It’s okay to admit it: You don’t love everything about yourself. Sure, you have many wonderful qualities, and you feel good about them. But you also have some habits and personality traits that, frankly, make life more difficult for you, and maybe for the people around you as well.
While you don’t have to love those things about yourself, you can still accept them—and if you want to, you even have the power to change them. The most important thing is that you learn to love yourself as a whole. And with that goal in mind, the seven inspiring books below can help.
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Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself
By Nedra Glover Tawwab
Rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), the techniques shared by an influential therapist help us identify and express our needs clearly—and resolve a key issue behind codependency, power struggles, anxiety, depression, burnout, and more. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Nedra Glover Tawwab, in the Next Big Idea App
Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion
By Wendy Suzuki
Drawing on her own intimate struggles and based on cutting-edge research, an NYU psychologist has developed an inspiring guidebook for managing unwarranted anxiety and turning it into a powerful asset. Listening to our anxieties from a place of curiosity, and without fear, can actually guide us onto a path that leads to joy. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Wendy Suzuki, in the Next Big Idea App
Do Nothing: How to Break Away from Overworking, Overdoing, and Underliving
By Celeste Headlee
While work tries to worm its way into every waking moment, an award-winning journalist reminds us that we can and should set some time aside for ourselves. In other words, it really is okay to sit back and do nothing. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Celeste Headlee, in the Next Big Idea App
Be Who You Want: Unlocking the Science of Personality Change
By Christian Jarrett
“Life isn’t about finding yourself,” George Bernard Shaw once said. “Life is about creating yourself.” In Be Who You Want, a cognitive neuroscientist shares research-backed advice for turning Shaw’s words into action, showing how anyone can change their personality to become more emotionally stable, extraverted, open-minded, and more. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Christian Jarrett, in the Next Big Idea App
The Child in You: The Breakthrough Method for Bringing Out Your Authentic Self
By Stefanie Stahl
At long last, this million-copy international bestseller is available for English-speaking readers. A clinical psychologist explains how to shed past traumas and societal pressures to uncover your most joyful, most authentic self. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Stefanie Stahl, in the Next Big Idea App
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
By Katy Milkman
A Wharton professor shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness. Whether you’re a teacher or coach trying to change someone else or simply trying to change yourself, this is a science-based blueprint for achieving your goals. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Katy Milkman, in the Next Big Idea App
The Book of Moods: How I Turned My Worst Emotions into My Best Life
By Lauren Martin
With a good job and healthy relationships, the author seemed to have it all—but she couldn’t shake persistent feelings of inferiority, irritability, and more. The Book of Moods is her deep dive into what causes such negative emotions, what purpose they serve, and how anyone can manage them more effectively. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Lauren Martin, in the Next Big Idea App
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