--- title: Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds in 2026 description: No matter your goals for the year ahead, these books offer inspiration as you work toward a healthy body and a healthy mind in 2026. image: https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/Spring_2026/Blog_Assets/BL_NYNY2026_BlogBanner.jpg --- [![BL_logo_4c_horz_lg](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BL/Logos/BL_logo_4c_horz_lg.jpg?width=290&height=52&name=BL_logo_4c_horz_lg.jpg "BL_logo_4c_horz_lg")](https://www.broadleafbooks.com) - [Excerpts](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/tag/excerpt) - [Interviews](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/tag/interviews) - [Op-Eds](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/tag/op-ed) - [Resources](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/tag/resources) - [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/search/allproducts) ## [Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds in 2026](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026) Dec 26, 2025 10:43:59 AM / by [Broadleaf Books](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/author/broadleaf-books) ![BL_NYNY2026_BlogBanner](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/Spring_2026/Blog_Assets/BL_NYNY2026_BlogBanner.jpg?width=684&height=399&name=BL_NYNY2026_BlogBanner.jpg) It's easy to lose ourselves in the busyness that surrounds us at the end of the year. The start of the new year is the perfect time to create space for intentionality and self-care. No matter your goals for the year ahead—whether you want to focus on nurturing your body or mind (or both!)—the books below offer wisdom and inspiration as you slow down, set priorities, and discover new ways to find peace, contentment, and creativity in your everyday life.  Scroll for the books or click the topics below to jump to that section. [Books to Inspire Healthy Bodies](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#bodies) 1. [When you want to explore new hobbies but don't know where to start](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#hobbies) 2. [When you want to feel less busy and rushed all the time](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#busy) 3. [When you want to declutter your life without losing your mind](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#declutter) 4. [When you want your closet to be more sustainable](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#sustainable) 5. [When you want to try Dry January](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#dry-january) 6. [When you want to find more calm in everyday moments](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#calm) [Books to Inspire Healthy Minds](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#minds) 1. [When you want to approach your year more mindfully](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#mindfully) 2. [When you want to build a life of simplicity, connection, and repair](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#simplicity) 3. [When you want to nourish your faith with wisdom from ancient Christians](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#faith) 4. [When you want to protect your peace and set healthy boundaries](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#boudaries) 5. [When you want to encounter God in your daily life](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#daily) 6. [When you want to feel truly content with your life](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/healthy-bodies-healthy-minds-in-2026#content)   Books to Inspire Healthy Bodies When you want to explore new hobbies but don't know where to start [![BL_InDefenseOfDabbling_Cover_9781506487656c](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/Fall_2025/Covers/BL_InDefenseOfDabbling_Cover_9781506487656c.jpg?width=200&height=311&name=BL_InDefenseOfDabbling_Cover_9781506487656c.jpg)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506487656/In-Defense-of-Dabbling) [In Defense of Dabbling](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506487656/In-Defense-of-Dabbling) [The Brilliance of Being a Total Amateur](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506487656/In-Defense-of-Dabbling) [Karen Walrond](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/7996/Karen-Walrond) Publication date: September 23, 2025 In today's grind culture, hobbies become side hustles. Work creeps into leisure time. Perfectionism reigns. We look up to experts, and we look down on amateurs. But what if being a total amateur is actually a good thing? From Karen Walrond, author of [The Lightmaker's Manifesto](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889837671/The-Lightmakers-Manifesto)and [Radiant Rebellion](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506487632/Radiant-Rebellion), comes *In Defense of Dabbling*: a delightful jaunt into how to resist grind culture and do the things you love, even if you're not any good at them. [Read an excerpt here.](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/amateurism-the-secret-sauce-to-a-merry-soul) [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506487656/In-Defense-of-Dabbling)   