Get back into those favorite habits with some Pop Lit Picks for the new year! With an entire genre selection on self help and inspiration, work on building your healthy habits with advice from some of the best authors and more. From simple goal setting and habit making advice, to digging into the harder topics like setting boundaries and confronting racism, below is a list of just a few of those helpful “Self Help” books we keep in the Pop Lit collection in Strozier Library. While January is winding down, 2023 is just starting – and it’s never too late to work on your goals!
Atomic Habits
James Clear, an expert on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. He draws on proven ideas from biology, psychology, and neuroscience to create an easy-to-understand guide for making good habits inevitable and bad habits impossible.
Feeding the Soul (because it’s my business)
Actress, vegan superstar, and “America’s Mom” Tabitha Brown offers inspirational life lessons in her warm, charismatic voice. For years Brown pursued acting while raising a family and dealing with undiagnosed chronic autoimmune pain. Before she became vegan, her condition made her believe she wouldn’t live to see forty. With her relatable personality and health struggles, approachable and nonjudgmental take on plant-based living, and warm voice reflecting her Southern upbringing, she shares with readers how to make a life for themselves that is rooted in kindness and love, both for themselves and for others. Brown roots her lessons in stories about her own life, career, faith, and family.
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let go of who you think you’re supposed to be and embrace who you are
Each day we face a barrage of images and messages from society and the media telling us who, what, and how we should be. We are led to believe that if we could only look perfect and lead perfect lives, we’d no longer feel inadequate. So most of us perform, please, and perfect, all the while thinking, What if I can’t keep all of these balls in the air? Why isn’t everyone else working harder and living up to my expectations? What will people think if I fail or give up? When can I stop proving myself? In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown shares what she’s learned from a decade of research on the power of Wholehearted Living — a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness. In her ten guideposts, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough, and to go to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. And, yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am worthy of love and belonging.
Hello Fears
Michelle has always had a problem with the word “fearless.” Facing your demons doesn’t mean you’re fearless; it means you fear them, but you do it anyway! So for 100 days she faced 100 of her fears, and the message went viral. Written in Michelle’s hilarious, honest voice and driven through storytelling, expert interviews, and practical tools, Hello, Fears conveys the lessons she learned from facing each fear and inspires readers to make the right choice – the brave choice. For readers of Girl, Wash Your Face and 100 Days of Brave, Hello, Fears is a growth mindset personal development book for those who are ready to push past their comfort zone and embrace their fears
Capital Gains: smart things I learned doing stupid stuff
Chip Gaines is well known as a TV star (HGTV’s Fixer Upper), renovation expert, husband to Joanna, and father of 4 in Waco, Texas. But long before the world took notice, Chip was a serial entrepreneur who was always ready for the next challenge, even if it didn’t quite work out as planned. Whether it was buying a neighborhood laundromat or talking a bank into a loan for some equipment to start a lawn-mowing service, Chip always knew that the most important thing was to take that first step. We walk alongside him as he relives some of his craziest antics and the lessons learned along the way. His mentors taught him to never give up and his family showed him what it meant to always have a positive attitude despite your circumstances. Throw in a natural daredevil personality and a willingness to do (or eat!) just about anything, and you have the life and daily activity of Chip Gaines.
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A guide to reclaiming yourself
Healthy boundaries. We all know we should have them–in order to achieve school/work/life balance, cope with toxic people, and enjoy rewarding relationships with partners, friends, and family. But what do “healthy boundaries” really mean–and how can we successfully express our needs, say “no,” and be assertive without offending others?
What Happened to You?
“What happened to you?” Many of us experience adversity that has a lasting impact on our physical and emotional health. What happens to us in childhood is a powerful predictor of our risk for health problems down the road and offers scientific insights into the patterns of behaviors so many struggle to understand. Here, Winfrey shares stories from her own harrowing past and her understanding of the vulnerability that comes from facing trauma at a young age. Joining forces with Dr. Perry, one of the world’s leading experts on childhood trauma, Winfrey marries the power of storytelling with science and clinical experience to better understand and overcome the effects of trauma. The two focus not only a new understanding of people’s behavior but also on trauma’s effects on our own lives. It’s a subtle but profound shift in our approach to trauma that allows each of us to understand our past so that we may clear a path to our future – opening the door to resilience and healing in a proven, powerful way.
Overcoming Everyday Racism
This enlightening and reflective guide studies the psychological impact of racism and discrimination on BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) people and offers steps to improve wellbeing. It includes definitions of race, racism and other commonly used terms, such as microaggressions, and evaluates the effect of definitions used to describe BAME people. Each chapter of the book focusses on one category of wellbeing – self-acceptance, personal growth, purpose in life, positive relations with others, environmental mastery, autonomy – and includes case examples, spaces for reflection and practical, creative exercises. For use as a tool within counseling and therapeutic settings as well as a self-help tool by individuals, each category provides a framework for thinking about how to manage everyday racism, live with more resilience, and thrive.
Me and White Supremacy: Combat Racism, Change the World, and be a Better Ancestor
Me and White Supremacy teaches readers how to dismantle the privilege within themselves so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on people of color, and in turn, help other white people do better, too. When Layla Saad began an Instagram challenge called #MeAndWhiteSupremacy, she never predicted it would spread as widely as it did. She encouraged people to own up and share their racist behaviors, big and small. She was looking for truth, and she got it. Thousands of people participated in the challenge, and over 90,000 people downloaded the Me and White Supremacy Workbook.
Not seeing one you like? Just type “self help” into the one search bar and narrow your search by location (on the left side of your screen) and choose the Popular Literature Collection.
If you feel overwhelmed and need assistance navigating any issues in life, the University Counseling & Psychological Services is free to all students and equipped to help you with everything from anxiety management, peer support, individual and couples counseling, substance abuse help and more. You can find their website at https://counseling.fsu.edu/
This blog post was written by Dianna Bradley, Digital Library Center Metadata Associate at FSU Libraries.