social Dilemma Documentary

**Today's guest comes with a warning: there will be swearing. Quite a lot of swearing. So this episode is not recommended for little or sensitive ears, as author Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt introduces her new book: Move on Motherf*cker: Live, laugh and let sh!t go** Jodie is a counsellor and health psychologist who swears her way to sanity using CBT, mindfulness, humour, positive psychology and profanity. With over 25 years of professional experience helping others find meaning in this crazy world Jodie calls herself a recovering people pleaser, control freak, worrier and motherf*ucker. Jodie's new book is for anybody tired of beating themselves up or letting others walk all over them. Are you ready to change patterns of self-defeating behaviour? Are you ready to change the negative things you say to yourself? Are you ready to let go of trying to control everything? Time to meet Jodie and her tried and tested - if a little twisted - way to transcend that negative self-talk. In this episode: *How swearing is proven to reduce emotional pain (it f*cking is!) *Why anxiety thrives in vague situations + the science behind how routines and schedules work to combat it *Why journalling is 'an emotional enema' *Why exercise is the best medicine to combat anxiety and depression *The questions we should ask ourselves when it comes to fear: What am I going to do with it that's productive, and what am I doing to make my situation worse? *How being able to laugh and accept our own humanity is truly healing *About Jodie's own GAD - Generalised Anxiety Disorder ("anxiety on steroids") - and her own struggles in 2020 *Why real people are Jodie's biggest inspiration *The Buddhist parable of the Second Arrow *Why turning off the news is an act of self-care *Why doing good for others is so good for us -------- SHOW NOTES // RECOMMENDED READING book - Move on Motherf*cker by Jodie Eckleberry-Hunt website - www.jodieeckleberryhunt.com more about GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) more about CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) more about Brene Brown more about the Buddhist parable of the Second Arrow -------- BOOKS: Broken Open by Elizabeth Lesser Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F@ck by Sarah Knight The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris Wherever You Go There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn

Today's guest, Dr. Aria Campbell-Danesh, is a doctor in clinical psychology and an expert in the fields of behaviour change and long-term health. A mindfulness specialist and creator of the F.I.T. Method, he works internationally as a high-performance psychologist across the areas of mindset, exercise, and nutrition. He is also the co-author of the beautiful, best-selling book, A Mindful Year, that combines the age-old wisdom of mindfulness with cognitive behavioural science in simple daily practices and, for us, is the perfect antidote to the tumultuous times we're living through. In this episode: *How happiness is determined less by what happens to us and more how we respond *Why we only look to change when we're sick of ourselves *Why getting to the top is nothing, and how we do it is everything (Royal Robbins) *Why diets don't work long-term *An introduction to the two journeys in life: the internal and the external *Why everybody's mind has a negativity bias and what we can do to tackle it *Dr Aria's favourite books and teachers - including ancient buddhist and stoic inspiration *How the mind has a mind of its own *How we can be successful in our responses even if the outcome isn't as planned *Why taking ourselves on a date can be transformational -------- SHOW NOTES // RECOMMENDED READING book - A Mindful Year: 365 Ways to Find Connection and the Sacred in Everyday Life instagram - @dr._aria website - www.dr-aria.com More about climber Royal Robbins ('Getting to the top is nothing. How you do it is everything.') More about Marcus Aurelius More about Anthony de Mello -------- BOOKS: Feel the Fear by Susan Jeffers The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer The Obstacle is The Way by Ryan Holiday

Today's guest is Gelong Thubten, a Buddhist monk and meditation teacher who is passionate about demystifying meditation and teaching us non-monks how we can use it to thrive in our generally pretty hectic, modern lives. Thubten has worked with everyone from Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and Hollywood stars to corporate high flyers and high school kids, and in his first book, A Monk's Guide to Happiness: Meditation in the 21st Century, he presents a practical and sustainable approach to happiness, and shows us how meditation and mindfulness can help get us there. In this episode: *How physical and mental burn out in his early 20s led Thubten first to meditation and then life as a fully-fledged 'forever' monk *How happiness is a mental skill (and an inside job) *How a monk stays grounded *Why being spiritual doesn't have to mean being super serious *How to turn the Covid experience into an internal/personal retreat *How loneliness can be transformed through meditation *Why too much news changes our body chemistry *The power of compassion and service *How Thubten is bringing mindfulness to the real world, including schools, hospitals and prisons *Why practising meditation is the path to happiness and positivity and how everybody - even you! - can meditate *Why meditation is better than coffee ------ SHOW NOTES // RECOMMENDED READING A Monk's Guide to Happiness: Meditation in the 21st Century by Gelong Thubten (out now in paperback) How to be Human: A Manual by Ruby Wax, Ash Ranpura and Gelong Thubten The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled by Ruby Wax www.gelongthubten.com