When you want to feel less busy and rushed all the time [![BL_HowToBeBusy_Cover](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/Spring_2025/Covers/BL_HowToBeBusy_Cover.png?width=200&height=308&name=BL_HowToBeBusy_Cover.png)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506499147/How-to-Be-Busy) [How to Be Busy](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506499147/How-to-Be-Busy) [Unhurried Living Even When Your Calendar Is Chaotic](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506499147/How-to-Be-Busy) [Rachelle Crawford](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/7983/Rachelle-Crawford) Publication date: July 15, 2025 How nice it would be to clear the calendar—to just stop doing so much stuff. Except kids get sick and the work project awaits and elderly relatives need care. No matter how well you hack it, manage it, slice or dice or delegate it: in some seasons of life, busyness is a given. The solution, writes Rachelle Crawford, is not to merely declutter your calendar or unsubscribe from the busy life. The trick lies in learning *how *to be busy. *How to Be Busy* is alighthearted, practical guide for how to live your deep, meaningful, unhurried life—right in the middle of your busy one. [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506499147/How-to-Be-Busy)   When you want to declutter your life without losing your mind [![BL messy minimalism cover with outline](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/2021/Fall_2021/Covers/BL%20messy%20minimalism%20cover%20with%20outline.png?width=200&height=273&name=BL%20messy%20minimalism%20cover%20with%20outline.png)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506466866/Messy-Minimalism) [Messy Minimalism](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506466866/Messy-Minimalism) [Realistic Strategies for the Rest of Us](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506466866/Messy-Minimalism) [Rachelle Crawford](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/7983/Rachelle-Crawford) Publication date: December 7, 2021 Think minimalism means a perfectly curated, always tidy home? Think again. Drowning in tides of toys, overflowing closets, and a crazy schedule, Rachelle Crawford assumed you had to be naturally organized to keep a tidy living space. Then she found minimalism: the messy, real-life kind that is less about perfection and more about purpose. With empathy, grace, and humor, Crawford shares doable ways to own less and live more fully.  Learn to become a more conscious consumer, create a capsule wardrobe, inspire family members to join you, free up more time for the things that matter, and create a tidy(ish) home. [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506466866/Messy-Minimalism)   When you want your closet to be more sustainable [![BL_WhatToWearAndWhy_Cover_9781506497006c](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/Fall_2024/Covers/BL_WhatToWearAndWhy_Cover_9781506497006c.png?width=200&height=299&name=BL_WhatToWearAndWhy_Cover_9781506497006c.png)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506497006/What-to-Wear-and-Why) [What to Wear and Why](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506497006/What-to-Wear-and-Why) [Your Guilt-Free Guide to Sustainable Fashion](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506497006/What-to-Wear-and-Why) [Tiffanie Darke](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/8789/Tiffanie-Darke) Publication date: September 3, 2024 It's time to rethink what clothes we buy, wear, and toss out, knowing that we can have a positive environmental impact while still looking good and dressing well. As consumers, we have the power to make a difference with the clothing choices we make. In *What to Wear and Why*, top fashion writer turned sustainability activist Tiffanie Darke sheds light on the unsustainable practices and immense environmental impact of the fashion industry and presents a compelling argument for why transformative change is urgently needed. [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506497006/What-to-Wear-and-Why)   When you want to try Dry January [![BL_ItsNotAboutTheWine_Cover_9781506486758c](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/Fall_2023/Covers/BL_ItsNotAboutTheWine_Cover_9781506486758c.jpg?width=200&height=308&name=BL_ItsNotAboutTheWine_Cover_9781506486758c.jpg)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506486758/Its-Not-about-the-Wine) [It's Not about the Wine](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506486758/Its-Not-about-the-Wine) [The Loaded Truth behind Mommy Wine Culture](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506486758/Its-Not-about-the-Wine) [Celeste Yvonne](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/8518/Celeste-Yvonne) Publication date: September 12, 2023 Alcohol isn't going to fix the systemic lack of support for mothers—and pretending it's the solution to surviving motherhood does more harm than good. Mommy Wine Culture is a symptom of a larger issue: the mental load of motherhood and a systemic lack of support for moms. Mixing research, cultural references, interviews, and the author's sobriety story, *It's Not about