My favorite books to make every day a great day at work

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m deeply passionate about us all being happy and healthy at work. I’ve been this way ever since I was old enough to realise just how much time we would spend there! I grew up in a time filled with images of stressed out, chain-smoking professionals, where the word ‘executive’ was synonymous with ‘burnout’. I knew there had to be a better way. I’ve worked in mental health for twenty years and corporate wellbeing for over a decade and I love to combine those experiences to help people have their best day at work every day. 


I wrote...

Reworked: Putting Health and Happiness at the Centre of Your Career

By Stephanie Fitzgerald,

Book cover of Reworked: Putting Health and Happiness at the Centre of Your Career

What is my book about?

Most of us will have to work. But no one ever tells us how to work. No one ever sits us down and tells us how to be at the centre of our career. We don't know how to get the most out of our role or how to be happy, healthy, safe and engaged in the workplace. Without the right knowledge work and our careers can veer off track, leaving us unhappy and unfulfilled. Panicking, we change roles and start again somewhere else, hoping it'll get better. But it's still not working and our new roles aren't making us any happier. Reworked utilises neuroscience, evidence-based psychology and two decades of working in health and wellbeing to empower, inspire and ignite a passion for happiness at work.

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

Atomic Habits is a reminder that small and incremental improvements add up to massive successes.

I love how James Clear offers practical examples and suggestions which allow you to put everything you are learning into practice right away. One of the biggest learnings for me was the difference between focusing on goals and focusing on systems. You can set yourself many goals but without the systems in place to support you, you cannot achieve them.

So much of this book resonated with what we know from neuroscience and how our brains like to operate. I recommend this book to everyone I meet!

By James Clear,

Why should I read it?

22 authors picked Atomic Habits as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 4 million copies sold!

Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

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.

If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the…


Book cover of The Bullet Journal Method: Track the Past, Order the Present, Design the Future

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

When you feel completely overwhelmed at work, with no time or headspace to reflect, then this book is extremely helpful.

I don’t use bullet journalling all the time, but it is my go-to system when I am swamped and want to regain a sense of control and purpose. If you have never journalled then this book is a fantastic resource to get you scribbling, noticing and shifting. Even without engaging in the journalling practice, this book is really motivational and gets you in the right mindset to achieve.

It’s a fantastic book for overcoming overwhelm and tackling your never-ending to do lists. 

By Ryder Carroll,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Bullet Journal Method as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Transform your life using the Bullet Journal Method, the revolutionary organisational system and worldwide phenomenon.

The Bullet Journal Method will undoubtedly transform your life, in more ways than you can imagine' Hal Elrod, author of The Miracle Morning

In his long-awaited first book, Ryder Carroll, the creator of the enormously popular Bullet Journal organisational system, explains how to use his method to:

TRACK YOUR PAST: using nothing more than a pen and paper, create a clear, comprehensive, and organised record of your thoughts and goals. ORDER YOUR PRESENT: find daily calm by prioritising and minimising…


Book cover of Solo: How to Work Alone (and Not Lose Your Mind)

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

I’ve worked for myself for a long time and it can be a lonely and all-encompassing business.

Rebecca Seal offers a companiable voice, backed by science, to help make working for yourself easier and more enjoyable. The examples given help normalise your own experiences and offer reassurance that everyone struggles at points and that’s ok.

This book again offers something practical to keep you focused on your values, why you do the work you do and how to make the most out of solo working. 

By Rebecca Seal,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Solo as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Kind, realistic, and genuinely helpful...Install a copy on whatever surface is functioning as your desk, and you may even feel a little bit less alone.” —The Observer (London)

A practical, accessible, and charming guide for finding joy while navigating your professional life working remotely from home—without losing your mind.

Like it or not, working alone is now the new normal. The COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated the process, but the trend is clear—making a living outside the confines of a public workplace is here to stay.

For anyone who needs guidance on how to navigate working from a home office—or…


Book cover of Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

This may seem a ‘wild card’ recommendation as this book has nothing to do with work.

