Introduction to Just One Thing by Michael Mosley
Welcome to this post on Just One Thing: How simple changes can transform your life by Dr Michael Mosley. You may recognise the title from the popular BBC podcast of the same name. I’ve read a couple of Dr Mosley’s books before (5:2, clever guts) and enjoy the podcast, so keenly read the book too!
Review of Just One Thing by Michael Mosley
The principal idea behind ‘Just One Thing’ is a simple lifestyle action which will help you feel better. With the added benefit that it improves your health long term.
Content
The book is split into sections representing different times of day; from early morning to night. It shows how you can fit each tip into your day, but some can be done earlier or later. This is a quick read (about 200 pages) and the writing is accessible to all. Many of the tips can be done alongside existing activities e.g. standing on one leg whilst brushing teeth. Also, by hooking them to a pre-existing habit it makes it more likely the reader will stick with it. There’s a mini cast study for each tip too. A real person tries out a tip and describes the impact it had on their life after a week. This lent credibility to the fact that average people can find time to do them. It also showed that some tips take a while for the benefits to show up.
Style
The writing is easy to follow and also persuasive. This is because Dr Mosley briefly speaks to the scientists researching the benefits of each tip. This means you get to hear the latest science from the people doing it. I really want to do each tip (not possible due to disability). I do think the average person can cram many of them into their day. Some tips I already do e.g. eating dark chocolate, playing alien shooter game, meditation. Many of the others would require little effort e.g. getting houseplants, visualisation. Some would take a bit more effort, so might be harder to do daily e.g. dancing, learning a new skill.
I can definitely see myself – and other readers – trying these tips. Not all at once, but ‘Just One Thing’ every couple of weeks. I think adding each one in gradually, will make them stick better. They’re easy to follow and have proven benefits.
This book has broad appeal for anyone wanting to tweak their health and live better for longer. It has an engaging style, is packed with ideas and is easy to follow (no prior knowledge needed) I highly recommend it!
Cover Synopsis for Just One Thing by Michael Mosley
If you were going to do just one thing to transform your health, what would it be?
We all want quick and easy ways to improve our health, but when it comes to diet, fitness and wellbeing it can be hard to separate the facts from the fads. And harder still to find changes that fit easily into our daily lives.
Based on the popular BBC podcast, Just One Thing, this book brings to life Dr Mosley’s mission to find things you can introduce into your daily routine which will have a big impact on your mental and physical health. Did you know that eating chocolate can help your heart, that singing can give you a natural ‘high’ and that having more house plants can improve your mood and boost your productivity?
Dr Michael Mosley unearths a range of Just One Things whose impacts are so surprising and intriguing you will be desperate to try them out. He chats to experts, road tests all his tips and enlists some special guests to help you find that one small thing that could really make a difference to how you feel.
Conclusion to Just One Thing by Michael Mosley
Bookshop shelves are groaning under the weight of health and wellness books. So competition is stiff! Just One Thing is definitely worth a look, especially if you want easy tweaks with proven benefits. And don’t forget to check out the podcast too, where each episode focuses on a different tip.
What are your favourite health tips? Let me know in the comments.
