What Is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness is a state of mind, like Nirvana or Zen. It is the ability to stay fully present in the moment you’re in, without getting pulled under by pressure or big emotions. A lot of us think it’s something you have to conjure up, but it’s something we all have. We just don’t always have easy access to it, mostly because we haven’t practiced.
Mindfulness has gained plenty of popularity over the last few decades, and so have the conferences, webinars, and books that come with it. Even big companies like Google have adopted a mindfulness practice or two to help their employees manage stress and anxiety while staying productive. Still, many of us don’t realize how much practicing mindfulness can do for our everyday lives, and that’s a real bummer. It can also feel a little tricky to grasp at first, let alone work into your routine.
That’s why we love mindfulness books as a starting point. We’ve picked out the best ones on the market to help you understand the meaning, process, and goals of the practice, and we’ve added a short summary of each. Let’s dive in!
Our Ultimate List of Mindfulness Books
We’ve gone through countless mindfulness books to find the most helpful ones. Some explain the “why” and “how” of mindfulness, while others walk you through mindful meditation step-by-step. Some lean on real-life stories, some on scientific research, and some tie the body and mind together. Whatever doubts you might have, read on to get a better feel for mindfulness and maybe start practicing it yourself.
1. 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris
The raw emotion and honesty in this book are what earned it the top spot. It reads like a memoir of Dan Harris’s journey toward becoming a better person, and because it’s so real, it’s a great way to learn about meditation and mindfulness practices.
In a world that keeps piling stress and anxiety on us, Harris explains how mindfulness can help you stay compassionate and live a fulfilling life. If you enjoy reading about a concept only after someone has tried it and seen it work, you’ll love what 10% Happier offers.
2. Make Peace With Your Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Free You From Your Inner Critic by Mark Coleman
We all have an inner voice that tells us we’re not good enough, not doing well enough, or could have done better. Mark Coleman knows that voice well, and he’s compassionate about those low moments when you’re second-guessing your own value.
This book teaches you how to manage your inner thoughts, channel your emotions, and feel more on top of your game. Coleman is a meditation teacher and therapist, so he knows how to bring mindfulness and compassion together. In each chapter, he shows how the inner critic is created. Once you understand where it comes from, you can handle it with more grace and maturity. He also draws on neuroplasticity, which is the brain’s ability to form new neural networks and learn new behaviors and patterns.
Along with his own story, Coleman shares the stories of people he has guided toward a regular mindfulness practice. His tone is informal, like a close friend offering honest advice, and that makes this one a gem.
3. Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris
Sam and Dan Harris share a surname and have both written some of the best mindfulness books, but they aren’t related. Their content, mindset, and helpfulness do have a lot in common, though!
This one is a bit harder to wrap your head around than Dan’s book, so we’d recommend it if you’ve already dipped into mindfulness and have read a couple of books on the topic. Sam Harris believes we have to let go of our “self” or “ego” to live a meaningful life. He invites you to “wake up” from the pull of wanting to prove yourself, and to focus on living fully instead of going on autopilot.
Harris is known for questioning what everyone else treats as fact so he can understand the world better. That’s why he treats spirituality, which is so often tied to religion, as something separate from it. It’s a great read for putting mindfulness into practice, because its core ideas come with real applications.
4. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
Michael Singer believes in the power of your inner monologue. It’s the voice that runs in your head all day, every day. In this book, he shows you how to steer it in a more helpful direction, so your autopilot mode becomes more positive and peaceful.
What makes The Untethered Soul stand out is that it encourages you to observe your thoughts as though they aren’t your own. That kind of distance can make you much more mindful, and the exercises are clear and well thought out, so it’s a good place to start.
It also helps you see that your thoughts don’t define you. They simply show that you have an active mind. What defines you is which of those thoughts you choose to feed, follow, and live by.
5. Declutter Your Mind: How to Stop Worrying, Relieve Anxiety, and Eliminate Negative Thinking by S. J. Scott and Barrie Davenport
Picture a mindfulness book that’s also a step-by-step guide to deeper mindfulness. That’s Declutter Your Mind. It comes packed with practices, tricks, and tactics that help you work out your “now” muscle.
S. J. Scott and Barrie Davenport believe regrets belong in the past and anxiety belongs in the future, so you can let go of both and focus on the present moment. They dig into concepts like the paradox of choice, negativity bias, stress, and all the things we worry about that are out of our hands. Those are the building blocks of a cluttered mind, and the book helps you work through them.
They also offer advice on decluttering your relationships, your obligations, and even your home. It’s well written and covers just about every question you might have about mindfulness.
6. Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life by Jon Kabat-Zinn
This is one of many Jon Kabat-Zinn books on mindfulness meditation and practice. It focuses on acceptance, a part of mindfulness that often gets overlooked.
Each of us has our own worries about self-image, how others see us, and how to live a full life anyway. Kabat-Zinn says that’s completely okay. He wants you to know it’s normal to have these thoughts. What matters is picturing the version of yourself you want to become and laying the groundwork for getting there, starting with the present moment.