the Wine* reveals what's really plaguing mothers and offers tangible tips for evaluating your relationship to alcohol and lightening your load. [Read an excerpt here.](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/enough-with-the-mommy-wine-jokes) [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506486758/Its-Not-about-the-Wine)   When you want to find more calm in everyday moments [![BL Breath Prayer](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/Backlist/2021/Fall_2021/Covers/BL%20Breath%20Prayer.jpg?width=200&height=280&name=BL%20Breath%20Prayer.jpg)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506470672/Breath-Prayer) [Breath Prayer](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506470672/Breath-Prayer) [An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506470672/Breath-Prayer) [Christine Valters Paintner ](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/7999/Christine-Valters-Paintner) Publication date: October 12, 2021 For centuries the practice of breath prayer has helped center people from a variety of faith traditions on the sacred in everyday life. Through brief words of prayer or petition said silently to the rhythm of one's breath, this simple, meditative act combines praise for the divine with focused intention, creating a profound spiritual connection in the quiet, and even mundane, moments of the day. In *Breath Prayer*, Christine Valters Paintner introduces us to this spiritual practice and offers beautiful poem-prayers for walking, working, dressing, cleaning, sitting in silence, doing the dishes, living in community—breathing the divine into our daily lives. [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506470672/Breath-Prayer)   Books to Inspire Healthy Minds When you want to approach your year more mindfully [![GiveMeaWord](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/GiveMeaWord.jpg?width=200&height=309&name=GiveMeaWord.jpg)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889831266/Give-Me-a-Word) [Give Me a Word](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889831266/Give-Me-a-Word) [The Promise of an Ancient Practice to Guide Your Year](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889831266/Give-Me-a-Word) [Christine Valters Paintner](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/7999/Christine-Valters-Paintner) Publication date: September 16, 2025 Beginning in around the third century CE, a group of monastics known as the desert mothers and fathers retreated to the deserts of northern Egypt, Syria, and Palestine to pursue lives of silence and prayer. A key phrase, repeated often among the sayings of the desert mothers and fathers, is "Give me a word." Fast-forward many centuries to the present day, and we find the practice of seeking a word being reclaimed by the spiritually minded in new ways. *Give Me a Word* will gently lead you through the process of receiving your word, testing its resonance, and embracing its meaning.  [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889831266/Give-Me-a-Word)   When you want to build a life of simplicity, connection, and repair [![LightfortheWay_cover](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LightfortheWay_cover.jpg?width=200&height=304&name=LightfortheWay_cover.jpg)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835417/Light-for-the-Way) [Light for the Way](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835417/Light-for-the-Way) [Seeking Simplicity, Connection, and Repair in a Broken World](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835417/Light-for-the-Way) [Sojourners Magazine (Volume Editor)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/9242/Sojourners-Magazine) Publication date: January 13, 2026 For five decades, *Sojourners *magazine has been deeply engaged with the world while calling its readers to a new kind of life and faith rooted in justice and peace. *Light for the Way *is a powerful, yet meditative collection of pieces from the last fifty years of *Sojourners *magazine, exploring how contemplative practices, rest, simplicity, environmental engagement, and communal care are essential for sustaining our resistance and repairing our world.  [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835417/Light-for-the-Way)   When you want to nourish your faith with wisdom from ancient Christians [![WayoftheDesertElders_cover](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/WayoftheDesertElders_cover.jpg?width=200&height=309&name=WayoftheDesertElders_cover.jpg)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835318/The-Way-of-the-Desert-Elders) [The Way of the Desert Elders](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835318/The-Way-of-the-Desert-Elders) [How the Wisdom of Ancient Christians Sustains Us Today](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835318/The-Way-of-the-Desert-Elders) [Lisa Colón DeLay](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/7687/Lisa-Colon-DeLay) Publication date: January 27, 2026 What if desert elders from more than a millennium ago could walk beside us and nourish our spirits now? Desert spirituality doesn't mean going it alone; it means finding companions to walk with us. *The Way of the Desert