Movember is a time for most men to take a moment and check-in with themselves, making sure that their mental and physical health are both functioning as well as they should be. This year, you might find that even though you are doing fine overall, you still have moments when feel down or unhappy. Often, at times like these, the thing you need is some reliable advice and guidance, which is why micro-learning platform Blinkist (www.blinkist.com), has scoured their library of non-fiction titles to find the ones that will help you improve your mental wellbeing, along with advice to help you make practical changes to your day-to-day life.

The Sleep Solution by W. Chris Winter, M.D.

For your circadian rhythms to function correctly, you need zeitgebers. These are cues that help set your internal body clock, with the sun being the most powerful one. Exercise, sleep and meals at specific times are further examples. The more zeitgebers you’re exposed to, the more synchronized your circadian rhythms will be.

Blinkist comments: It is unsurprising that this is the number one piece of advice when it comes to mental wellbeing. A disrupted circadian rhythm (the 24-hour sleep/wake cycle your body relies on to function), leads to tiredness, stress, irritability, and can cause long-term damage to overall well being, which is why it’s important to know how to make the most of your night’s rest.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

Number one: You can’t change your partner; you can only work on yourself. And number two: What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.

Blinkist comments: Our relationships play a central part in our happiness, especially those of the romantic variety. It is important to remember that some things are outside of your control, and if you want to improve the way that you relate to the people around you, then you need to make a consistent effort to do so.

The Worry-Free Mind by Carol Kershaw, Bill Wade

The key to future thinking is taking your “what if” worries and confronting them with “can do” solutions.

Blinkist comments: Worrying about the future is something that affects all of us, however, worrying long-term can be exhausting. It is important to focus on practical solutions in order to alleviate feelings of worry further down the line.

Success Through a Positive Mental Health Attitude by Napoleon Hill

People who care about developing their PMA see setbacks as a challenge to be taken. So, instead of giving up, they try harder. This reaction is known as inspirational dissatisfaction, and those who have it use it to rise above even the most desperate and hopeless situations.

Blinkist comments: A key piece of advice that can be applied to all areas of life! Use every situation, good or bad, as an opportunity to learn. That way, you are less likely to experience disappointment and will feel fulfilled in all areas of life.

Ikigai by Hector Garcia Puigcerver and Francesc Miralles

In Morita therapy, patients are asked to pay attention to and accept their feelings, without attempting to change them. From there, they take particular actions to create new emotions, which gradually replace the old ones.

Blinkist comments: Sometimes, instead of trying to force yourself to feel or think differently, you should simply accept and embrace your feelings. Once you accept a situation and your response to it, you can work on practical solutions to the situation itself, without emotions clouding your judgement.

Unplug by Suze Yalof Schwartz

Before you meditate, use pen and paper to jot down everything that is on your mind and anything that you need to remember for the day ahead. Now you can put the paper aside and rest easy knowing that your daily concerns won’t be neglected. Doing this will help clear your mind and prime it for a peaceful session.

Blinkist comments: Whether meditation is something you want to try or not, this piece of advice is extremely useful whenever you feel overwhelmed with the amount of things you have to do, especially first thing in the morning. Write down and order your tasks, and take a few minutes to focus your thoughts and regain your calm. As famous author David Allen would say, your mind is a thinking tool, not a storage tool. Get all of excess information out to make space for big ideas.

The Power of No by James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher

Saying no to scarcity means shifting your attention away from what’s missing and towards the abundance around you.

Blinkist comments: A piece of advice as old (and true), as time itself. Don’t dwell on the things that make you unhappy. Focus instead on the things you have – it is much easier to address or fix a situation with a positive frame of mind.

Most popular non-fiction to download this Movember for a mental health check-in:

• The Sleep Solution by W. Chris Winter, M.D. – https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/the-sleep-solution-en/
• The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin – https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/the-happiness-project-en/
• The Worry-Free Mind by Carol Kershaw, Bill Wade – https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/the-worry-free-mind-en/
• Success Through a Positive Mental Health Attitude by Napoleon Hill – https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/success-through-a-positive-mental-attitude-en/
• Ikigai by Hector Garcia Puigcerver and Francesc Miralles – https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/ikigai-en/
• Unplug by Suze Yalof Schwartz – https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/unplug-en/

The Power of No by James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher – https://www.blinkist.com/en/books/the-power-of-no-en/