16 Self-Help Books That'll Empower You to Be a Better, More Happier You

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Do you feel like you've been stuck in a funky headspace lately? Are your career or personal goals not where you hoped they be? Have you noticed yourself lacking confidence or self-empowerment? Then you've come to the right place! While everyone's version of self-care may look a little different, there are a lot of beautiful and personal benefits that can come from reading self-help books: self-discovery, healing, confidence boosting, and becoming an overall happier you. Many self-help guidebooks are also interactive and include exercises (writing prompts, affirmations, and coloring) that you can implement into everyday life to help keep your mind, body, and soul healthy and on track.

Take a step towards strengthening your mental and emotional health by browsing our gallery of self-help books ahead, including POPSUGAR's first-ever interactive guidebook You've Got This!

01
You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
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You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero

If you've ever browsed the self-help aisle at your local bookstore, you've probably come across Jen Sincero's You Are a Bada*s: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. This how-to guide is 27 chapters of pure self-help gold that'll empower you to reevaluate your outlook on life, breakup up with self-sabotaging antics, and reconnect with your inner badass side. Sincero has a profound way of telling readers exactly how it is with a spoonful of laughter and a dash of relatability, which is probably why her book is a New York Times bestseller!

02
Becoming Heroines by Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin
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Becoming Heroines by Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin

In Becoming Heroines, author and trauma survivor Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin invites women to reclaim their voices, overcome trauma, heal, and become change-makers through a journey of radical personal transformation. This soulful self-help book is for those who want to be part of the women supporting other women movement and rid themselves of the systems that have historically failed us.

03
It's OK to Feel Things Deeply by Carissa Potter
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It's OK to Feel Things Deeply by Carissa Potter

Carissa Potter wants you to know It's OK to Feel Things Deeply in her book dedicated to supporting women through periods of grief, anxiety, stress, and depression. Described as "a hug from a friend," this self-help guidebook encourages women to embrace their feelings — the good, the bad, and the ugly — through meaningful prompts, vibrant artwork, uplifting messages, and more.

04
How to Talk to Your Boss About Race by Y-Vonne Hutchinson
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How to Talk to Your Boss About Race by Y-Vonne Hutchinson

Part how-to, part memoir, How to Talk to Your Boss About Race illustrates how to approach those difficult, much-needed conversations about race in the workplace. Y-Vonne Hutchinson, a diversity and inclusion strategist for Fortune 500 companies, wrote this book to help guide the way employees and senior leadership think about and address race at work, and how to effectively communicate whilst dealing with repercussions and gaslighting.

05
Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You by Karolina Rzadkowolska
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Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You by Karolina Rzadkowolska

Written for "the casual drinker," Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You is a eight-week guidebook that'll help you learn to relax without a few glasses of vino before bed, and become more in tune with yourself and your surroundings. Pulling from her own personal experience as a certified alcohol-free life coach, Karolina Rzadkowolska will transform your relationship with alcohol, resulting in self-growth and no more happy hour hangovers.

06
Swagger: Unleash Everything You Are and Become Everything You Want by Leslie Ehm
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Swagger: Unleash Everything You Are and Become Everything You Want by Leslie Ehm

Find out how to "navigate the professional world with authenticity and badassery" in Leslie Ehm's Swagger: Unleash Everything You Are and Become Everything You Want. Say goodbye to the "swagger blockers" or people and ideals that are holding you back from being the most authentic you. Manifest and relinquish your newfound swagger by discovering the things that inspire you to be a joyful, powerful, more confident you.

07
Heart Talk: The Journal by Cleo Wade
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Heart Talk: The Journal by Cleo Wade

Inspired by her bestselling novel Heart Talk, comes Cleo Wade's self-help guidebook titled Heart Talk: The Journal. Each page includes words of encouragement, activities for self-discovery and healing, and Wade's signature poetic wisdom that'll motivate you to open your heart, mind, and soul. Complete this journal forwards, backwards, or in any order you see fit; there's no rules when it comes to self-care for the heart.

