All the most helpful self-development books to read now

Spring is always a good time to examine any unhealthy habits, kick-start meaningful change and set intentions for the season ahead.

Whether you’re trying to shake off events from your past, are plumping for a promotion at work, looking to lead a more fulfilling life, or feel the need to take yourself in a new direction entirely, these books offer a feast of expert guidance.

Even if what you're looking for is just a little empathetic inspiration and motivation, there's a tome here to help you on your way to the best version of yourself.

Read on to discover our edit of the most helpful self-improvement books to buy now.

'Ten Times Calmer', Dr Kirren Schnack 

Clinical Psychologist Dr Kirren's popular Instagram account has become a go-to for honest, actionable anxiety advice and useful information on how our minds work. If you're a fan of her work, this book will be a welcome addition to your shelves.

With so many guides available claiming to help us beat our anxieties and face our biggest challenges, it can be confusing to know which to go for. Dr Kirren's warm, practical advice is what sets her book apart for us. If you want insight into how anxiety works and what really goes on in our minds, alongside tips and takeaways that you can immediately implement, add this to your basket.  

'Mind Over Chatter', Sidney Neel

In an age defined by constant connectivity, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. If you feel as if you're overthinking—running over details again and again, no longer in charge of your thoughts—this book might just be your saviour.

Mind Over Chatter will help you transform that spiral of overthinking into mindful living, with useful breathing exercises, advice on meditation, and tools with which to identify thought patterns—and address them. An incredibly effective guide to turning down unnecessary noise.

'The Pivot Year', Brianna West 

If you like your self-help clearly defined and prefer goal-setting to feeling your way step-by-step, try The Pivot Year, which focuses on the idea of a "pivot period": the space between where you are, and where you want to be.

Containing 365 daily meditations on finding the courage to become who you’ve always wanted to be, this year-long guide will be a helpful companion for anyone who needs an extra dose of motivation. Like an encouraging friend cheering you on from the sidelines, it might just help you finish that project or land that new job by encouraging a different way of thinking. 

'The Goddess Path', Kirsty Gallagher 

A truly authentic voice in spirituality, Sunday Times best-selling author Kirsty Gallagher has recently released her newest book, helping readers reclaim their self-worth and cultivate intuition.

Gallagher excels at translating the 'woo' into the practical, and this deep dive into the value of Goddess practice—revealing the feminine powers within us all that have been suppressed by centuries of patriarchal rule—is both inspiring and easy to implement.

Via 13 digestible steps, the guide is packed full of wisdom, with rituals and affirmations to help heal old wounds and activate your Goddess within. 

'Manifest for Kids', Roxie Nafousi 

Fans of Roxie Nafousi's iconic orange bible, Manifest, will understand how exciting it could be to get the children in our lives harnessing the power of manifestation and self-belief from a young age.

As a parent herself, Nafousi knows that teaching children to understand and articulate emotions is challenging for any caregiver, and so in her latest book designed for children ages 8-12, our little ones can learn the power of gratitude and goal setting – which will help both them and you to build better habits. 

'Atomic Habits', James Clear

Understanding how our minds work is key to adapting them, and James Clear absolutely understands this in his million-copy bestseller, Atomic Habits, which will not only motivate and inspire you to change your daily life for the better, but show you how.

The misconception that we must 'think big' to create change often prevents us from doing anything at all but, as Clear shares, it is in understanding our small daily habits that real change happens. You'll learn how our brains form habits—positive ones and negative ones—and how we can use this knowledge to create lives we truly love.

'Untamed', Glennon Doyle 

“Who were you before the world told you who to be?” asks Glennon Doyle in Untamed, a thoughtful exploration of the conditioning of women that acts as a real wake-up call. Encouraging all of us to be brave, Doyle shares stories from her own life to help us unleash our true inner selves, untamed.

Written with both extreme sensitivity and powerful force, the messages Doyle shares in Untamed provide life-changing revelations for readers who are open to the idea that the true you may not be present in your day-to-day life—and once you know this, you will want to find her. 

'The Body Keeps the Score', Bessel van der Kolk 

We all carry past emotions within us, and Bessel van der Kolk has dedicated his life to exploring the impact this has on us—and how we can overcome it. Each of us has experienced things we’d rather leave in the past; but our brains and our bodies don’t forget. In The Body Keeps the Score, van der Kolk shares his life’s work in understanding the very real impact that serious stress can have on us long after it’s passed, sitting in our bodies and often wreaking havoc on our lives.

The Body Keeps the Score gives us practical tips and information on how we can release the past from our bodies, enjoy more fulfilling lives, and truly leave our past experiences behind. 

'Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?', Dr Julie Smith 

Clinical psychologist Dr Julie Smith became a social media sensation by providing actionable, practical insights and tips to improve mental health. In her book, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, Dr Smith follows the same blueprint, making therapy techniques accessible for all and claiming that the tools provided are “not therapy skills, (but) life skills”.

The book aims to educate readers on the ins and outs of how our minds work in an understandable, digestible way, to empower us to take control, build resilience and nurture good mental health. If you’re looking for lightbulb moments (and practical tips on what to do with them) this is a good place to start. 

'That Little Voice In Your Head', Mo Gawdat 

Mo Gawdat’s personal story of the loss of his son is tragic and inspirational. Gawdat is full of wisdom on how we can optimise our minds for happiness—because unfortunately, it’s not always the default for many of us.

The premise of Gowdat’s message is that in understanding how our brains work, we can engineer happiness for ourselves: beat negative self-talk, change thought processes, and use the predictability of our brains to reprogram them for positivity. Based on neuroscience, That Little Voice in Your Head brings simplicity to our most complex of functions and what it means to be human, and empowers us to “adjust the code” running our brains. 

'The Course of Love', Alain de Botton

As one of the world’s greatest thinkers, we’re always intrigued by whatever Alain de Botton has to say. Debunking the myth of the ‘happily ever after’ we’re all sold, The Course of Love explores marriage in its most messy, beautiful, modern-day form, and is a must-read for anyone in a romantic relationship.

The book provides a safe sense of familiarity through relatable, real-life anecdotes and learning opportunities, to help all of us nurture our relationships in ways which are real. It’s not all hearts and flowers, it’s not always pretty—and that’s the best thing about it. 

'The Discomfort Zone', Farrah Storr 

It’s human nature to favour things within our comfort zones—but is that really where we thrive? The former editor-in-chief of Elle UK, Farrah Storr, has penned this eloquent guide to moving towards the things that scare us and finding power in facing challenges head-on. Her book teaches an adaptable method to allow you to feel the fear and do it anyway.

Storr shares that “brief moments of discomfort” are what help us to grow and get to where we need to be, and how exploring our discomfort zones can propel us to achieve great things. 

Feature Image: Amazon

This article originally appeared in harpersbazaar.com/uk in April 2024. 

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