The book offers motivation and guidance for mindful meditation, and it explains how mindfulness can turn your life upside down in the best way. That makes it a great pick for both beginners and seasoned meditators.
7. The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness: How Mindfulness Can Change Your Life in Ten Minutes a Day by Andy Puddicombe
You may have seen the Headspace app or even used it. Plenty of people have found ways to reduce stress and anxiety with it. The book comes with a 10-day mindfulness challenge you can use to learn the basics or refresh your memory if you already know them.
We love the “slow and steady wins the race” approach. Both the book and the app encourage you to practice for only 10 minutes a day, and the difference you start to notice afterward is the best proof of how well it works.
Andy Puddicombe is a former Buddhist monk with many years of experience teaching mindfulness, and he came to it after years of feeling buried under everyday stress. That background adds a lot to this book.
8. The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation by Thich Nhat Hanh
Through stories and practices, Thich Nhat Hanh shows you how to find and sharpen your mindfulness skills. It’s an interesting read, and it leaves a lasting impression.
The book teaches mindfulness through the most ordinary tasks. Washing the dishes, talking with a friend, and eating a tangerine all become mindfulness practices. Its main focus is introspection and making it your default, and Thich Nhat Hanh includes clear steps to help you get there. It works well whether you’re new to mindfulness or want to deepen your practice.
9. Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World by Mark Williams and Danny Penman
The title says it all. Mark Williams and Danny Penman understand that the modern world is stressful, and they want to help you find some peace in the middle of it.
It’s one of the few mindfulness books that gives you a detailed, step-by-step plan. The authors are pioneers of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), which is the book’s main topic. You’ll find plenty of simple, effective practices you can start right away to ease stress, anxiety, exhaustion, and depression.
We also love that science is the cornerstone of their approach. Even the most skeptical readers can feel good that the content is meaningful, helpful, and effective.
10. Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn
This is our second Jon Kabat-Zinn pick, and it’s a lot heftier in both size (650 pages) and information. We’d suggest starting with the basics in Wherever You Go, There You Are, then moving on to this one. The sheer size of the book shows its message: Doing something hard now can lead to easier living later.
Kabat-Zinn also invites you to set aside 45 minutes a day for mindfulness and mindful meditation. The book teaches mind-body approaches that can ease anxiety, bring your mind and body into balance, and start the healing process.
Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, persistent depression, or debilitating anxiety, this book can help you get to a better place. It blends the science of mindfulness with statistics on its practices to show you how effective mindfulness can be.
11. Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body by Jo Marchant
As the title suggests, Cure explores the bond between body and mind. It looks at how our brains affect healing, and how a stressed brain could leave the body more prone to illness or faster aging.
We all know anxiety and stress can hurt our health (we’ve all dealt with a burnout week at work). We rarely stop to think about the good that a relaxed brain and healing thoughts can do. Jo Marchant looks at how our emotions, beliefs, and thoughts might slow down physical damage that stems from mental strain, or even reverse it.
The book covers studies suggesting mindfulness and mindfulness meditation may protect against mental decline and conditions like depression and dementia. It also explores how strong social connections can boost our health, and how patients can recover faster from surgery when they have solid support. Marchant started out skeptical, and she explains with compassion and well-researched backing how mindfulness can work like a placebo and transform your healing journey.
Key Takeaways
Mindfulness is something you already have, and a good book can help you get better at reaching it. If you’re new to the practice, 10% Happier; Wherever You Go, There You Are; and The Headspace Guide are friendly places to start, while Waking Up and Full Catastrophe Living will be of more benefit once you have a little experience. Whether you want a memoir, a step-by-step plan, or the science behind it all, there’s a book here for you.
We’d also love to point you toward more ways to feel calm, like our guides to reducing stress and reducing anxiety, plus how to love yourself more. On a tough day, you can also check out the tips in 11 ways to get through a bad mental health day. If you think an audio-guided meditation would be helpful, consider the InnaPeace meditation program.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the ability to be fully aware and present in the moment you’re in, without being pulled away by pressure or emotions. We all have it, but we may not be able to reach it easily without practice.
Which mindfulness book is best for beginners?
10% Happier is a friendly, memoir-style place to begin. Wherever You Go, There You Are, The Headspace Guide to Meditation and Mindfulness, and The Miracle of Mindfulness are also great for newcomers.
Which mindfulness books offer a step-by-step guide?
Declutter Your Mind and Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World both walk you through the practice step-by-step. The Headspace Guide also includes a 10-day challenge.
How much time do I need to practice each day?
This answer varies, depending on the source. The Headspace Guide encourages just 10 minutes a day, while Full Catastrophe Living invites you to set aside 45 minutes a day.
Which book is best if I want to learn the science behind mindfulness?
Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan puts science at the center of its approach, and Full Catastrophe Living blends the science of mindfulness with statistics on its practices. Cure explores how the mind and body affect each other.
