5 Books to Check Out

Emotional First Aid: Healing, Rejection, Guilt, Failure and other Everyday Hurts by Guy Winch

You may be familiar with Guy Winch’s amazing Ted Talk on emotional hygiene. Emotional First Aid covers the seven common emotional injuries that people experience in a lifetime and best practices for how to resolve them. The injuries include rejection, guilt, loneliness, among others that are all too familiar and painful. My favorite takeaway from Winch’s book is that we should not wait for these emotional wounds to go away or fade, but rather practice self-treatment as a way of personal healing.

Me, Myself, and Us: The Science of Personality and the Art of Well-Being by Brian Little

Psychologist Brian Little, P.h.D deep dives into the science of personality and whether or not they way we are indicates whether or not we will attain happiness. The best part of this book is the inclusion of quizzes and self-assessments, which provides a more immersive experience.

From Coping to Thriving: How to Turn Self-care into a Way of Life by Hannah Braime

Read this book and make self-care part of your everyday life. (The “Self Care Essentials” section of the book is my personal favorite.) Braime outlines the things you must integrate in your day to day schedule so that you have a strong foundation that’ll help you meet your personal needs.

The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life by Tal Ben-Shahar

According to author Tal Ben-Shahar, the pursuit of perfection is the #1 thing in the way of our happiness. How do we get around this major obstacle? Choose “optimalism” over perfectionism.

Secret Garden, An Inky Treasure Hunt and Colouring Book by Laurence King

Not for reading… but coloring instead! Whip this baby out at the end of a long day along with some colored pencils (and maybe a glass of wine), and wind down from your work day. The good thing about these coloring books for adults is that they have pretty and intricate designs, not the cartoon images of your childhood. Self-care at it’s finest!