Just One Thing: How simple changes can transform your life

by Michael Mosley

Based on the popular BBC podcast, Just One Thing, this book brings to life Dr Mosley's mission to unearth small, simple things you can introduce into your 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 houseplants can boost your productivity and brain power?

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 even enlists the help of some special guests to help you find that one small thing that could really make a difference to how you feel every day.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Health, Personal Development, Psychology, Audiobook, Productivity

206 pages, ebook

First published October 26, 2022

About the author

Michael Mosley was a British television journalist, producer, and presenter who worked for the BBC (amongst other broadcasters) from 1985 until his death in 2024. He was probably best known as a presenter of television documentaries on biology and medicine, and his regular appearances on The One Show.

Born in Kolkata, India, the son of a bank director, Mosley studied philosophy, politics and economics at New College, Oxford, before working for two years as a banker in the City of London. He then decided to move into medicine, intending to become a psychiatrist, studying at the Royal Free Hospital Medical School (now part of UCL Medical School).

Becoming disillusioned by psychiatry, upon graduation Mosley joined a trainee assistant producer scheme at the BBC in 1985. Since then he produced and presented many documentaries on science and/or medicine. He was an advocate of intermittent fasting and low-carbohydrate diets who wrote books promoting the ketogenic diet.

Mosley died on the Greek island of Symi on 5 June 2024.

Reviews

[Rowan MacDonald · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was saddened to learn of Dr Michael Mosley’s tragic passing in June. I previously enjoyed some of his documentaries which got me thinking about health in different ways. Just One Thing is named after his podcast, focusing on adding one thing to our daily routines that can improve health and wellbeing.

I could immediately hear Dr Mosley’s voice across each page. It’s a quick, simple read, but contains enough food for thought to send you off investigating things further.

“One of the best things you can do for your brain is learn a new language, because that juggling between different sounds, words, concepts and grammatical and social rules enhances blood flow and connections across the entire brain.”

I feel this book would make a good companion to Atomic Habits by James Clear. Where that one teaches us how to form effective, long-lasting habits, Just One Thing delivers a range of quick and easy ideas as to what those actual habits could be. Each chapter contains references to various studies that backup Mosley’s claims on how they improve health.

It was great at reinforcing things I’m already doing in life (meditation, reading each day, drinking enough water) while presenting me with new things I could try (learning a language, cold showers, taking a nap).

Mosley’s favourite thing – slow, controlled breathing. Something any of us can do right now! With each activity, there’s emphasis on understanding the benefits, making it easy, creating a trigger and doing it daily. I was pleased to see the likes of drinking coffee included, and there’s every chance I will be dusting off my Bee Gees vinyl now too.

“I think dancing really is one of the best ways to keep your body and mind fit and healthy. It relieves stress, it’s a workout and fundamentally: it feels great.”

The tragedy of Michael’s passing is ever present while reading; whether talking about things he enjoys doing with his wife, demonstrating his fitness, or emphasising benefits of getting sunshine – the latter almost takes on cruel irony now.

Practising gratitude was a fitting way to end the book. I’m grateful for Dr Michael Mosley’s insights, and for the ways he reminded me to invest in my health and make positive life changes. There’s no doubt he had a positive impact on many, ensuring others became more proactive about their wellbeing. It’s the best kind of legacy to leave behind.

Rest in peace, mate.

“It is great to just stop, look around, breathe in the smell of the trees, listen to the sounds of birds and appreciate the pattern of light passing through the leaves.”

[K.J. Charles]

I like this book because I already do a ton of these things (Mr KJC listens to the podcast) so it was super validating.

Actually it's a very good idea. Small changes, many asking for 10mins or less, you can adopt as new habits, backed up by evidence of why they're good. Brush your teeth standing on one leg, do squats while you wait for the kettle to boil, that sort of malarkey. It also advises you to read more so I'm well in there.

If you feel like making some positive changes for yourself, this is a quick-read low-stress place to start.

[Boy Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Where others plummet to their doom Dr Michael Mosley easily cartwheels along the tightrope of talking the talk and walking the walk. There's a lot of people out there trying to tell us how to improve our lives. You've got the Supersize Me's living their creed first hand and scaring the bejeebus out of us on one side and then the dusty academics drowning us in a million scientific papers and bibliographies bigger than the actual work itself on the other. It's rare to come across someone who can merge those two worlds. It's even rarer to come across someone who can merge those two worlds and not come across as a patronising, condescending twat. So Dr Mosley gets a pat on the back just for being a clear communicator with some scientific rigor behind him.