As well as being a renowned spiritual leader, a sought-after speaker, an Oprah Super Souler and a bestselling author Panache Desai is also lighting up Instagram and youtube and Zoom with over 13,000 people joining his daily Call to Calm lessons and meditations which we can't recommend enough for anyone feeling overwhelmed or anxious right now. * This is the first episode of the new series and we go pretty deep pretty quickly - the term 'the totality of who I am' is used before we're even two minutes in! - but then Panache references his love of pirate radio and drum and bass and explains why Kung Fu Panda and Yoda are his spiritual gurus. And this is exactly why we had him on our vision board of dream podcast guests - because he has so much knowledge and wisdom and love to share but also a wicked sense of humour. Wherever you are in life right now - we GUARANTEE that you will feel more peaceful and positive after listening to this conversation. * SHOW NOTES // DETAILS Panache Desia's new book, You are Enough - https://amzn.to/3iFMyhe Call to Calm meditations - https://www.panachedesai.com/online-support/ About Kung Fu Panda - https://www.dreamworks.com/shows/kung-fu-panda-the-paws-of-destiny DETAILS https://www.panachedesai.com/ https://www.instagram.com/panachedesai/ Connect with us @shelfhelp.club

In today's episode we have a two-for-one treat because we have both halves of Project Love here, Selina and Vicki. Their mission as coaches is to inspire and empower you to create a life, relationship and career that you love. In their weekly podcast they look at personal development with honesty and curiosity. Their online platform ‘Get Ready for Love' has helped people all over the world to transform their love lives. And their end-of-year journal ‘Goodbye, Hello' is a bestseller and is also one of our absolutely favourite things to gift to people because it's features two of our favourite areas for growth: reflection and intention. As does this podcast episode. As well as heaps of advice on self-care and self-love, how to create a sisterhood circle and why a mini trampoline might just change your life. Our fellow self-help geeks are going to LOVE all the recommendations peppered throughout this show. Enjoy. * SHOW NOTES // DETAILS The Bridge Retreat - https://www.thebridgeretreat.com/book-now/ The Project Love guide to running a Sister Circle. BOOKS Glennon Doyle - Untamed - https://amzn.to/33ZBpn5 I'm Still Here by Austin Channing Brown - https://amzn.to/33YjFsl The Artist's Way (features the Morning Pages) - https://amzn.to/3iYveEl Men are from Mars Women are from Venus - https://amzn.to/3duLlYV PODCASTS Brene Brown: Unlocking Us - https://open.spotify.com/show/4P86ZzHf7EOlRG7do9LkKZ?si=LXqkcXt4SYSW4NEaPmjboA The Tim Ferriss Show - https://tim.blog/podcast/#new-episodes Guy Raz: How I Built This https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510313/how-i-built-this?t=1602782900770 DETAILS Hello/Goodbye Journal: https://amzn.to/34YQ80Y Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loveprojectlove/ Website: https://loveprojectlove.com/ Connect with us www.shelfhelp.club —

Today's guest is Dr Pippa Grange one of the world's most sought-after psychologists who has spent over two decades working across elite sport and business and describes her job today as a ‘culture coach' helping people and teams find better ways to work and play. Pippa was born and raised on a council estate in Yorkshire by her mum, moving to Australia aged 25, where she lived for 20 years. Back in the UK as Head of People + Team Development at the FA she helped transform the England football team, taking them all the way to the World Cup semi-finals in 2018 when she was called “the woman behind that penalty shootout miracle.” She has won accolades from some of the world's best sports players and Prince William, as well as some heroes of self-help and personal development including Gabor Mate, Dr Chatterjee and Legacy author James Kerr. In her latest book, Fear Less: How to Win at Life without Losing Yourself, Pippa shows us how we can replace stress with courage and succeed in finding our real passions while connecting with the people around us on a deeper level. This type of success, she says, isn't about trophies or beating others, it's about winning at the very deepest level: winning from within In this episode: *The difference between ‘in-the-moment' fear and 'not good enough' fear *Jacinda Arden as an example of bold and fearless leadership *Connection as the antidote to fear and the the power of the NFL 'Triple H' exercise where teams share a Hero, a Hardship and a Highlight from their lives *How success is something felt as well as achieved *Why we should be reflecting on what the pandemic is bringing to the surface for us - and what that can teach us about how we define success *Why we have a tendency to over-adapt to difficult situations by doing more more more - and why this isn't the only (or best!) option right now *Why getting back to 'normal' isn't a valuable or realistic objective, instead we should ask ourselves: which parts of yesterday do I want to keep and bring with me and how can I participate in what I want tomorrow to be *The benefits of a power nap *Pippa's work with the Right To Dream academy (link in Show Notes) *The meaning of purpose as the willingness to contribute to the world outside our own window *How her feelings of deep love and connection for humanity help her stay positive about the future *That we need to remember our brain is plastic and we can reshape it *A reminder that the pen is in our hand and that we have the power to create our day and our future, and to spend our energy on what might go right rather than what could go wrong

Through both HEAL the documentary and HEAL the book, Kelly takes us on a scientific and spiritual journey where we discover that our thoughts, beliefs, and emotions have a huge impact on our health and ability to heal.