Elders*is a spiritual expedition into the stories and wisdom of ancient, desert-dwelling Christians, who show us how to forge faith at the edges of empire. [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835318/The-Way-of-the-Desert-Elders)   When you want to protect your peace and set healthy boundaries [![BL_SerialFixer_Cover_9798889835332c](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/Fall_2025/Covers/BL_SerialFixer_Cover_9798889835332c.jpg?width=200&height=309&name=BL_SerialFixer_Cover_9798889835332c.jpg)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835332/Serial-Fixer) [Serial Fixer](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835332/Serial-Fixer) [Break Free from the Habit of Solving Other People's Problems](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835332/Serial-Fixer) [Leah Marone](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/9123/Leah-Marone) Publication date: November 11, 2025 Many of us can regurgitate why healthy boundaries and saying "no" are important. So why are we still over-accommodating and actively participating in imbalanced relationships that fuel anxiety and exhaustion? In *Serial Fixer*, psychotherapist and wellness consultant Leah Marone will help you break old habits of fixating on—and fixing—the problems of others. Examine your habitual need to control, understand why you feel so invested in other people's drama, and explore ways to release perfectionism's grip. [Read an excerpt here.](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/are-you-a-serial-fixer) [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889835332/Serial-Fixer)   When you want to encounter God in your daily life [![SouvenirsoftheHoly](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/SouvenirsoftheHoly.jpg?width=200&height=273&name=SouvenirsoftheHoly.jpg)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889831952/Souvenirs-of-the-Holy) [Souvenirs of the Holy](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889831952/Souvenirs-of-the-Holy) [Encountering God Through Everyday Objects](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889831952/Souvenirs-of-the-Holy) [Laurie M. Brock](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/9124/Laurie-M-Brock) Publication date: October 21, 2025 Rocks. Cast iron skillets. Portraits. Calendars. Shoes. The regular objects of our lives can be conduits of God's love and grace—if we notice them. In *Souvenirs of the Holy,* join Laurie M. Brock on a journey of spiritual direction through everyday things, and discover the sacred in the ordinary. Reflect on the items in your life that connect you to a God who dwells within and beyond the material world. With creative ideas for praying with objects, this book is ideal for book clubs, church circles, and small groups seeking deeper, more tangible spiritual experiences. [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9798889831952/Souvenirs-of-the-Holy)   When you want to feel truly content with your life [![BL_Feliciano_9781506480411_ThisBookWontMakeYouHappy_Cover](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Broadleaf%20Books/Spring_2022/Covers/BL_Feliciano_9781506480411_ThisBookWontMakeYouHappy_Cover.jpg?width=200&height=304&name=BL_Feliciano_9781506480411_ThisBookWontMakeYouHappy_Cover.jpg)](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506480411/This-Book-Won-t-Make-You-Happy) [This Book Won't Make You Happy](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506480411/This-Book-Won-t-Make-You-Happy) [Eight Keys to Finding True Contentment](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506480411/This-Book-Won-t-Make-You-Happy) [Niro Feliciano](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/author/8139/Niro-Feliciano) Publication date: April 5, 2022 Happiness is fleeting. What if you don't even need it to live a life of peace and purpose? In *This Book Won't Make You Happy*, Niro Feliciano offers a path to something much more achievable and satisfying: contentment. By incorporating eight simple postures rooted in cognitive behavioral science and mindfulness practices into our daily routines, we can move away from anxiety and toward balance. [Read an excerpt here.](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/find-balance-amid-the-hustle) [Shop Now](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/store/product/9781506480411/This-Book-Won-t-Make-You-Happy)   To view all of our books and resources, visit [broadleafbooks.com](https://www.broadleafbooks.com/). - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) Topics: [Resources](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/topic/resources) ![Broadleaf Books](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BL_Logo_Spine.jpg?width=100&height=100&name=BL_Logo_Spine.jpg) #### Written by [Broadleaf Books](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/author/broadleaf-books) ### Searching for more inspiration? Join our community on social media! [![BL_logo_4c_horz_lg](https://blog.broadleafbooks.com/hs-fs/hubfs/BL/Logos/BL_logo_4c_horz_lg.jpg?width=290&height=52&name=BL_logo_4c_horz_lg.jpg "BL_logo_4c_horz_lg")](https://www.broadleafbooks.com) ©2024 Broadleaf Books. All Rights Reserved.