August is National Wellness Month. Wellness is a multi-faceted term that can include your physical, intellectual, emotional, social, spiritual, vocational, and financial well-being. The library has a host of books, materials, and resources to help you achieve optimum wellness this August! If you’re looking to enhance your diet and fitness knowledge, learn how to better manage stress and burnout, get some higher-quality sleep, or simply get organized, check out what we have to offer!

 

For physical wellness, we offer several health-based eResources including Alt HealthWatch, Consumer Health Complete, and Health Source Consumer Edition. All of these eResources offer quality information on health-related topics to help you make the most informed decisions about your health and wellness. Access these for free using your Bridgeport Public Library card and visiting bplwv.org/health. We also offer unique Hobby Kits available for patrons to check out which focus on health and exercise. The Exercise Hobby Kit includes 1 yoga block, 1 ab roller, 2 3 lb. dumbbells, and 3 resistance bands. The Health Hobby Kit includes 1 finger odometer, 1 blood pressure monitor, and 1 left arm cuff. Both of these kits can be checked out for up to two weeks.

 

We are also happy to provide a large variety of books to promote general wellness. Adequate sleep plays a large role in our overall health, so if you’re curious, check out Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker, PhD. Setting appropriate boundaries and learning when to say no can go a long way in promoting emotional wellness, and if this is something you’re learning, check out Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab. Interested in finding out how the Dutch are so happy? Check out The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking.If you struggle with traumas or other emotional turmoil, find comfort in reading The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel A. Van der Kolk, M.D.

 

The Wellness Trap: Break Free from Diet Culture, Disinformation, and Dubious Diagnoses, and Find Your True Well-Being by Christy Harrison provides insight on how to manage diet and health issues in a healthy way. Looking to get some simple exercise? Try reading 52 Ways to Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time by Annabel Streets. The food we eat is integral to living a healthy lifestyle. Check out Eat & Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-being by Mary Beth Albright to learn more about how what we eat impacts our well-being. Stress and burnout should always be managed to ensure they do not impact our well-being. Learn some tips on how to manage them in The Stress Prescription: Seven Days to More Joy and Ease by Elissa Epel and Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski.

 

All of the titles and more are available to check out from the library.