You’re perfect just the way you are. But in case you’re up for a tune-up in 2022, turn to these self-help titles to help with everything from managing anxiety and curing disorganization to fighting loneliness and managing booze. If nothing else, you’ll be inspired by these amazing authors who have dedicated their working lives to helping you improve your life. How nice is that!?
New Self-Help Books
Find Your Unicorn Space: Reclaim Your Creative Life in a Too-Busy World by Eve Rodsky (Dec. 28, 2021)
Eve Rodksy’s first book, Fair Play, was a Reese’s book club pick and an instant New York Times bestseller. It tackled the gendered division of labor within the home. In Find Your Unicorn Space, Rodsky tackles the all-important task of finding a pursuit that’s meaningful to us, “an active and open pursuit of self-expression” that we can share with the world. Three requirements? Curiosity. Connection. Completion. (I’m doing my Unicorn Space right here: recommending great books to eager readers. Is it any wonder I’m actually quoted in Eve’s book!?)
Speaking with Spirit: 52 Prayers to Guide, Inspire and Uplift You by Agapi Stassinopoulos (Jan. 11, 2022)
A prayer for weight loss? Why not?! Bestselling author Agapi Stassinopoulos, also known as Arianna Huffington’s sister, shares her relationship with God and prayer, her acting rejections, her path to writing a prior memoir, her family history, and her pandemic experience in this book of beseeching letters to a higher power, religion not required.
Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under Control by Dana K. White (1/11/22)
Did you know there’s a podcast called A Slob Comes Clean? Host Dana K. White is the one to turn to this new year if you need to make sense of all the chaos around you. With specific techniques and inspiring words, Dana, a mom of three from Dallas, TX, will show you the way to optimize your home — and life.
Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You by Karolina Rzadkowolska (1/4/22)
Sixty percent of casual drinkers want to drink less. If that’s one of your New Year’s resolutions, turn to life coach Karolina Rzadkowolska. In her book, she helps readers evaluate the role of alcohol in their lives, navigate an alcohol-free social world, get the science behind drinking, and more.
Smart Leadership: Four Simple Choices to Scale Your Impact by Mark Miller (1/11/22)
You’re ready to make a difference in the world! 2022 is going to be your year! You’re sure of it!! But how?! Internationally bestselling author Mark Miller has ideas on how to confront reality, grow capacity, fuel curiosity, and create change.
Miss Me With That: Hot Takes, Helpful Tidbits, and a Few Hard Truths by Rachel Lindsay (1/25/22)
The first Black Bachelorette has a lot to teach us after her reality TV journey. Her story includes many inspiring tips and tricks you’ll be able to implement this new year. The book covers race, politics, love, coming-of-age, media, and more.
Not Drinking Tonight: A Guide to Creating a Sober Life You Love by Amanda E. White, LPC (1/4/22)
Retired party girl and therapist Amanda E. White, founder of Therapy for Women, wants to help. Her three mandates in this book are to find out why you drink, heal your relationship with alcohol, and build the sober life you love. This isn’t a book to help you simply stop drinking. It’s an investigation into why you drink — and how to get the life you really want.
Fall in Love, Have Children, Stay Put, Save the Planet, Be Happy by Frank Schaeffer
What’s the secret to happiness? Connection. We feel happiest when we’re caring for others, not trying to overpower them. With lists of “what’s in” and “what’s out” (guess where everything from FOMO to family dinners fall!), New York Times bestselling author Frank Schaeffer helps us wrangle meaning back into our lives and even offers legislative solutions.
The Other Side of Yet: Finding Light in the Midst of Darkness by Michelle Hord (3/15/22)
You thought your life was tricky. One minute, Michelle Hord was a successful TV producer with a husband and new daughter. The next, she was going through a horrific divorce. Just before the divorce ruling was finalized, her soon-to-be ex-husband murdered her beautiful 7-year-old daughter. An inspiring memoir of grief and resilience, The Other Side of Yet will help you find your own path and guide you through the darkest moments.
