This month, IoH Youth Council member, Maevelline Umayam AIH, reviews ‘The Wellness Puzzle: Creating Optimal Well-being, One Piece at a Time’ by Andrew Jobling.
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In hospitality, where long hours, busy environments, and constant interaction with people are part of daily life, self-care is often something we place at the bottom of our priorities. The Wellness Puzzle: Creating Optimal Well-being, One Piece at a Time by Andrew Jobling serves as an important reminder that taking care of ourselves is not selfish, but necessary for maintaining both personal well-being and professional performance.
What stood out to me most throughout the book was its strong focus on the importance of small and consistent acts of self-care. Rather than encouraging unrealistic lifestyle changes, Jobling explains how simple daily habits, such as getting enough rest, maintaining a positive mindset, staying active, and managing stress, can gradually improve overall well-being. The book reinforces the idea that self-care is not about perfection, but about creating balance in a sustainable and realistic way.
The writing style is straightforward, encouraging, and easy to follow, which makes the book accessible to a wide range of readers. I particularly appreciated how the author connected physical health, emotional wellbeing, mindset, and purpose together, showing that self-care involves much more than just looking after our physical health. It is also about protecting our mental and emotional wellbeing, especially during stressful or demanding periods.
One of the key messages I took from the book was the reminder that we cannot effectively support others if we continuously neglect ourselves. In hospitality, we naturally focus on delivering excellent service and supporting our teams, but this book highlights the importance of also recognising our own needs. Prioritising self-care can help improve resilience, motivation, and overall happiness both inside and outside the workplace.
Although some ideas were repeated throughout the book, the overall message remained meaningful and relevant. The repetition helped reinforce the importance of consistency and building healthy habits over time.
Overall, The Wellness Puzzle is a thoughtful and motivating read that encourages readers to take a more mindful approach to self-care and wellbeing. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for practical and realistic ways to create healthier habits, improve balance, and develop a more positive mindset in everyday life.
This review and rating are the opinion of the reviewer.
5 stars = Exceptional not to be missed | 4.5 stars = Essential read | 4 stars =Very good | 3 stars = Good | 2 stars = Poor | 1 star = Very poor
This book falls under the Self-Care pillar of the IoH’s Five Pillars of Learning, an approach to continuing professional development based on the five core areas of hospitality management.
Record your CPD Hours: This book forms part of a member’s CPD hours. You can log your CPD hours here.
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