Become your best self with these books on personal growth
Self-improvement is hard. These books make it a little easier.
Whether you're in the midst of a career transition, looking to deepen your personal relationships, working through any kind of trauma, or are simply trying to build a more fulfilling life—taking the steps to make changes isn't easy. We've compiled a list of the best self-help and personal growth books out there, suitable for a variety of situations and learning styles. You'll find classic books on habit formation and setting boundaries alongside books that offer more creative approaches. There's something for every kind of reader.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
There are a lot of books about habits and habit formation out there, and there's a reason why James Clear's has remained one of the most popular: it's direct, easy to understand, and full of practical steps you can take immediately. Clear succinctly breaks down what habits are and why they're so powerful. He then explains how to go about breaking bad habits and forming good ones. Whether your goals are big or small, this book will reframe how you think about meeting them.
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Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls
In this beautiful book about healing and forgiveness, Thom writes epistolary prose poems addressed to specific people in her life, as well as public figures, past and future selves, and more. In the letters, she addresses the harms, grief, and betrayals she's experienced, and the ways she's healed—through self-reflection, community care, play, activism, and making art. Interspersed between the letters are prompts and exercises designed to help you through your own healing process.
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How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self
As a clinical psychologist, Dr. Nicole LePera has seen firsthand how hard it can be to do healing work, especially when that work is confined to certain specific approaches, rather than explored holistically. This led her to create "the holistic psychologist," an online platform where she shares a philosophy of interconnected spiritual, mental, and physical wellness. In this book, she shares that same knowledge, offering anyone seeking change and growth the tools needed to disrupt dysfunctional behaviors, ingrained stress responses, and other harmful patterns. Her warm, engaging tone makes this serious book a pleasure to read.
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Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
Understanding what boundaries actually are and what it means to set healthy ones is crucial for anyone who wants to live a fulfilling life in relationships with other people. Nedra Glover Tawwab is a counselor and relationship expert who offers a comprehensive introduction to boundaries: why they're important, how to set them, how to communicate about them, what to do when yours or someone else's change, and a whole lot more.
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Rest Is Resistance : A Manifesto
While growth and self-improvement are highly personal goals, nobody lives in a vacuum. As Tricia Hersey of The Nap Ministry explains with clarity and passion, much harm is caused by a culture that does not value rest. What would happen if we let go of the idea that productivity is inherently good? How might we all benefit, both physically and mentally, from more deliberate rest? In this fiery and inspiring manifesto, Hersey addresses these questions and more, exploring how embracing rest can lead to powerful personal and societal change.
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Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma
In this thoughtful, accessible book, trauma-informed psychologist Dr. Mariel Buqué lays out practical, research-based strategies for confronting and healing intergenerational trauma. She uses a blend of scientific research, case studies, and stories from her own therapeutic practice to explain how intergenerational trauma is passed down, and how to break the cycle.
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Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included)
"Self-care" is everywhere these days—you only need to spend a few minutes on the internet before Instagram ads and TikTok influencers start trying to convince you that a meditation class, fancy new pillows, or the perfect planner are all you need to change your life. Psychiatrist and women's mental health specialist Dr. Pooja Lakshmin knows this isn't true, but she also knows that real self-care—a process of deep internal reflection—can transform your life. In this book, she examines the contradictions and fallacies of the self-care industry, and offers a more complicated, nuanced framework for understanding and implementing self-care in your everyday life.
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