Mo Gawdat is ex-chief business officer of Google [X], a serial entrepreneur and the best-selling author of Solve for Happy: Engineering Your Path to Joy (2017). Through 12 years of research on the topic of happiness, Mo created an algorithm and a repeatable well-engineered model to reach a state of uninterrupted happiness regardless of what's going on in our lives.   This happiness model proved highly effective and, in 2014, was put to the ultimate test when he lost his son Ali to preventable medical error during a simple surgical procedure. Solve For Happy is the pillar for a mission Mo has committed to as his personal moonshot, a mission to deliver his happiness message to one billion people around the world, and the book has been a brilliant resource and comfort to us and to so many of our members over the past few months as global events continue to rock our worlds…

Ruby Warrington is a New York-based British journalist and the author of several books including Material Girl, Mystical World and Sober Curious. She's the founder of esoteric platform (and now publishing house ) The Numinous and the Sober Curious movement as well as host of the Sober Curious podcast. And as someone who has made several pretty seismic shifts in her own life, and through her books and platform has shared many aspects of her personal and spiritual development we knew Ruby would be able to offer us some cosmic and candid advice on where we go from here….

Advertising exec-turned-author Sophie Williams was quietly preparing to promote her first book, Millenial Black, a manifesto for black women in business, when she unexpectedly became the voice of black allyship in the UK after one of her anti-racist Instagram posts went viral in June.

Beth Kempton is an award-winning entrepreneur and bestselling self-help author whose books, including Freedom Seeker, Wabi Sabi and her new title, We Are In This Together, have been translated into 24 languages and recommended by the likes of Time Magazine, Psychologies and British Vogue. She's a Reiki Master and life coach, has a Masters degree in Japanese, and teaches about writing and living well. Beth is also someone who has consciously and thoughtfully designed a slow life for her and her family on the Devon coast, and through her coaching company, Do What You Love, has helped tens of thousands of people to navigate change and reconfigure their lives to be happier.

We love David because he is super intelligent, but also super passionate about breaking down complicated science into easy to understand ‘stuff' (his word!) that anyone can use to feel better in the every day. He's also somebody who has worked hard to overcome his own difficulties with self-love and self-esteem, and so when he tells us that being kind can give our life more meaning AND scientifically improve our wellbeing, we listen.

Jessica's own story from a working class teenage mum to PR business founder to coach, motivational speaker and mentor was the inspiration for her book, Purpose: Find Your Truth and Embrace Your Calling, and our original plan was for her to create some self-development exercises for the Shelf Help community around the idea of purpose in a pandemic. But suddenly there was a more pressing global story, as the death of black man George Floyd on 25th May in the USA kickstarted an uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement that is being felt around the globe. As a woman of mixed heritage Jessica was - and of course still is - deeply affected by the situation and so we decided instead to have a conversation about the state of the world right now, and how we can - and must - find purpose and light in the darkest of times...

Ella is, of course, the founder of Deliciously Ella, the plant-based personal blog that has evolved into a global platform and business on a mission to help us eat and live better and make vegetables cool. Today Ella is sharing her strategies for good mental health as well as her thoughts on kindness and how its the small things that make a big difference right now…

Today's guest is Jasmine Hemsley, a three-time best-selling author, the Founder of Hemsley + Hemsley and East by West,  a TV presenter, chef, food and health writer, restaurateur and nutrition & wellness expert. With a passion for eating well to feel happier, healthier and more energised, Jasmine uses her platform to promote a 360-degree approach to health and during the Corona virus has been sharing incredible content on all aspects of wellbeing via her Instagram account, including lunchtime sound baths, wellness workshops and day retreats. (@jasminehemsley)

Sarah is the author of the ‘no fucks given guides', a series of brilliant books including; The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck and her latest, F*ck No (both of which have been Shelf Help BOTM picks). Her brilliant, sweary book series is intended as 'advice for people who hate to be told what to do' and we especially love author Sarah because she is one self-help expert practising what she preaches, having swapped a hectic New York City life for a tropical island paradise. And if you've read any of her books or follow her work you'll also know that she doesn't say yes to anything she doesn't want to do, so we really were honoured to be able to speak to her from her home in the Dominican Republic this week…

Today's guest is Emma Cannon aka The Fertility Guru. Emma is a fertility and women's health expert, fertility acupuncturist, mentor, TED speaker and author of five best-selling books as well as her new digital Period Planner (the modern woman's guide to living in a conscious and connected way through understanding her cycle) and online fertility programme, 90 Days Fertile (and you can save 10% on that with the code SHELFHELPCLUB10).

Today's guest is Joanne Bradford, an author, counsellor and emotional-healing practitioner also known as motherheart. Joanne practises a combination of energetic healing and life coaching to remove blocks, improve connection and help people recharge from within, and throughout Lockdown has been running live daily healing sessions incorporating EFT, meditation and sound healing... More info about Joanne's morning Soul Soothing sessions: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/daily-online-anxiety-management-and-soul-soothing-sessions-tickets-104429104262

Today's guest is Amy Lane, Digital Editor of Women's Health UK, fitness expert, author of I Can Run and host of the Well Far running podcast.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.

The Keep Calm, Stay Well series is a collection of bite-sized podcasts from Shelf Help featuring our favourite authors and experts sharing their wellbeing strategies, and designed to help us all find some calm amongst the Coronoavirus chaos.