The Anxiety Healer’s Guide: Coping Strategies and Mindfulness Techniques to Calm the Mind and Body by Alison Seponara, MS, LPC (3/15/22)
Creator of popular @TheAnxietyHealer Instagram account and host of The Anxiety Chicks podcast, Alison Seponara is the ultimate resource for those of us coping with anxiety, which always flares around the holidays, right? With easy-to-use guides like breathing techniques, grounding strategies, distraction ideas, cognitive-behavioral actions, and on-the-go activities, this guide will be your new best friend in the new year.
Living Fully: Dare to Step into Your Most Vibrant Life by Mallory Ervin and Jamie Kern Lima (2/8/22)
Former contestant on The Amazing Race and Miss America, Mallory Ervin grew up in the public eye, only to have the pressure propel her into treatment in her 20s for prescription drugs and alcohol abuse. Now she’s a mom and host of podcast Living Fully and runs a global lifestyle brand. Her book shows the rest of us how to overcome perfectionism, how to be honest with ourselves, and the importance of legacy over temporary triumph.
The Urge: Our History of Addiction by Carl Erik Fisher (1/18/22)
Addiction psychiatrist Carl Erik Fisher gives a nuanced view of addiction and encourages readers to have compassion for one of society’s pervasive challenges. Deeply misunderstood and stigmatized, addiction, Dr. Fisher points out, is not a modern phenomenon, nor is it a “disease.” In fact, we all fall on the spectrum somewhere. Dr. Fisher recounts his own battle with addiction in this compelling read.
Find Your People: Building Deep Community in a Lonely World by Jennie Allen (2/22/22)
Founder of IF:Gathering and New York Times bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head is back with an important, inspiring work about loneliness and the power of connection. Three in 5 Americans admit to feeling chronically lonely. Allen offers practical solutions to questions like how to find friends, how to make relationships less superficial, what a true community looks like, and how to navigate being “dumped” by a friend.
LifePass: Drop Your Limits, Rise to Your Potential — A Ground-Breaking Approach to Goal Setting by Payal Kadakia (2/15/22)
Founder of ClassPass Payal Kadakia outlines her unique goal-setting technique, The LifePass Method, in this important work. Kadakia discusses being a woman of color in her just-sold company, how she navigates time as a wife and mother, her rejection of the traditional path to success, and her dual identity of Indian and all-American.
Imagine If…: Creating a Future for Us All by Sir Ken Robinson, Ph.D., and Kate Robinson (3/1/22)
International expert in developing creativity, Sir Ken Robinson (whose TED Talk, “Do Schools Kill Creativity?” has more than 72 million views) received a cancer diagnosis in 2020 and recruited his daughter to help him write this final, compelling and extremely important manifesto. It’s a treatise on what we’re capable of as a species, the need to revolutionize education, and how to run our businesses to bring out the best in everyone.
Courageous Discomfort: How to Have Important, Brave, Life-Changing Conversations About Race and Racism by Shanterra McBride and Rosalind Wiseman (5/31/22)
Best friends Shanettera McBride (who is Black) and Rosalind Wiseman (who is white) outline a clear strategy and guidelines for anyone longing to have productive conversations about race.
Things to Look Forward To: 52 Large and Small Joys for Today and Every Day by Sophie Blackall (3/22/22)
Two-time Caldecott winner Sophie Blackall has penned an instant classic for grown-ups. Packaged with gold foil, this will be the gift of the new year for anyone who needs a smile.
Becoming the One: Heal Your Past, Transform Your Relationship Patterns, and Come Home to Yourself by Sheleana Aiyana (4/12/22)
Founder of Rising Woman and spiritual writer Sheleana Aiyana points out that if you keep struggling to extricate yourself from relationships or keep pursuing emotionally unavailable partners, it’s a sign that along the way you learned to sacrifice yourself in order to be loved. Based on the traumas of her past, Aiyana’s wisdom will inspire and heal.