08
Self-Love Workbook for Women by Megan Logan, MSW, LCSW
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Self-Love Workbook for Women by Megan Logan, MSW, LCSW

Therapist Megan Logan, MSW, LCSW, is on a mission to help women improve their emotional and mental health in her interactive workbook Self-Love Workbook for Women. This self-help book tackles self-compassion, self-esteem, relationship building, and self-confidence through a variety of therapeutically-designed prompts, quizzes, and activities. Find your inner joy and a few new self-care tools along the way.

09
Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion by Dr. Wendy Suzuki
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Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion by Dr. Wendy Suzuki

Dr. Wendy Suzuki challenges readers to recognize their anxieties as strengths, not weaknesses in her new book, Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion. By embracing our vulnerability, we are able to conquer the things that make us uncomfortable, and from that we are able to grow as individuals.

10
Keep Moving: The Journal by Maggie Smith
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Keep Moving: The Journal by Maggie Smith

For every hardship award-winning poet Maggie Smith has endured, she writes to herself to "keep moving" as a physical reminder to never give up, regardless of the obstacles life hands her. In her forthcoming book Keep Moving: The Journal, she tasks readers to do the same through series of writing exercises and self-reflection.

11
Clever Girl Finance: Ditch Debt, Save Money and Build Real Wealth by Bola Sokunbi
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Clever Girl Finance: Ditch Debt, Save Money and Build Real Wealth by Bola Sokunbi

In Clever Girl Finance: Ditch Debt, Save Money and Build Real Wealth, Bola Sokunbi is breaking down everything you need to know about personal finances in easy-to-understand, bite-size pieces so you can get on track to financial success. Learn about credit scores, nest eggs, how to finically support a side hustle, how to monitor expenses, follow a budget, and more. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and intimated by money, but Sokunbi explains it in a way that'll leave you feeling powerful and in control, which is how you should feel when it comes to managing your money.

12
Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You by Terri Trespicio
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Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You by Terri Trespicio

Unfollow Your Passion: How to Create a Life That Matters to You by Terri Trespicio, is a personal growth book for anyone who's tired of keeping a busy social calendar, constantly fighting the patriarchy, and living up to society's high standards. Learn how to redefine what passion means to you under Trespicio's gentle but brutally honest guidance.

13
Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions For Success at Work by Melody Wilding
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Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions For Success at Work by Melody Wilding

From chapters covering stress to perfectionism and self-doubt to imposter syndrome, Melody Wilding's powerful book is here to help relieve us from the burdens that hold us back from achieving success at work. In Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions For Success at Work, you build the tools to achieve confidence, find your voice, build resilience, and enjoy your success all while staying true to who you are.

14
The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor
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The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love by Sonya Renee Taylor

If you're looking to improve your relationship with body image and self-love, The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love is an insightful ode to the power and beauty of the human body. Written by activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor, this book is all about finding and nourishing radical self-love and body celebration. Plus, Taylor offers tips for navigating body shamming and body oppression.

15
Untamed by Glennon Doyle
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Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Glennon Doyle has taken the world by storm with her recent memoir Untamed, where she poses a litany of thought provoking questions such as are you bringing your full self to the table? And are you fully living? There was a time where Doyle couldn't answer those questions, but through a lot of self-reflection, discovery, and healing, she's now able to say, There She Is. And she's helping women all over the world do the same in her part memoir, part self-help book.

16
You've Got This! by POPSUGAR
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You've Got This! by POPSUGAR

Written by Jessica MacLeish and illustrated by Lauren Hom, You've Got This! is POPSUGAR'S first-ever interactive guidebook complete with 128 pages of writing exercises, inspiration quotes, de-stressing methods, coloring book pages, and so much more! Every page is designed to help you reach your goals (and set new ones!), practice mindfulness, and celebrate your creativity.