As for the content of this book. Absolutely none of it will surprise you. You'll probably learn Just One Thing from it, especially if you've read any of his previous work and if you've listened to the podcast don't bother reading it. Still it's a nice little list of small changes you can easily make to your life and they're all suggestions rather than commandments. Some of them are even things you've been previously told not to do.

Here's the list.

Early Morning
Intelligent Exercise
Cold Shower
Sing
Meditate
Early Morning Walk

Breakfast
Change your mealtimes
Drink water
Eat some bacteria
Stand on one leg
Drink coffee

Mid-Morning
Take a break
Deep breaths
Exercise less, but more often
Eccentric Exercise
Think yourself stronger

Lunchtime
Enjoy oily fish
Eat Beetroot
An apple a day
Get some house plants
Take a nap

Afternoon
Get some sun (safely)
Play video games
Green spaces
Stand up
Eat chocolate

Evening
Dance
Learn a new skill
Hot bath
Read
Count your blessings

[Rosemary Atwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

30 fun hacks to bring a smile to your dial - some madcap, others plain common sense but all delivered in Michael Mosley’s relaxed trademark style.

There’s plenty to have fun with here and the suggestions are easily incorporated into your everyday routine. As I stand on one leg to type this review (something that I wouldn’t have done before taking up the ‘Just One Thing’ challenge!), I realise just how much I’ve taken away from this joyful little tome, so three cheers for MM for his work and health projects.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5★s
Just One Thing is a non-fiction book by British author and podcaster, Michael Mosley. It basically summarises the information contained in his popular BBC podcast series of the same title. It is in no way necessary to have heard the podcast to benefit from this book, but readers may wish to access it after reading this.

Mosley lists thirty simple things that one can do in everyday life, explains why they might be beneficial, physically, mentally and psychologically, and backs that up with copious references, providing handy online links in the e-version of the book. He recommends when and how and for how long.

This is a book, then, that will tell you how, when, and why to, amongst other things: stand on one leg; finish your shower with a burst of cold; eat fermented food; fast overnight; eat oily fish; delay your morning coffee; sing; learn to do something new; eat an apple; put plants in your room; stand up; eat dark chocolate; read fiction; and count your blessings.

And he explains that you don’t need to do it all, just what you can manage to do consistently. This is a quick read, perhaps a book readers will refer back to: interesting, fascinating, and informative.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Octopus Publishing.

[Mr Rob Saunders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great chunks of wisdom.
Read the whole thing in a few hours.
So just off for my cold shower, do some press ups and have a shot beetroot 😂❤️🥶

[Tracey Allen at Carpe Librum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr Michael Mosley is very easy to listen to and I've watched quite a few of his documentaries, however surprisingly, this is my first time reading any of his - many - books. Just One Thing - How Simple Changes Can Transform Your Life presents simple and easy changes you can make daily that will have significantly positive impacts on your overall health and wellbeing.

Each 'thing' is grouped according to the time of day Dr Mosley recommends you try the activity, although naturally they can be done at any time. The categories are: Early Morning, Breakfast, Mid-Morning, Lunchtime, Afternoon and Evening.

There are 30 'things', and some of my favourites were: Sing, Stand on One Leg, Exercise Less But More Often, Eccentric Exercise, Take a Nap, Stand Up, Dance, Learn A New Skill and of course Read!

I was surprised to read about the benefits of eating beetroot (who knew) and enjoyed learning that the temperature decrease that happens after a warm bath mimics the body's natural drop in core temperature prior to sleep. This is why Doctors always recommend a hot bath 90 minutes before bed to aid sleep.

I've decided the just one thing I'll try and do more of this year is Stand Up. When we sit for prolonged periods, many of our body's functions go into sleep mode, including our metabolism! I think we all recognise that a sedentary lifestyle and sitting for prolonged periods is terrible for our health.

"Emerging evidence suggests that unless you are doing 40 minutes of moderately vigorous exercise every single day, you cannot undo the damage that sitting causes. And even worse, if you sit for long periods each day, you could be decreasing the benefits of any exercise you do." Chapter entitled Stand Up

Instead of harping on the negatives, Dr Mosley highlights the benefits of standing for a few minutes at least once every hour. I find it quite easy at night time to watch two episodes of a favourite show back to back without moving on the couch, but since I started standing more often and interrupting this period of slothing and relaxing, I have noticed an improvement. The author points out that standing up helps us maintain muscle strength, bone density and blood sugar levels and while I'll never go so far as to work at a standing desk, I am able to make small improvements and changes.

