15 Self-Help Books for Your Mind, Body, and Soul

Looking for a list of the best self-help books? Here are 15 of the best books to help you improve your mindset, develop healthy habits, and fulfill your soul’s purpose | Mind Body Soul Books

FYI: This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to purchase using one of these links, I may get a commission at no charge to you. Thank you for keeping The Blissful Mind running :)

As a personal development junkie, I love finding new books to add to my shelves. I definitely have a problem collecting new books before I read the ones I already have (and I’m not the only one who does this, right?).

That being said, I’ve read a fair amount of self-help books over the past few years. I enjoy learning mindset tricks, success habits, and anything that will help me become a better version of myself.

Since I often get asked for book recommendations, I decided to put together a round-up of some of my favorite self-help books. I’m not the best at giving book reviews, but I will share a little about these books and why I love them so much.

I’ve categorized the books into categories (mind, body, and soul) so you’ll know exactly what to read when you’re looking to work on any of these areas. Let’s get into the books!

Healthy Mindset Books


Looking for a list of the best self-help books? Here are 15 of the best books to help you improve your mindset, develop healthy habits, and fulfill your soul’s purpose | Mind Body Soul Books

1. The Little Book of Mindfulness by Patricia Collard

This is a great little book to encourage more mindfulness in your life. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert at mindfulness, there are plenty of practical practices to follow. It’s one of those books you can pick up and flick through whenever you need a moment to pause. If you need more mental clarity in your busy life, The Little Book of Mindfulness offers quick and simple methods to make it happen.

2. You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Need a little mindset makeover? The truth is, most of us do. I’m a pretty optimistic person, but I can be hard on myself. You Are a Badass encouraged me to let go of some of the negative thoughts I had about myself and look at my strengths instead. There’s wisdom around money, relationships, and self-development – which are all things we can improve our mindsets around. I love Jen’s relatable approach to these topics, and her sense of humor reminds me to not take myself too seriously.

3. Essentialism by Greg McKeown

This book completely changed my productivity game and the way that I make decisions. The idea behind Essentialism is that we don’t have to get more done. We just have to get the right things done. This book challenged me to think about what is truly worth my time and attention and how to graciously let go of everything else. If you’re trying to become a more decisive person, this book is definitely one to add to your shelves. One of my favorite quotes of all time comes from this book: “If it isn’t a clear yes, then it’s a clear no.”

4. The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

I re-read this book every year because it teaches me something new every time. This book is all about getting you from where you are to where you want to be. It teaches you how to increase your confidence, tackle daily challenges, and get started on your life goals. I also wrote about how I created my own vision for the future using the principles in this book.

5. Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin

I finished this book in January, and it’s already one of my favorite books of the year. Better Than Before is all about change and how we form new habits. If you’ve ever wondered why you struggle to form new habits or why you procrastinate, this book is for you. Gretchen explains that our ability to change our behavior is based on four tendencies: upholding, questioning, rebelling, or obliging. Better Than Before is perfect for anyone who loves personality types and wants to understand how they can affect your behavior.

Books to Heal Your Body


Looking for a list of the best self-help books? Here are 15 of the best books to help you improve your mindset, develop healthy habits, and fulfill your soul’s purpose | Mind Body Soul Books

6. Eat Pretty by Jolene Hart

If you’ve ever wondered what antioxidants or omega-3s actually do, this book will answer your questions. Eat Pretty is all about how food can benefit your mind, body, and your skin. The book also explores stress management, hormonal balance, and mindful living. The design and presentation of this book are beautiful, and it’ll teach you a lot about how nutrition can play a role in your mindset and appearance.

7. Deliciously Ella by Ella Woodward

Ever since I started blogging, I’ve been a fan of Ella’s popular food blog. Ella started her blog to share how she was dealing with a rare illness, and this book is a continuation of her blog. Though she has a few cookbooks, Deliciously Ella will always remain my favorite. The book is broken into food groups (grains, nuts, beans, veggies, fruits) with quick and simple recipes to follow. I love that she uses easy-to-find, budget-friendly ingredients. Even though I’m not plant-based, this book is the one I always turn to for meal inspiration.

8. Go with Your Gut by Robyn Youkilis

After hearing the many ways digestive health can affect our well-being, I decided it was time to see what everyone was talking about. Go With Your Gut is a great mix of educational content about gut health with easy-to-follow recipes that don’t follow a typical diet approach. It’s all about listening to your body and fueling it with gut-friendly foods. Everything is beautifully presented, and I love that Robyn encourages readers to create a healthier relationship with food.

9. Nourish: Mind, Body, Soul by Amber Rose, Sadie Frost, and Holly Davidson

Nourish is an all-encompassing health book that discusses the three most important aspects of wellness: mind, body, and soul. There’s tons of thoughtful advice to improve your well-being through food, exercise, and mindfulness. You will also find delicious recipes, meditation and yoga tips, and a 4-week exercise program to follow. Nourish: Mind, Body, Soul is absolutely beautiful, and it’s one I always enjoy flicking through when I need more balance in my life.

10. The Bikini Body 28-Day Healthy Eating & Lifestyle Guide by Kayla Itsines

I’ll admit that I’ve never followed one of Kayla’s workouts, but I randomly flicked through this book at Target and knew I had to buy it. This book focuses more on meal plans and recipes than it does on exercise, although it does provide a 28-day workout plan to go with the meal plan. The meals in this book are laid out in an easy-to-follow plan so you know what to make on which days of the week. I also appreciate that these recipes are not restrictive in any way and will fuel your body with good ingredients.

