Best self-help books for the New Year

As we raise our glasses to welcome the New Year, we are inspired to reach for better versions of ourselves with setting New Year resolutions (even though studies show that most of us would have forgotten them by February).

So, start anew by rethinking your thoughts and navigating your emotions instead – dive deep into the present, and utilise tools in these pages for that new you.

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Move a mountain by moving one rock at a time; in Atomic Habits, James Clear teaches precisely that. With his easy-to-follow steps and inspirational writing, it's easy for anyone to break old habits and form new ones.

He shows you how to create a system of change with simple tactics like the Two Minute Rule so you stay motivated in taking those tiny steps. Habits don't change overnight, but changing 1 per cent daily will lead you to exceptional results.

Atomic Habits is available from all major bookstores in Singapore, Book Depository, and Amazon.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

We can't change the past, nor do we know what will come in the future; all we have is this present moment. And it is by being conscious of now that gives us the power to create the future.

The Power of Now is a practical guide that provides simple exercises to live each moment as it occurs. Through thinking, self-reflection, and spirituality, Eckhart Tolle helps readers rise above the chatter in their minds to lead happier lives.

The Power of Now is available from Book Depository and Amazon.

Think Again by Adam Grant

Organisational psychologist Adam Grant invites you to rethink everything you know. In today's fast-changing world, the mental flexibility and humility to unlearn and rethink may be more critical than mere intelligence.

Through his engaging narrative, he explores the joy of being wrong, the importance of constructive conflict, the right kind of listening, and how to create lifelong learners. "If knowledge is power, knowing what we don't know is wisdom."

Think Again is available from all major bookstores in Singapore, Book Depository, and Amazon.

How to Do the Work by Dr Nicole LePera

As the "Holistic Psychologist", Dr Nicole LePera shares relatable stories and practical tools on her Instagram. To answer her followers' request for more, "How to Do the Work" was born.

Drawing on scientific research to help readers understand how adverse experiences and childhood trauma can lead to harmful stress reactions, Dr LePera offers support and tools from different healing modalities to help readers recreate themselves by breaking free from destructive behaviours. 

How to Do the Work is available from Book Depository and Amazon.

Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown

Do you sometimes get lost in a sea of emotions? Can't express your feelings in words? If so, this book is for you.

The Atlas of the Heart is, quite literally, a map that helps you navigate through emotions. With decades of research studying vulnerability, shame, courage, and empathy, Brene Brown digs into over 87 human emotions and provides science-backed tools and frameworks to help us better connect with our inner selves.

Learn the language of our emotions so we can fully express and honour our experiences while deepening our relationships with others. 

Atlas of the Heart is available from Book Depository and Amazon.

ALSO READ: Remember books? Here's a pile of worthy holiday reads

This article was first published in City Nomads.