Long trips, little sleep, pressure at work and being far from home all wear you down. These are the audiobooks I recommend for staying well, staying driven and leading people properly. Only two are about the sea; the rest work for anyone.
My top 20 audiobooks
Grouped by theme. Each link opens the audiobook on Spotify. Spotify Premium in Spain includes 12 hours of audiobook listening a month, or you can buy a title. What you can play can vary by country and plan.
Stress & mental health
01 Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers
Robert M. Sapolsky · 17 hr 17 min
The science of stress, explained plainly: why long-term stress wears you down and what helps.
Listen on Spotify →02 Burnout
Emily Nagoski PhD, Amelia Nagoski DMA · 7 hr 1 min
Practical ways to deal with the stress that builds up after a hard day or a hard season.
Listen on Spotify →03 Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl · 5 hr 43 min
A short classic on finding purpose and holding on through extreme hardship.
Listen on Spotify →04 Why We Sleep
Matthew Walker PhD · 13 hr 51 min
Why sleep matters for mood, focus and safety. Good context for watchkeeping and fatigue.
Listen on Spotify →05 Stillness Is the Key
Ryan Holiday · 6 hr 56 min
Stoic ideas for staying calm and clear-headed under pressure.
Listen on Spotify →Discipline & drive
06 Atomic Habits
James Clear · 5 hr 35 min
Small daily systems that make good habits stick, ashore or on board.
Listen on Spotify →07 Grit
Angela Duckworth · 9 hr 22 min
Why passion plus persistence matters more than talent over the long run.
Listen on Spotify →08 Discipline Is Destiny
Ryan Holiday · 7 hr 23 min
Self-control as a daily practice: body, temper, time and work.
Listen on Spotify →09 Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Carol Dweck · 10 hr 23 min
Treating skills as something you build, not something you are born with.
Listen on Spotify →Work ethic & focus
10 Deep Work
Cal Newport · 7 hr 44 min
How to do focused, high-quality work when everything competes for your attention.
Listen on Spotify →11 Essentialism
Greg McKeown · 6 hr 25 min
Doing less, but better: how to say no to what doesn't matter.
Listen on Spotify →12 Getting Things Done
David Allen, James Fallows · 10 hr 17 min
A simple system to get tasks out of your head so you can work with a clear mind.
Listen on Spotify →Leadership & management
13 Extreme Ownership
Jocko Willink, Leif Babin · 8 hr 43 min
Two former Navy SEAL officers on taking full responsibility as a leader.
Listen on Spotify →14 Turn the Ship Around!
L. David Marquet, Stephen R. Covey · 6 hr 26 min
A US Navy submarine captain pushes decisions down to his crew and turns the boat around.
Listen on Spotify →15 Leaders Eat Last
Simon Sinek · 9 hr 23 min
Why teams pull together when leaders put their people first.
Listen on Spotify →16 The Culture Code
Daniel Coyle · 7 hr 13 min
What strong teams do to build trust, safety and shared purpose.
Listen on Spotify →17 Radical Candor
Kim Scott · 10 hr 2 min
How to give honest feedback while still caring about the people you lead.
Listen on Spotify →Resilience
18 The Obstacle Is the Way
Ryan Holiday · 4 hr 38 min
Turning setbacks into something you can work with. Short and practical.
Listen on Spotify →19 Option B
Sheryl Sandberg, Adam Grant · 6 hr 14 min
Building resilience after loss and hard knocks, from research and lived experience.
Listen on Spotify →20 Endurance
Alfred Lansing · 10 hr 21 min
Shackleton's crew survive the loss of their ship in Antarctic ice: leadership and morale at their limits.
Listen on Spotify →My top 20 podcast episodes
Free to listen. One episode at a time, picked for the same five themes as the audiobooks. Four are about life at sea; the rest work for anyone. Each link opens the episode on Spotify.
Stress & mental health
- 01
Master Stress: Tools for Managing Stress & Anxiety
Huberman Lab · 1 hr 32 min
How stress works and simple tools to calm down in the moment, like slow breathing.
- 02
Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake
Huberman Lab · 1 hr 19 min
Light, timing and routine for better sleep and sharper days, useful for shifts and watches.
- 03
World Leading Psychologist: How To Detach From Overthinking & Anxiety: Dr Julie Smith
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · with Dr Julie Smith · 1 hr 35 min
A clinical psychologist on overthinking, anxiety and everyday tools to handle them.