However, Beth Kempton uses the Japanese concept of ‘Wabi Sabi’ to help us come to terms with being imperfectly perfect. Life may not always go to plan and we can face disappointments. Perhaps your project fell through, or your pitch failed, or you realised you are on the wrong path or on a pathway that no longer serves you.

This book offers very gentle wisdom to overcome and accept these challenges in life, and therefore in work, providing the reader with comfort and knowledge to embrace their perfectly imperfect life. 

By Beth Kempton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Wabi Sabi as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The definitive guide that teaches you how to use the Japanese concept of wabi sabi to reshape every area of your life and find happiness right where you are.

Fed up with the exhausting challenges of our fast-paced, consumption-driven existence, millions of people around the world are turning to timeless cultural traditions to find true meaning. In this transformative handbook, Beth Kempton introduces you to wabi sabi (”wah-bi sah-bi”), a captivating concept from Japanese aesthetics that offers a whole new way of looking at the world.

With roots in Zen and the Way of Tea, wabi sabi teaches you to…


Book cover of The 4 Season Solution: The Groundbreaking New Plan for Feeling Better, Living Well, and Powering Down Our Always-On Lives

Stephanie Fitzgerald Why did I love this book?

This book got me thinking about how we need to adapt our lives to align with nature and how challenging this can be in the world of work.

When we have to set our alarm for the same time every day, commute in all weathers and adhere to our work, not mother nature’s, schedule then it can feel really tough. This book was thought provoking and got me thinking about mapping my work life balance across the seasons and the difference some simple adaptations to my life could make to my work.

An interesting and thought-provoking read, really well written.  

By Dallas Hartwig,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The 4 Season Solution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this paradigm-shifting health book, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Whole30 and It Starts with Food reveals a powerful new program to help us feel happier, healthier, and less stressed.

Fatigue. Burnout. Weight gain. Disease. Despite seemingly endless programs designed to help us lose weight and regain our health, readers are more overworked, overtired, and overweight than ever.

In The 4 Season Solution, Hartwig reveals the four keys of health - sleep, eat, move, connect - and explains how we can reconcile the needs of our ancient bodies with the demands and complications of modern life. Today,…


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Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

By Antonieta Contreras,

Book cover of Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

Antonieta Contreras Author Of Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

As a trauma therapist and dedicated researcher, I love uncovering valuable insights within lesser-known books. There are hidden gems, free from the pressure of commercial success, crafted by authors deeply committed to research, understanding, and the art of writing itself. Their dedication resonates with me, as I believe in the profound value of information and the power of critical thinking. Through my own book, Traumatization and Its Aftermath, I aim to emphasize that psychological concepts often lose their depth in translation and my mission is spreading awareness and fostering a deeper understanding of trauma and its intricate facets. With that idea in mind, I chose these five titles. 

Antonieta's book list on uncovering the human experience and exploring the depths of trauma

What is my book about?

A fresh take on the difference between trauma and hardship in order to help accurately spot the difference and avoid over-generalizations.

The book integrates the latest findings in brain science, child development, psycho-social context, theory, and clinical experiences to make the case that trauma is much more than a cluster of symptoms to be tamed, but instead best understood as development gone off course, away from growth and towards (only) survival.

This book prompts a profound shift in perception, inviting to view trauma as an intricate and diverse experience, a point of view that ultimately leads to sharper treatment and, hopefully, more healing. It encourages a transition from asking, "What happened to you?" to the deeper question, "What is your relationship with what happened to you?"

Traumatization and Its Aftermath: A Systemic Approach to Understanding and Treating Trauma Disorders

By Antonieta Contreras,

What is this book about?

The book is comprehensive, bold, and practical-a much-needed resource for the assessment and treatment of trauma. Instead of the traditional focus on the overall importance of healing, Traumatization and its Aftermath decodes why some people don't heal as easily as others, analyzes the various failures of diagnosis, and explains how to make therapeutic interventions truly effective.

This book offers a systemic deep dive into traumatization that clarifies myths and misinformation about the entire spectrum of trauma and provides both clinicians and non-clinicians with the right level of validation, preventive measures, conceptualization methodology, assessment tools, and healing facts that have not…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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