“Smiling does not necessarily mean you’re happy. Sometimes it just means you’re strong.”
Mental health is something every single individual on the planet will deal with during their lives. And in a world that can feel as jarring and overwhelming as the one today, it’s only natural that we sometimes find ourselves on the lookout for books on mental health that provide comfort and strategies on how to improve our well-being. Hearing about other people’s experiences and taking on the advice of experts can make for a great first step to remedying some of the biggest concerns in our heads. Join us here at What We Reading as we explore some of the best books for mental health. These insightful and compelling non-fiction mental health books are all designed to help overcome the bad days, celebrate the good ones, and present a mix of research, practicality, and compassion.
Enchantment: Awakening Wonder In An Anxious Age – Katherine May
Katherine May kicks off our list of the best books for mental health with her 2023 self-help work, Enchantment. The New York Times bestselling author of Wintering aims for the feeling of entrapment that many of us feel in the present day. With rolling news cycles, non-stop social media chatter, and partisan lines drawn in everything from our politics to our families, it’s easy to feel exhausted, anxious, or overwhelmed.
Enchantment serves as May’s invites readers to embrace a new perspective on life. Through her own stories of struggle with work, family and the world reopening in the wake of the pandemic, the book is a warm and candid approach to understanding the restorative powers of the natural and how they can be incorporated into our daily lives. Through deliberate attention and ritual, she demonstrates how we can reconnect with awe and wonder in the world.
That Little Voice In Your Head: Adjust The Code That Runs Your Brain – Mo Gawdat
To fix a faulty machine, you must be able to diagnose the problem. Mo Gawdat shows how the same can be applied to our brains in his 2022 self-help book, That Little Voice In Your Head. Using his experience as a former Google engineer and inspired by his late son, the book is a practical guide to retraining our brains and building a model for happiness.
By overcoming negative self-talk, Mo reveals how we can begin to turn greed into generosity and apathy into compassion. Whilst our brains appear complex, That Little Voice In Your Head reveals how they behave in a largely predictable way, enabling us to take better control of them.
Burnout: The Secret To Unlocking The Stress Cycle – Emily Nagoski And Amelia Nagoski
Over half of all Americans experience burnout in their lives, yet, burnout is statistically more likely to negatively impact women. Burnout is the groundbreaking 2019 book by sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski revealing why women experience burnout differently to men, and a science-backed plan to help readers suffering from it manage emotions, lower their stress levels and live a more joy-filled life.
Instead of simply asking readers to ignore the societal pressures and expectations put on women, Burnout is one of the best books for mental health for empowering readers to fight back against them and create positive change. Through insightful science, practical worksheets and transformative advice, Emily and Amelia demonstrate that true wellness is obtainable for everyone.
The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind And Body In The Healing Of Trauma – Bessel Van Der Kolk
Trauma is something every reader will experience, and can be one of the most profound impacts on our mental health. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s most renowned experts on trauma, condenses over three decades of research and experience with survivors into one compelling exploration of trauma and recovery in his book on mental health, The Body Keeps the Score.
Van der Kolk uses the latest cutting-edge scientific advances to demonstrate how trauma quite literally transforms both the body and mind in a person, compromising our abilities to experience self-control, pleasure and trust. And, from meditation to sports, drama and neurofeedback, he also demonstrates our minds’ incredible resilience and bounce back, demonstrating how healing is always possible.
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Microjoys: Finding Hope (Especially) When Life Is Not Okay – Cyndie Spiegel
If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to find the light at the end of the tunnel, Cyndie Spiegel’s Microjoys may just be the mental health book for you. In Microjoys, readers are taught the skill of finding joy and unearthing hope at any given moment.
Accessible to anyone, Spiegel delves into this practice that celebrates the ordinary delights that surround us. Having taken her first note of them during the most difficult year of her life, Spiegel demonstrates how everything from a polka-dot glass to a piece of kindness at just the right time helped her navigate the hardest of waters with more comfort and joy. Through a collection of beautifully-told essays and prompts, readers are sure to be inspired by Spiegel’s journey and the lessons she has learned along the way.