Just One Thing contains 30 bite sized topics which are very easy to consume. I recommend listening to this in small doses and coming back later to revisit any specific chapters that take your fancy or require a quick refresher.

Any time is a good time to begin a new habit or learn more about the body, but December / January seems - to me at least - to be the ultimate time of year for this type of book. One of my favourite quotes at the moment is "Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits" from Atomic Habits by James Cleary, and trying any of these 'things' from Just One Thing by Dr Michael Mosley will improve your health and wellbeing.

[Sally Hetherington OAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chances are, if you are an Aussie or Brit, you have heard of Dr Michael Mosley. He is a doctor turned science journalist and tv presenter who has published many books including The Fast Diet and the Eight Week Blood Sugar Diet.

This book is based on a podcast that was started during lockdown, just introduces Just One Thing each episode you can do to improve your health. This isn’t a major life overhaul, for those rarely last. Instead, these are small changes you can build into your current routine, such as:

🚿 Having a cold shower
🍫 Eating chocolate
🪴 Getting some house plants
🍎 Having an apple a day
🦵 Standing on one leg
🐟 Enjoying oily fish

Each ‘thing’ is backed with an explanation on why you should do it, how you can incorporate it into your routine, and a case study.

And to motivate you even further, here are 10 rules, based on science, to help make a habit stick.

1. Make it simple
2. Be realistic
3. Create a trigger
4. Know why you are doing it
5. Stick with it for at least a month
6. Try to displace bad habits with good ones
7. Try to do it daily
8. Involve a friend or loved one
9. Be kind to yourself
10. Keep a record

I read this book in one sitting (though I’m sure that’s not something the doctor recommends!) I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and it’s one of the rare books I am actually going to keep. It’s taking pride of place on my bookshelf next to The Secret Garden.

I highly recommend ‘Just One Thing’ if you are interested in a healthier life but feel intimidated by all the information out there. Dr Michael Mosley is an engaging and approachable author who genuinely cares about your health and well-being.

Thanks Hachette Australia for my gifted copy.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable and interesting book. As Mosley explains, all the suggestions seem manageable, which is the key to trying them and sticking with them. As I read, I became more interested in how to do them, rather than the reasons why they are beneficial for you - and although well researched, I started skimming these parts to reach the specific instructions or next thing. I’ve got a list of things to try; let’s see if I can stick to them or if they make any difference.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️

[mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked that this book gave methods or rather habits that can be added to your day such as via diet or exercise or even hobbies.

However, the case study part was not relevant in my opinion which made the entire book more draggy. The research to prove the theory could have also been shorter and more ways to add the habits seamlessly into existing routines could have been included.

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short, accessible and very simple read, giving options to make small changes to improve health and wellbeing. I’m now cleaning my teeth on one leg after a cold shower (something I did before reading this book, tbh!). This book gives small, but researched, insights and is varied enough to suit all - if you are minded to and need a change, to support wellbeing, especially when you only have the energy/resource for something gentle. I was heartened to see I’m already doing some of these things, but others may find this too simplistic. If you liked the podcast, this is a good reference to have to hand.

[Cindy Tebo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first time reading anything by Dr. Michael Mosley. Evidently, he has published a number of self-help books.

His book, "Just One Thing," has many recommendations for improving our health and lives. He breaks them down into 6 periods: Early Morning, Breakfast, Mid-Morning, Lunchtime, Afternoon, and Evening. Each time slot includes several activities.

Consider the early morning slot: Intelligent exercises (lifting weights, resistant bands, etc.), Cold Shower, Sing, Meditate, Early Morning Walk. And you can do all of this before eating breakfast! Some activities can be combined. For example, singing can be done while taking a cold shower which can help you forget how cold the water is.

On the positive side, many of these activities are easy to incorporate into one's busy lifestyle. Dr. Mosley also includes the health benefits of adopting each habit. However, incorporating all of them is a bit much. Perhaps that is why he title's the book, "Just One Thing." If readers adopt any of these habits, it will improve their lives.

