Books
Some of my favorite self-development & mental health finds.
Did I read them? Yes. Do I genuinely like them? Also yes.
Do I get paid if you buy one through my link? Hellllll yes tysm.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace by Nedra Glover Tawwab
This is probably the #1 book I recommend over everything. Boundaries are critical for mental health. For our relationship with ourselves, and others. Nedra, a licensed therapist, is capital-B brilliant when it comes to communicating how to use boundaries in all kinds of challenging scenarios.
Her book is clear & actionable with plenty of scripts for varying situations. I know ya'll love those ;)
Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown, PhD, MSW
This is probably my favorite find in 2022 so far.
Growing up, were you taught how to identify your emotions? How to communicate them? How to use them or what they're telling you to do?
Emotions are like a compass, pointing us to our needs, our joy, our pain, and everything in between so we can figure out how to get more of the stuff that fills us up, and protect better from the stuff that fucks us up.
We can't use them unless we know how to identify them, what they mean, and how to communicate about them.
This book is a brilliant resource that gives us that. This book is a gift and I will thank Brene for it every time I see it.
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski, PhD and Amelia Nagoski, DMA
Main themes of life for a lot of women (especially since 2020)?
Overwhelm, stress, burnout, exhaustion, etc.
What do I love about this book? It has a formula. Founded in the psychology and psychology of stress on the body.
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Vanderkolk, M.D.
I don't believe there are any other books on the market that break down trauma, how it happens, how it affects our brains, and how it haunts our lives the way this book does.
If you want to discover how trauma or (C)PTSD has affected you, this is one I'd consider a "must-read" on the journey to discovering that, and how to begin healing.
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Mainly put this on here for my fellow neurospicy folks.
With AuDHD there are a LOT of things I struggle to do throughout the day, like you. But the more I can turn into habits, the more I can overcome them. I imagine I'm not alone here.
ADHD gives us pain for doing the boring thing, until we turn it into a habit. Then, we get dopamine for doing the boring thing, and pain for avoiding it.
This book teaches us how to build habits for the boring things, so we can get the boring thing done now.
Read it if and when you're ready to get better at doing the boring things.
Psychocybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, MD, FICS
Ultimately, I'd put this in the pseudoscience category. However, it's really interesting pseudoscience and worth a read in my opinion.
Maxwell explores the idea that we are as good as we believe we are, and we can change that belief with our thoughts and thoughts alone.
He makes use of a lot of visualization practices & meditations. Two things I know for a fact have been helpful in my own development.
The Ethical Slut by Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton
Do I practice polyamory or ENM? No.
Do I understand that there's a lot of harmful conditioning built into the construct of monogamy (which I do practice)? Yes.
Do I think reading material on ENM and Polyamory, as well as listening to the ENM community, can help us all challenge our views on what healthy relationships can look like for each of us? Definitely yes.
Ethical Slut is an older text that's considered outdated by a lot of people. If you're really into learning about ENM make sure you pick up some newer reads. But if you're just interested in thinking outside the box on monogamy, you'll likely consider this a good place to start.
P.S. It's a fun read. Very engaging.