The Kindness Method – Shahroo Izadi
A combination of her personal experiences, therapeutic practices and strategies inherited from years of working at ground level, Shahroo Izadi’s The Kindness Method is one of the best books for mental health for those readers looking to break unwanted habits for the better.
Through empathy and a non-judgmental approach, Izadi presents a series of steps aimed at sustaining motivation and making lasting positive changes. By treating ourselves with the compassion we rarely save for ourselves, The Kindness Method provides readers with a tailored plan and practical guides for improving mental well-being.
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I Really Needed This Today: Words To Live By – Hoda Kotb
An instant New York Times bestseller, I Really Needed This Today is one of the most inspiring mental health books by Hoda Kotb. The book’s groundwork began when the co-host of the Today Show began penning a number of quotes on her Instagram page. Tailored to provide a daily source of love and laughter, thousands of reactions began to pour in, with many of the commentators claiming ‘I really needed this today’.
I Really Needed This Today is a collection of 365 sayings and quotes designed to recharge, motivate and inspire every day. Kotb also writes about the individuals and experiences that have helped her push boundaries, rise to new challenges and embrace change, helping to make this one of the best books for mental health for those looking for an added injection of warmth and motivation in their routines.
You’re Going To Be Okay: 16 Lessons In Healing After Trauma – Madeline Popelka
Madeline Popelka, a survivor of trauma and creator of @HealingFromPTSD, knows first-hand how survivors can feel it is impossible to reclaim themselves after a devastating experience. You’re Going to Be Okay is here 2022 mental health book that explores how healing is a lifelong journey, but undoubtedly one filled with gifts along the way.
You’re Going to Be Okay features sixteen chapters around trauma built from the lessons and experiences that shaped Madeline on her healing journey. From understanding how emotions are our allies, and embracing the ongoing process to understanding how we’re not meant to heal alone, this is one of the best books for mental health for those looking to combat isolation and find the motivation to take their healing into their own hands.
Broken – Jenny Lawson
Jenny Lawson is the number one bestselling author of Furiously Happy and Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and, as her legions of fans no doubt know, has become one of the biggest advocates for anxiety and depression awareness. In her 2021 book on mental health, Broken, she brings readers along for a hilarious and heartbreaking ride into her journey.
Broken is one of the best books for mental health in demonstrating how we all face anxiety and depression in an all-too-real way, with Lawson reassuring readers that we’re not alone all whilst making them laugh. From her explanation of why she can never return to the post office to her detailed plans for a Shark Tank pitch, this 2021 memoir delights both existing Lawson fans and those it will inspire after picking it up.
How To Feel Better: A Guide To Navigating The Ebb And Flow Of Life – Cathy Rentzenbrink
In How To Feel Better, bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink imparts the wisdom that has helped her navigate the highs and lows of life. Whilst we have no control over many of the things that happen to us, this is one of the best books on mental health for understanding how we can process reactions and find comfort when we need it most.
Delivered with warmth and gentle guidance, everything from the etiquette of taking bad news to the lessons she wishes to pass down to her son, Rentzenbrink covers a stunning array of topics with her characteristically compassionate style. How To Feel Better is a book for readers who sense themselves becoming overwhelmed by the flow of daily life, offering a path through whatever challenges it may throw at them.
Love Poems For Anxious People – John Kenney
Sometimes the best way of challenging mental health is by embracing the funny side of things. Love Poems for Anxious People is a hilarious collection of poetry from Thurber Prize winner, John Kenney. A New York Times bestseller on the back of Love Poems for Married People and Love Poems for People with Children, Kenney has established himself as one of the wittiest voices when it comes to the intricacies of daily interactions.
From awkward exchanges, nervous ticks, and insomnia to the anxiety of writing a single email, Love Poems for Anxious People brings a light-hearted and hilarious approach to celebrating how every single person is unique.
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
