While researching this piece, I Googled “best self-help books.” The first result was a Reddit post asking an evergreen question: “Self-help books that ACTUALLY helped you?”
Books on empowerment and self-improvement have been balms for millions of people for more than a century (Self-Help by Samuel Smiles was the second bestselling book of 1859, beat out only by the Bible), and to this day there remains a consistent churn of self-help books for women, filled with authors inspiring readers to focus on success, overcoming imposter syndrome, and living our Best! Authentic! Lives! Though these aims are noble, they’re more mental than physical. Platitudes on matters like confidence and bravery can fly over the heads of people seeking practical, baseline advice on how to get through the day, particularly when simply the tasks of living feel like Sisyphean burdens. But a new generation of self-help books is answering the call for gentle advice, helping readers build true foundations of self-care—literally “how to take care of yourself”—while removing barriers of shame.
