“We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to-do’ list.”
Working less, living more. Sounds good, right? Across society, we have become much better at understanding the importance of a healthy work-life balance. Whether it be for being more productive and reaching our goals or ensuring our physical and mental well-being is as healthy as possible, many readers out there are looking for tips and strategies that allow us to work smarter and gain a fresh perspective on what life is really about. With that in mind, join us at What We Reading as we guide you through our favourite work-life balance books!
Make Time – Jake Knapp And John Zeratsky
Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day is an invaluable resource for improving focus and getting the most out of your schedule. Bestselling authors Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky explore how the information age has led to our work schedules becoming more hectic but also less structured.
Using real-life data and case studies, Make Time is a great book for adjusting your mindset and changing the way you work for the better. Knapp and Zeratsky also acknowledge there is no ‘one size fits all’ formula for improving productivity, with the book offering customisable tips and strategies for people’s lifestyles and habits.
Work Won’t Love You Back – Sarah Jaffe
In Work Won’t Love You Back, Sarah Jaffe tackles the problems with the phrase ‘do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life’. Jaffe argues that ‘doing what you love’ has become a tool for exploitation, where someone’s passion is used against them as a way of surrendering valuable time from their lives.
Work Won’t Love You Back is a captivating and enlightening book written by a well-respected advocate for equality and social movements. In this book, readers will discover how to understand the trap of believing work is a labour of love. It empowers individuals to ask for more from their work and, as a result, find true happiness in life. This thought-provoking commentary offers valuable insights for navigating the complexities of work and provides practical tools to improve one’s well-being and satisfaction.
It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work – Jason Fried And David Heinemeier Hansson
New York Times bestselling authors Jason Fried and David Hansson dismantle the age-old notions that long hours and ‘whatever it takes’ mentalities are not the secrets to a successful business. Instead, the two argue that excessive grinding should be seen as one of the worst things a worker can be doing to maximise their performance and hit their goals.
‘Crazy’ stands out as one of the finest books on work-life balance, offering valuable insights into how simplicity can enhance our professional and personal lives. By emphasising the concept of “less is more,” the book demonstrates how reducing waste can minimize distractions and stress levels.
The Balance Point – Jordan Ring
Jordan Ring offers readers the ultimate resource book on mastering the perfect work-life balance in The Balance Point. In this guide, readers learn how to embrace all the joys life has to offer, both in and out of the workplace.
With fictional stories, real-life strategies and easy-to-follow tips that every reader can take with them, The Balance Point is the ultimate tool for navigating the intersection between passion and purpose. With Ring’s experiences as a digital nomad, the book is a fresh and modern approach to work and how the days of selling your soul to the hustle are behind us.
Lean Out – Dawn Baker
In Lean Out: A Professional Woman’s Guide to Finding Authentic Work-Life Balance, Dawn Baker explores how women have been pressured into striving for higher professional goals, albeit at the expense of their physical and mental health. Baker instead argues that self-awareness is one of the most valuable commodities women have in the workplace.
Lean Out explores how taking a step back and making the necessary changes to your work-life balance is one of the best ways of ensuring women are both healthy and happy in their life. Offering practical exercises and inspiring stories, the book is invaluable in helping readers rediscover their potential.
Enough – John Bogle
CEO John Bogle has made a successful career out of helping investors build wealth, but in Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life, he reexamines our obsession with financial success in perspective.
What does it mean to have enough money? How much is ‘enough’ in terms of money, work and life? Bogle puts these questions under the microscope and explains the destructive effects putting too much pressure on money can have on someone.
Utilising all his years of expertise and inspired by countless lectures to students, Enough is the ultimate resource for understanding what the true treasures are in life.
Out Of Office – Charlie Warzel And Anne Helen Petersen
Authors Charlie Warzel and Anne Helen Petersen tackle the modern way of working in Out of Office: The Big Problem and Bigger Promise of Working from Home. With the rise of remote working, the biggest work-life issue has evolved from ‘where’ we work to ‘how’ we work.
Designed for readers either considering going back to the office or wondering where they are best working from, Out of Office covers the biggest issues workers should bear in mind when contemplating their position: trust, flexibility, inclusivity and, of course, balance. Featuring insightful interviews with workers, managers and owners, it is the ultimate guidebook in reshaping our relationships with the office.
Check out the best Books on Changing Careers
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