Books for the Soul


Looking for a list of the best self-help books? Here are 15 of the best books to help you improve your mindset, develop healthy habits, and fulfill your soul’s purpose | Mind Body Soul Books

11. The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking

Hygge is the Danish philosophy of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. The author shares the habits and practices that help the Danish experience more joy and contentment in their lives. Think comfy blankets, sitting by the fireplace, and sipping hot cocoa. The Little Book of Hygge is more of a coffee table book than a life-changing read, but it’s fun to flick through to find inspiration for a more cozy life.

12. The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success by Deepak Chopra

Though this book is simple in nature, the concepts inside definitely challenged my way of thinking. Deepak explains that the laws of nature are the same laws that can help us fulfill our deepest desires. Each chapter explores how these laws can help us find greater fulfillment in our lives. Despite the complexity of some of the ideas, each chapter offers 3-5 practical ways that you can apply these laws in your life. If you’re looking to align more with your soul’s purpose, add The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success to your reading list.

13. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

The Happiness Project is about Gretchen Rubin’s year-long journey to discover what leads to true contentment. Happiness is such an abstract concept, but this book gives you practical tips to find more happiness in your life. I avoided reading The Happiness Project at first because I assumed it would be cheesy (a lot of happiness books are). I was definitely wrong. Rubin’s combination of stories, tips, and research are incredibly relatable and thought-provoking.

14. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

This is the only fiction book on the list, but it’s the kind of book that teaches you 100 life lessons in a few pages. The book tells the story of a shepherd boy who travels the world in search of treasure. Along the way, his journey teaches him about the power of listening to his heart and following his dreams. The Alchemist is the type of book that will speak to your soul and provide you with endless wisdom for your own self-discovery.

15. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Liz Gilbert discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need to live our most creative lives. If you’ve ever felt like you’re not a creative person, this book will challenge you to think otherwise. I’ve never considered myself to be creative, but Liz puts creativity into a whole new perspective by reminding us that we’re all creative by nature. For anyone who feels like they have no creative talents, Big Magic will encourage you to stop thinking that way once and for all.


What’s on your self-help book list?

About the Author
Catherine Beard
Hi, I'm Catherine! As the creator of The Blissful Mind, I love exploring ways to make life more fulfilling, especially when it comes to our daily routines, habits, and well-being.

25 Responses

  1. I’ve read 13, 11, and 6 :)

    You might want to try something by Danielle LaPorte. Her book ‘The Fire Starter Sessions’ changed my life. I’m not big into audio books as a rule, but if you like them, this is the author to listen to … her voice is compelling and relaxing at the same time.

  2. Hi, Catherine. I’ve been following you for a while and love your fresh & helpful ideas.
    I’m nominating two books:
    1) Radical Forgivenness by Colon Tipping. An amazing approach that works! He offers free tools on his website radicalforgiveness.com
    2) My own recently published book, 50 Ways to Worry Less Now: Reject Negative Thinking to Find Peace, Clarity and Connection. By Gigi Langer, PhD.
    Here’s one of many rave reviews: “Langer’s frank and empathetic tone will comfort readers, as will the practical steps she teaches.” (Featured Book, BookLife by Publishers Weekly)
    The book’s only been out a month & has 5-Star rearing on Amazon. You can learn more at my website.
    Catherine, if you’d like to read it, I’d be happy to send you a copy. It’s only 160 pages but packed with practical suggestions. As another reviewer wrote, “Her honesty will blow you away! It is beautifully written; filled with humor and authenticity. A fresh, honest tutorial on growing into your true, healthy self.” (Member of Al Anon)

  3. Big Magic is one of my fave books. The section about fear really spoke to me and made me realise how fear was in control of my creativity. Now I’ve relegated it to the back seat!

    I second all the Brene Brown recommendations. I loved Daring Greatly. It’a all about how embracing vulnerability and our imperfections makes us braver and stronger.

  4. So first of all YES I have the same problem of collecting new books before reading the ones I already have. It’s a recent addiction lol. The only book on this list that I’ve read is Big Magic which I LOVE because it inspired me to start my blog. Now I need to go add a lot of these to my amazon shopping list haha thanks for the recommendations!

    Dee // http://www.morningcoffeewithdee.com

  5. I am a huge fan of anything written by Thich Nhat Hanh. Love the Art of Living and The Miracle of Mindfulness and currently reading Savor; Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.

  6. The Alchemist was one book that absolutely blew my mind. So happy to see that one on the list. I’ve also been recently introduced to the Hygge idea and am falling in love with it. Thanks for this list! I have a lot of new material to check out.

  7. Catherine, I enjoyed your list! and noted!

    about ones of my favorite book “You Are a Badass”

    So fabulous, I’m buying the book and listening to it again! If you read a lot of self help books, this has a similar message but present in such a way to make you sit up, shut up and listen. Not everything in every self help book will apply to you it’s your job as an individual to take what you need and apply it to your life.

    Julie,
    https://www.julieannepeters.com/

    1. Absolutely! And sometimes when you read a book, certain parts will resonate with you and others won’t. You might even read it again another time and find certain parts resonate with you that didn’t before just because of where you’re at in your life at that moment.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.