- 04
1: WeCare: Onboard Mental Health Champions Part 1 (Crew)
MtS WeCare: On Board Mental Health Champions · with Pam Kern, Captain Cecilio Rahon and Chief Engineer Mark P.L. Makoi · 29 min
Seafarers talk about what wellbeing means on board and how to look after it.
- 05
Behind the Sparkle: Mental Health at Sea in the Superyacht Sector
Sea Views · with Captain Brendan O'Shannassy and Laura Beard (ISWAN) · 36 min
A superyacht captain and ISWAN on mental health in yachting: "Mental health is health."
Discipline & drive
- 06
You Can’t Hurt David Goggins: Going Beyond Motivation & Why Mindset Is Everything
The Rich Roll Podcast · with David Goggins · 2 hr 19 min
Going beyond motivation: mindset, hard work and not quitting on yourself.
- 07
How To Actually Build Discipline - Gen. Stanley McChrystal - #942
Modern Wisdom · with Gen. Stanley McChrystal · 1 hr
Small consistent choices, integrity and character as the base of discipline.
- 08
7 Steps To Be More Disciplined
The Mindset Mentor · 19 min
A short, practical 19 minutes on staying disciplined when you don't feel like it.
- 09
Discipline Expert: The Habit That Will Make Or Break Your Entire 2026! James Clear
The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett · with James Clear · 2 hr 11 min
The Atomic Habits author on building habits that stick and breaking bad ones.
Work ethic & focus
- 10
Ep. 173: What is Deep Work?
Deep Questions with Cal Newport · 1 hr 8 min
What deep work is, why it matters and how to get better at undistracted focus.
- 11
How To Master Your Brain’s 3 Gears, Improve Your Focus & Break Free from Stress with Dr Mithu Storoni #487
Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee · with Dr Mithu Storoni · 2 hr 13 min
Working with your brain's natural gears to focus better and avoid burnout.
- 12
The Most Important Principles Of Productivity - Chris Bailey - #453
Modern Wisdom · with Chris Bailey · 1 hr 12 min
The core, research-based principles of getting important work done.
Leadership & management
- 13
The Heart of Daring Leadership
The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown and Adam Grant · 41 min
Courageous leadership, and the difference between armoured and daring leaders.
- 14
Humble Leaders Lead Better Teams with Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Willink
A Bit of Optimism · with Jocko Willink · 42 min
Simon Sinek and Jocko on humility: why good leaders don't need to be the best at everything.
- 15
114: How to Lead and Win with Leif Babin.
Jocko Podcast · with Leif Babin · 3 hr 1 min
The Extreme Ownership co-authors on leading teams, handling gossip and owning mistakes.
- 16
Kind Leadership
Better working lives at sea · with Steve Cameron · 19 min
Kind leadership at sea: empathy, accountability and trust make stronger, safer crews.
Resilience
- 17
A Master Class in Resilience | George Mumford
10% Happier with Dan Harris · with George Mumford · 58 min
A master class in resilience from the meditation teacher who worked with Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.
- 18
The Most Powerful Conversation I Have Ever Had: The Secret To Dealing with Any Stressor In Life with Dr Edith Eger #500
Feel Better, Live More with Dr Rangan Chatterjee · with Dr Edith Eger · 1 hr 43 min
An Auschwitz survivor and psychologist on dealing with any stressor in life.
- 19
394: Lessons from the Stoics. Discipline, Leadership, Life. With Ryan Holiday.
Jocko Podcast · with Ryan Holiday · 4 hr 23 min
Stoic lessons for discipline, leadership and hard times, from the author of The Obstacle Is the Way.
- 20
E61 Leadership and Resilience in the Superyacht Industry
Superyacht Laundry · with Lynne Edwards · 1 hr 4 min
From £600 in her pocket to a respected superyacht trainer: resilience and purpose in yachting.
Need to talk now?
SeafarerHelp (ISWAN) is a free, confidential, multilingual helpline for seafarers and their families, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Yacht crew also have Yacht Crew Help. If someone is in immediate danger, call the local emergency number or contact your vessel's emergency procedures.
Not medical advice. These audiobooks and podcasts are for information and support only. If you are struggling, speak to a doctor or one of the helplines above. Links checked 18/10/2026.