I found the book inspirational. The average reader can finish the entire book in one or two days.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've long been a fan of Dr Michael Mosley - I like his approach, science delivered in an easy to understand way that doesn't make my eyes glaze over. This book is based on his podcast of the same name and essentially comprises a whole heap of simple, easy to include in daily life habits that have the potential to improve your health and wellbeing. I listened to the Audible version, but will be heading out to get a copy of the physical book.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an easy-to-read book for everyone. Simple and effective improvements everyone can make to their health and longevity. I was shocked to read about the direct relationship between longevity and the ability to stand on one leg with your eyes closed. Apparently I don't have long to live! But the good news with most of Mosley's 'things' is you can build benefit straight away. The other great thing is if you link it to something you do already as a trigger for action, it can make it easier to form the habit. I now do wall press ups while I wait for the kettle to boil and stand on one leg while I cook my breakfast in the microwave. It's not that hard to make small lasting changes in your health. Some of the changes can even be fun 😊

[Tessa22 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great tips for a healthy life and will look forward to beetroot and chocolate, water, apples, push ups, squats, balancing, exercise snacking, intelligent exercise, my coffee, mindfulness, dancing…… highly recommend this quick read to start off a new year of health and happiness. Wish me luck Michael Mosley and I will consider playing video games to boost that brain functioning too.

[Ravi · Rating 4 out of 5]

While most of the changes Dr.Mosley suggests in this book are what people already know about, where he succeeds is at offering good suggestions on how to incorporate them into our life with simple changese to our daily routine.

I've definitely been inspired to make some simple changes to my daily routine which I'm sure will better my well-being.

[Marina Shinkorenko · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s the worst book I’ve read in the recent past.
So shallow and primitive. From the first few chapters you can say that it’s been written just to earn some cash for the author.
Useless page-sized pictures, page-sized repetitive quotes, silly jokes, controversial statements…

[Nik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! A very easy read & full of great ideas. This is one of the few books I won’t give away, as i’ll want to refer back to it for inspiration.

[Heidi · Rating 1 out of 5]

No, unfortunately this was rather a coffee table version of self-help. I don't even understand why I insist on reading these optimization books? Nothing here was new (drink water, surround yourself with green plants, move around and go outside).

Then the eternal question is, why should we keep optimizing ourselves and in return live longer if in between we stop actually LIVING? Perform, perform, perform and optimize to get a few years longer to do what..? Continue to optimize? It's a bit the same as with saving, yes save, save, save for a raina day but at some point you also have to benefit from what you have earned.

[Heli Künnapas · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Kõigest üks asi" on üks mõnus hea tuju raamat. Õigemini antakse selles raamatus mitmeid soovitusi, kuidas oma vaimse ja füüsilise tervise eest hoolitseda. Need on lihtsad ja kõigile teostatavad. Nende tegemise järel aga paraneb igal juhul ka tuju. Seega lõpuks on minu jaoks nende sammude eesmärk ikkagi igast otsast parem igapäevane elu.

Pikemalt kirjutan blogis: https://midaheliluges.blogspot.com/20...

[Ros Gaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly useful ideas to promote wellbeing and improve your health. Even as a prevention specialist I still found some of these ideas helpful.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, easy to follow. I’m doing a lot of these things already but some good new ones too!

[Maddie P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love love this! Will definitely be listening again, and implementing the tips.

[Kate Lovegrove · Rating 5 out of 5]

Down to earth, sensible advice and top tips from the lovely doctor M

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good ideas. Not a lot of depth for each one, but it's not really required - references are provided where appropriate. I'm already doing some of these things, but will start to incorporate a few more. If you tried to do them all it would turn into a full-time job!

[Maria Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a number of books by Dr Michael Mosley (and his wife Claire) and I always find them useful and realistic in how they translate to the general populous busy lifestyles. Plenty of pragmatic advice in this one on how small changes to lifestyle can have big and lasting impacts to your health. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Darren-lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great ideas... And some food for thought...

[Matt Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! A lot of the advice is common sense, but reading the science behind it is both interesting and motivating.
I won’t be adopting all of the ‘Just one things’ but I will certainly be starting some of them - standing on one leg, intelligent exercises and eating dark chocolate to name three!

[Becca Wheeler · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ Quick, easy & accessible book where you can make small changes to help improve your health which isn’t too pressing. It was refreshing for a self help book that isn’t patronising either!